Final Bandit flies 1,000 hours

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Heather Stanton
  • 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  The final pilot to achieve 1,000 flying hours in the F-117A took to the skies for the historic flight Dec. 7.

Lt. Col. Kenneth Tatum, 9th Fighter Squadron commander, achieved a milestone that few other Bandits, any F-117 pilot, have achieved.

"It is a real honor to join the ranks of the other 26 Bandits who have reached the 1,000 hour mark in the F-117," said Colonel Tatum, Bandit 527. "Even more so, when I know I will be the last Bandit afforded the opportunity to achieve this milestone."

The flight was commemorated with a four-ship flight, of which all pilots had achieved the 1,000 hour mark. The flight takes second place in history for the total combined hours in one flight with more than 4,500, said Lt. Col. Brian Adkins, 9 FS director of operations.

"This is an incredible occasion," said Brig. Gen. David Goldfein, 49th Fighter Wing commander. "1,000 hours is a lot of walk-arounds and everyone from the crew chief to the refuelers to weapons and ammo Airmen help get the sorties off the ground."

General Goldfein presented Colonel Tatum with a crystal Nighthawk statue, the award given for such an accomplishment.

"I am honored to have served with the entire Nighthawk team for the last 10 years that brought me to this point," said Colonel Tatum. "All of the Bandits I have flown with, our Lockheed Martin experts, the 49'er support team, and of course our maintenance professionals, such as Staff Sgt. Scott Tracey and Airman 1st Class Mark Chadwick, my dedicated crew chiefs, who have all kept number 809 and the rest of the F-117 fleet ready to serve this great country on a moment's notice."

This milestone for the F-117 is one of many lasts for the stealth aircraft. The F-117 will be fully retired by the middle of 2008 as Holloman brings on the fifth generation stealth aircraft, the F-22A Raptor.

"I can assure you that we (49 FW) will stand ready to answer our nation's call down to the very last Bandit and Nighthawk we have here at Holloman," said Colonel Tatum.