According to Boeing, Col. Matthew Swanson is the 37th F-15E fighter pilot to eclipse that feat
On Jun. 11, 2018 the commanding officer (CO) of the 336th Fighter Squadron, Lt. Col. Matthew Swanson, clocked 3,000 flight hours on the F-15E during a sortie from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base (AFB).
According the article Rocketeer reaches 3K flying hours written by Tech. Sgt. David W. Carbajal, 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, four months is the amount of time the 336th Fighter Squadron commander has spent in the cockpit throughout his near 16-year flying career.
He was greeted by his family, fellow pilots and squadron members to congratulate him on his achievement.
“Three thousand hours is an incredible accomplishment for any fighter pilot,” said Col. Christopher Sage, 4th Fighter Wing commander. “Only a rare few make it to this milestone, but he’s shown to have the commitment to go even further.”
According to Boeing, Swanson is the 37th F-15E fighter pilot to eclipse that feat.
“It’s very humbling to be among the 3,000 flight-hour company,” said Swanson. “But, honestly, I’m the guy benefiting from the outstanding maintainers and support that we receive every day. They are the ones who deserve the credit.”
He flew his first F-15E sortie July 22, 2004 as a member of the 333rd Fighter Squadron.
Swanson has accumulated more than 1,200 combat flying hours supporting multiple operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle and Inherent Resolve.
Photo credit: Airman 1st Class Shawna L. Keyes / U.S. Air Force
Artwork courtesy of AircraftProfilePrints.com
