335th FS commemorates record-setting F-15E

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Gino Reyes
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  The 335th Fighter Squadron held a ceremony Dec. 7, 2012 in honor of the F-15E Strike Eagle Flag Ship 487 for reaching the 10,000 flying hours milestone.

Representatives from Boeing and Atlantic Models presented the 335th FS with a scaled model of 487 to commemorate the achievement.

"The significance of this ceremony is not only that 487 reached a 10,000 hour milestone," said Capt. Ryan Bodenheimer, 335th Fighter Squadron pilot, "it also represents the dedication and commitment of our young men and women of the United States Air Force."

Capts. Bodenheimer and Erin Short flew 487 during a show-of-force mission when it reached 10,000 hours while deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

"This milestone could not have been achieved without the hard work of our maintainers," Bodenheimer added.

The plane was commissioned Nov. 13, 1990, and was the first F-15 of any type to reach 10,000 hours. The aircraft participated in operations Desert Storm, Deliberate Guard, Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

"It has taken more than 21 years of qualified maintenance technicians performing more than one million hours of inspections and repairs in all types of environments at home station, depot facilities and deployed locations to ensure aircraft 487 was available to deploy on numerous missions," said Chief Master Sgt. John Parrot 4th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron operations superintendent. "It also took careful, timely loading and maintenance by hundreds of weapons technicians in conjunction with countless hours of repairs and inspections performed by avionics, electrical and environmental, engine, fuels, egress and structural Airmen."

Currently 487 has 10,441 flying hours, 4,240 sorties and a lifetime mission capable rate of 83.2 percent.