The 33rd Fighter Wing here closed out 1998 with one last milestone for the history books, as one of its F-15D Eagles became the first Air Force F-15 to reach 6,000 flying hours Dec. 16, 1988. First Lt. Brian Baldwin -- one of the youngest pilots in the 58th Fighter Squadron -- flew the jet, which is one of the oldest Eagles in the wing's fleet. "I didn't view this flight as any different," said Baldwin. "When we landed, I didn't expect to see such a big crowd awaiting our arrival -- that was pretty cool."
While reaching 6,000 hours is a notable accomplishment, it also highlights the age of the nearly 20 year old F-15. "When the F-15 came along, it was a world-beater. It was better than anything else in the world, and it showed," Gen. Dick Hawley, Air Combat Command commander, said recently. "We've yet to lose an F-15 in air-to-air combat, and it's racked up countless kills. Although the F-15 has an unparalleled history, Hawley said, "that situation won't hold forever, so we need to replace it," with the F-22.
