FY12 flying hour program: Complete

U.S. Air Force Col. Jeannie Leavitt, 4th Fighter Wing commander, poses for a photo after flying the final sortie of fiscal year 12 on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Sept. 26, 2012. The 4th Fighter Wing flew 19,074 hours during FY12 successfully meeting Air Combat Command’s standards. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Gino Reyes/Released)

FY12 flying hour program: Complete

U.S. Air Force Col. Jeannie Leavitt, 4th Fighter Wing commander, shakes hands with Col. Michael Koscheski, 4th Operations Group commander, after flying the final sortie of fiscal year 12 on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Sept. 26, 2012. Air Combat Command allotted 19,074 flying hours to the 4th Fighter Wing for FY12 to allow aircrew to train and remain combat ready. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Gino Reyes/Released)

FY12 flying hour program: Complete

U.S. Air Force Col. Jeannie Leavitt, 4th Fighter Wing commander, poses for a photo with Senior Airman Joey Landry and Airman 1st Class Thomas Lampirez, 4th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chiefs, after flying the final sortie of fiscal year 12 on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Sept. 26, 2012. The four fighter squadrons from the 4th FW flew approximately 72 sorties a day to meet Air Combat Command flying hour requirements. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Gino Reyes/Released)

FY12 flying hour program: Complete

Published Oct. 1, 2012
By Senior Airman Gino Reyes
4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE,N.C. -- The 4th Fighter Wing recently completed their annual flying hour program for fiscal year 12, Sept. 26, despite weather setbacks, higher headquarters mission taskings and maintenance issues.

"Our maintenance team did an outstanding job this year," said Maj. Ronen Segal, 4th Operations Support Squadron chief of fighter scheduling.

"We produced eight extra sorties a day for two weeks totaling 97.8 hours," said Staff Sgt. Austin Kilgore, 335th Aircraft Maintenance Unit crew chief.

Sorties consist of one to two hours of flying and are a single mission flown by a military aircraft. All sorties flown at home station are used to meet the flying hour program requirements.

"During Coronet Warrior 12-04, the 335th generated 27 of the 81 sorties flown in the exercise," Kilgore said.

Every year Air Combat Command designates a certain amount of flying hours to the 4th FW. This year 19,074 hours were given for training and operations. All hours must be flown within the fiscal year assigned, which is Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

To make sure all flying hours are met the 4th OSS fighter scheduling team creates a flying hour program, which coordinates sorties for all fighter aircrew. Their job is to continuously make sure the program is running smoothly and hours are met.

"The flying hour program effectively manages training for America's newest aviators as well as combat veterans," Segal said.