F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487 lands after completing the mission that brought its flying hours up to 10,000 Jan. 13, 2012, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. #89-0487 is the only aircraft of its type to complete an air-to-air kill and is now the only F-15 to reach 10,000 flying hours. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Ericka Engblom)
F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487 is specially painted to celebrate its multiple achievements Jan. 13, 2012, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. #89-0487 is the only F-15 to have had a successful air-to-air kill and is now the only F-15 to have logged 10,000 hours of flying time. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Ericka Engblom)
Staff Sgt. Ryan Forsse opens a hatch on F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487 in order to perform pre-flight maintenance on the aircraft before it goes on the mission that will bring its logged flying hours up to 10,000 Jan. 13, 2012, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Forsse is a crew chief with the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Ericka Engblom)
Staff Sgt. Ryan Forsse, Senior Airman Eric Rock and Airman 1st Class Joshua Meints perform the final pre-flight maintenance inspection on F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487 before it goes on the mission that will bring its flying hours up to 10,000 Jan. 13, 2012, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Forsse, Rock, and Meints are all crew chiefs with the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Ericka Engblom)
Capt. Ryan Bodenheimer celebrates as he and Capt. Erin Short taxi onto the runway in F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487 before the mission that will bring its logged flying hours up to 10,000 Jan. 13, 2012, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Bodenheimer is an F-15E pilot with the 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and Short is a weapons system officer with the 335th EFS. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Ericka Engblom)
F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487 sits in its spot Jan. 13, 2012, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. #89-0487 is a highly credited aircraft, being the only F-15 to successfully complete an air-to-air kill; an achievement that the aircraft reached in 1991 while serving in Operation Desert Storm and now the only F-15 to log 10,000 hours of flying time. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Ericka Engblom)
by Tech Sgt. Vernon Cunningham
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
1/16/2012 - BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- In the early hours of the day, the aircraft parking ramp here was alive with activity. Checklists were run, hatches checked, bombs loaded and missions briefed, as the crew chiefs, support units, and flyers of F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487 achieved a milestone 10,000 flying hours Jan. 13.
F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487, or "#487" for short, was commissioned Nov. 13, 1990. It's the first F-15 of any type to reach 10,000 hours, despite being younger than many F-15A and F-15C models. During its service, the aircraft participated in operations Desert Storm, Deliberate Guard, Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom.
The accomplishment of flying more than 10,000 hours was shared by the entire 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. The 455th EAMXS includes the 335th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit and supporting units.
"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,(temporary duty assignment) and (air and space expeditionary force) locations to ensure aircraft #89-0487 was available to deploy on numerous TDYs and AEFs," Chief Master Sgt. John Parrott, the 335th EAMU superintendent said. "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."
The current crew chiefs for #487 are all deployed from Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. They agreed that good maintenance and support were critical.
"This is the squadron flag ship," said Senior Airman Eric Rock, a 455th EAMS crew chief assigned to #487. "This accomplishment definitely shows the caliber of those before us and those who are crewing it now. They are putting the best and most motivated on the team."
The #487 crew chiefs have been working with the same aircraft for the past year. Since arriving at Bagram Airfield, the high demand for the flag ship helped highlight the team cohesion needed to keep the aircraft mission ready.
"When we got here, it was at 8,800 hours," said Staff Sgt. Ryan Forsse, a 455th EAMS crew chief assigned to #487. "We put 1,200 hours on it in the past three months. During that time, this aircraft dropped 15 percent of all bombs deployed in our fleet. To keep it flying at that pace, it was very important to keep the same crew on it to get to know the aircraft."
Rock said each plane has a specific personality.
"Keeping the same crew working on it allows for the technician to see trends," Rock said. "You get to know what is going on with it, what sounds normal and what works."
The crew chiefs specifically acknowledged that all of the support units were integral in reaching the 10,000 flying hours milestone.
