Lt. Col. Michael Brill, an Air Force Reserve pilot assigned to the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Balad AB, Iraq, on May 2 became the first-ever pilot to accumulate more than 6,000 total flight hours in the cockpit of the F-16 fighter. He surpassed the mark during a combat mission over Iraq. “I love to fly. I don’t remember ever wanting to do anything else,” said Brill, who is assigned to the 419th Fighter Wing at Hill AFB, Utah. “The fact that I’ve flown 6,000 hours of incident-free flying is a testament to an amazing machine and our dedicated maintenance support airmen.” Brill is no stranger to breaking aviation records. In 1993, he became the world’s first F-16 pilot to reach 3,000 flight hours. Five years later, he crossed the 4,000-hour threshold; in 2002, he surpassed 5,000 hours. Six thousand hours equates to 250 days in the cockpit, not counting all the time preparing for the flight and then the post-mission activities. (Balad report by 1st Lt. Lisa Spilinek)
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.