Reserve F-22 pilot reaches 1,000 flight hours

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Dana Rosso
  • 477th Fighter Group Public Affairs

Maj. Chad Newkirk, an Air Force Reserve F-22 pilot assigned to the 477th Fighter Group, is the 11th pilot in Air Force history and fourth pilot in the 477th FG to reach 1,000 flight hours in the F-22. He achieved the mark during a sortie here in April.

"I am thrilled and humbled to have made it to 1,000 hours in the Raptor" said Newkirk. "There is a ton that goes into any pilot reaching this milestone in a relatively young airframe, and I couldn't have done it without all the awesome support from the maintainers and the rest of our ops support folks over the years."

Prior to joining the Air Force Reserve, Newkirk spent eight years on active duty flying F-15s and F-22s at Elmendorf AFB Alaska as well as Langley AFB in Virginia . He separated from active duty in 2008 and returned to Alaska to fly with the Air Force Reserve as a member of the 302nd Fighter Squadron.

Newkirk joins Col. David Piffarerio, 477th Fighter Group commander, the first in the group and the Air Force and Maj. Jonathan Gration, 302nd FS F-22 pilot, the second in the group and the fourth in Air Force, and Maj. Ryan Pelkoa, 302nd FS, third in the group and eighth in the Air Force.

"I am excited to further increase the overall level of Raptor experience in the Hellions" said Newkirk "and to continue training and employing with our Active Duty partners."

The 477th FG is integrated in every F-22 mission set with their partners in the active duty 3rd Wing.