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Vice Commander logs 2,000th hour in Fighting Falcon

  • Published
  • By Staff Reports
  • 52nd Fighter Wing
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany --  Col. Tad Clark, 52d Fighter Wing vice commander, passed a major career milestone Sept. 6, 2018, when he surpassed 2,000 flight hours in the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

A pilot is considered experienced once they have logged 400 hours flying a particular aircraft.

With the administrative and training duties placed on a them as they progress up the ranks, it can take many years for a highly experienced pilot with 1,500 hours to cross the 2,000 hours threshold.

“Achieving 2,000 hours in the F-16 is a team event,” Clark said. “It represents the countless more hours our Airmen commit to support the mission.”

Clark, a former Thunderbirds Aerial Demonstration Team pilot, acknowledges that his milestone not only points to the readiness of the units directly supporting flying operations, but the base as a whole.

“From our Security Forces who stand guard, to the airfield management team that safeguards our runway, to the medical staff that ensures we're all physically ready, and of course our maintainers who relentlessly provide combat airpower ready for any task, any time, this is what our adversaries should fear most,” Clark said, “They should fear what we as an Air Force bring to the fight as a Team!”