Lt. Col. Michael Brill Logs 6,000 Hours Flying an F-16

Lt. Col. Michael Brill has become the first person in history to fly 6,000 hours in the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The Air Force Reserve pilot, deployed with the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, surpassed the milestone during a mission on June 30.

The achievement continues a record-setting streak that began in 1993 when he first exceeded 3,000 hours. Brill was also the first pilot to reach 4,000 hours in 1998 and 5,000 hours in 2002.

"The sustained effort required to spend 6,000 hours flying the F-16 is phenomenal," said Brig. Gen. Burton Field, commander of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. "Six thousand hours equates to 250 days in the cockpit -- not counting all the time in ground ops before and after the flight. That is an incredible amount of time in a high-G [force], high-speed, high-stress arena.”

Since beginning his career in 1980, Brill has logged over 225 combat hours across more than 65 combat sorties. He flew missions in support of Operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom, and led the first F-16 strike into Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks.

In addition to precision strike missions, Brill and his squadron have recently flown reconnaissance and show-of-force missions to support ground troops in Iraq. He currently serves as the Safety Office Chief for the 419th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Additionally, as an air reserve technician since 1990, he provides continuity in base operations while mentoring younger pilots.

Despite the physical and mental demands of his role, Brill is still not ready to slow down. With five years until retirement, he’s open to reaching 7,000 hours…if the missions keep coming his way.

"If they want to throw that many sorties at me, I'll take them,” he stated. “I never say no when they ask me to fly. I love it."

FMI: www.af.mil