“I’m honored to be the 1,000 pilot, it’s an awesome milestone for the U-2 community. At the same time, I would be grateful to be number 994 or 1,001. Being a part of this community and being counted amongst some of the best aviators in the world is a privilege. The number is a number, I haven’t done anything different than the 999 before me and will not do anything different than the ones after me.”
Source: The U-2 Dragon Lady reached a milestone in its 61 years of service, qualifying Maj. J.J., 1st Reconnaissance Squadron student pilot, as the 1,000th pilot to operate the aircraft, at California's Beale Air Force Base Aug. 31.