"When we have a problem that needs to be fixed by another shop, they come out quickly for this jet," Forsse said. "This is the squadron flag ship, so all the shops push to get this aircraft fixed, armed up and back in the air. Any time we need something, they are on it."
Lt. Col. David Moeller, the 335th Expeditionary Flying Squadron commander, is the current weapons systems officer for #487. Moeller said he fully appreciated the impact of the work done by the F-15E #487 team.
"It's not just about the hours in the sky," Moeller said. "The maintenance ability to keep this jet flying so it may support the current fight is amazing. This is 24-hours, all-weather, operations throughout the (Operation Enduring Freedom) battlespace. Maintenance, weapons, and all support by the 455th makes this possible. It was a total team effort."
In addition to the ground support, a lot of work was done in the air for #487.
"This milestone also required skilled, proficient pilots and weapons systems officers flying more than 3,500 sorties," Parrott said. "Like the crew that dropped a GBU-10 on an Iraqi Mi24 helicopter during Operation Desert Storm."
F-15E #487 is the only one of its kind to record an air-to-air kill.
As a personal tribute to history, Moeller chose to pass the honor of flying over 10,000 hours to Capt. Ryan Bodenheimer, a 335th F-15E EFS pilot, and Capt. Erin Short, a 335th EFS weapons systems officer.
"It just seemed appropriate that the longest flying F-15E be flown by the youngest flyers in the unit," he said.
Perrot summed up the significance of #487's sustained mission capability.
"It has taken 21 years of two things: pride and passion," he said. "Pride in the work completed with fellow Airmen, ultimately for the excellence of the Air Force. And passion -- regardless of the weather, obstacle or task faced, successful completion is the only goal."
Comments
1/20/2012 9:33:43 PM ET I remember 487 very well. I was assigned to Seymour Johnson as an AGE mechanic from 1986 until 1988 and again from 1989 until 1992. I deployed along with 487 to Saudi Arabia. It's great knowing she has reached this milestone. I hope she has a long life flying.
Jack Driggers, Monroe NC
1/20/2012 8:43:16 AM ET This story reflects well on the guys on the line keeping this aircraft in the air. what is not mentioned is fleet management and how much closer 1,200 hours in 3 months takes off the airframes life. Is the rest of the fleet so wore out that 487 has to carry the load?
Maj, LR
1/18/2012 11:26:54 PM ET Very well done by all Eagle Keepers that kept this Eagle and others like it in the air for so long through many countless Wars, Deployments, TDYs, hurrivacs and training sorties. It is proof that we as a nation can still have pride and a bond that is well represented by the Men and Women of the 335th4th FW, SJ, USAF and McDonnell Douglas for building a jet worthy of its namesake as a symbol of pride in our country. 4C Rock Meints and all the MX professionals at SJ thank you for TCB Taking Care of Business. Pedro
Pete Williams SMSgt retired, DFW
1/17/2012 6:31:37 PM ET Good job, Forsse. Been a long time since Dice Man land. Keep it up buddy.
colwell, Elmendorf AK
1/17/2012 12:29:29 PM ET Credit to Lt Col Moeller for NOT flying the mission that took 487 over the 10000 hour mark. I've seen way too many times Commanders take significant missions like this away from their airmen that put in the majority of the work leading up to the accomplishment. My hat is off to you sir.
Maj, SWA
1/17/2012 10:17:44 AM ET Narrative under picture 6 is innacurate. Many more F15s have air to air kills. I'm sure 1st and 33rd FW will not agree. It should say the only F15E with an air to air kill.
ddub, TX
1/15/2012 5:43:49 PM ET Correction it is the only F-15E model to score an aerial kill. That part is important as the F-15ABCD models have a total of around 108 aerial kills. Would never want false information floating about....
Mike G, Mountain Home
1/14/2012 5:45:04 PM ET Special Thanks to A1C Meints.His hard work and dedication was one of the largest contributing factors for us being able to reach our achievement. It has been a privilege working with you and this credit is well deserved. To all those who have helped maintain Chief 1 past and present thank you again.-Rock
