• 442nd Fighter Wing's geographically separated unit makes history with 20,000 hours in A-10 cockpit
Photos
(L to R) Lt. Cols Marc Olson, David Deaton, Brady Glick, and James Macaulay, walk to their jets to participate in a four-ship flight at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., July 15, 2011. During their flight, they surpassed the 20,000 combined hours mark—a feat never before accomplished by four pilots in the A-10. The four Barksdale-based Air Force Reserve fighter pilots are assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston)
Lt. Col. Marc Olson, a pilot assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron, checks the paperwork before climbing into an A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter jet at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., July 15, 2011. Colonel Olson participated in a four-ship flight, during which the pilots surpassed the 20,000 combined hours mark—a feat never before accomplished by four pilots in the A-10. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston)
Lt. Col. James Macaulay, the deputy commander for the 917th Fighter Group, performs a pre-flight check before taking off to participate in a four-ship flight at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., July 15, 2011. Colonel Macaulay participated in a four-ship flight, during which the pilots surpassed the 20,000 combined hours mark—a feat never before accomplished by four pilots in the A-10. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston)
Master Sgt. Mike Thompson, an Air Reserve Technician with the 917th Maintenance Squadron, helps strap Lt. Col. Marc Olson, a pilot assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron, into an A-10 Thunderbolt II before launching the jet at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., July 15, 2011. Colonel Olson participated in a four-ship flight, during which the pilots surpassed the 20,000 combined hours mark—a feat never before accomplished by four pilots in the A-10. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston)
Lt. Col. Brady Glick, a pilot assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron, prepares his equipment for a flight in an A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter jet at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., July 15, 2011. Colonel Glick participated in a four-ship flight, during which the pilots surpassed the 20,000 combined hours mark—a feat never before accomplished by four pilots in the A-10. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston)
Lt. Col. David Deaton, a pilot assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron, prepares his equipment for a flight in an A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter jet at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., July 15, 2011. Colonel Deaton participated in a four-ship flight, during which the pilots surpassed the 20,000 combined hours mark—a feat never before accomplished by four pilots in the A-10. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston)
Lt. Col. James Macaulay, the deputy commander for the 917th Fighter Group, strikes a pose before taking off for a flight in an A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter jet at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., July 15, 2011. Colonel Macaulay participated in a four-ship flight, during which the pilots surpassed the 20,000 combined hours mark—a feat never before accomplished by four pilots in the A-10. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston)
Lt. Cols James Macaulay, David Deaton, Marc Olson and Brady Glick, taxi their A-10 Thunderbolt II jet aircraft back to their parking spots after participating in a four-ship flight at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., July 15, 2011. During their flight, they surpassed the 20,000 combined hours mark—a feat never before accomplished by four pilots in the A-10. The four Barksdale-based Air Force Reserve fighter pilots are assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston)
by Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston
307th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
7/18/2011 - BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Four Barksdale-based Air Force Reserve fighter pilots made aviation history by setting a new record for combined hours in the cockpit of the A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter jet, July 15.
Col. James Macaulay, Lt. Col. David Deaton, Lt. Col. Marc Olson and Lt. Col. Brady Glick, all assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron, which is part of the 917th Fighter Group, participated in a four-ship flight during which the pilots surpassed the 20,000 combined hour mark--a feat never before accomplished by four pilots in the A-10.
This kind of feat does not happen overnight.
I'm grateful that God has blessed me by allowing me to serve my country for this long," Deaton said. "I never imagined when I graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1978, that I would still be doing what I love 33 years later."
This event marked the second record-setting sortie for this group of pilots. The four colonels set the previous record of 17,742 combined hours in the A-10 during a four-ship flight in 2008. Together, all four pilots have completed more than 10,000 sorties.
Immediately following the flight, Macaulay was promoted to the rank of colonel in a ceremony presided over by Col. Eric S. Overturf, the commander of the 442nd Fighter Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.
"This milestone is really a testament to the professionalism of the maintainers and the durability of the 'Hawg," Macaulay said. "In 20,000 hours, none of us have punched out (ejected) or had a major mishap. For every hour we get in the seat of the jet, there's over 15 hours of maintenance and support that makes them fly."
In addition to the record breaking sortie, Macaulay also took the lead in A-10 flying hours with over 5,200.
"It's been a distinct honor to fly with the 47th Fighter Squadron, and the best attack pilots in the world," said Macaulay.
Some Airmen assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron are schedule to deploy after the first of the year.
According to Overturf, the four-ship flight also set a record for being the "oldest on record." The total ages of the four pilots add up to a whopping 200 years and 2 months.
