AFRC commander totals 7000 military flying hours

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Julie Briden-Garcia
  • 301st Fighter Wing
Fort Worth, Texas --  Seven thousand flying hours adds up to 291 days, 14 hours and 24 minutes, or two and a half months short of one year.

Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, Chief of Air Force Reserve and Air Force Reserve Command commander, achieved his 7000th hour of total military flying time with the 457th Fighter Squadron at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. After landing, he took time to shake hands and answer some questions.

Q: What's your favorite type of aircraft?
A: No doubt about it, it's this one here. This F-16 is the best I've ever flown out of all of them. Its better, it's got more capability and it's the prettiest airplane America has ever built, I think.

Q: What was it was like to fly in Vietnam verses flying today?
A: "It's more complicated today, those were pretty simple missions, simple airplane. What we did there is the same thing these guys do when they go to Iraq every year - close air support - they're helping Soldiers on the ground. That's what matters, taking care of those young Soldiers so they come home. The close air support that (the fighter jets) do in Iraq is the same thing that we did then; we just have a heck of a lot better system, lot better weapons, more accuracy, a lot more capability with these."

Q: What's the flying future for AFRC and what are your thoughts concerning the F-22 and F-35?
A: We're going to be flying a long time. We're going to be flying the best airplanes in the world. We're going to fly these [F-16s], and we'll get F-35s here, built right across the runway, we're going to fly F-22s, we're going to fly all the big airlift airplanes, tankers ... the works. The Air Force Reserve has a great future, a great future; they want us in everything across the board, every system."

Q: Speaking of the future, even though you're going to be retiring soon, next year, "Not too soon." ...what kind of plans do you have to remain involved with the Air Force Reserve Command?
A: "It'll be deep in my heart forever. I love this Air Force; I love the Air Force Reserve. I've been in the Air Force Reserve for 34 years now -- I'll never be able to forget it. It's been wonderful because of the people. The flying is great, and that's what I started in the Air Force to do, was to fly, but that's not what it's about to me. It's about the people you work with. We have great Reservists all the country, all over the world, doing great jobs for us in tough conditions and working hard. They make me really proud. That's what I enjoy about this is going out and seeing the people. Of course, coming here and flying let's me see people, and see professionals.

"This squadron here, the maintenance guys, the munitions folks, the pilots, they've deployed four times, combat, in six years, a reserve unit. They are the best! Just came home from Iraq a couple of months ago. These guys were the first folks to drop bombs in Afghanistan in 2001-- they just happen to be there. So, they flew those 10 to 12 hour missions at night and dropped bombs there at the very beginning. There's a lot to be proud of here. They're the best.

"We have them all over the command, our other units, fabulous folks; they're deploying a lot as well. I'll stay involved them with them because you can't forget these people who have done all this great work for our Air Force and our nation. So, I'll stay involved, some how."

Q: Would you say this is the best fighter squadron you've ever flown with?
A: "It is, without a doubt. And I'll tell you why. I carried this helmet bag to the South Pole. I was so proud of the SPADs; I put this thing beside me for a picture because I'm proud of these guys. Now I'll tell ya, this is the best squadron I've ever been in. And I was in combat with a great group of guys and I've flown in an A-10 squadron that was the best A-10 squadron in the Air Force. But I don't think that we have anywhere a better collection of quality than right here. The young people we have today are more talented and have more experience. They have a lot of combat experience, a lot of relevant, current, combat experience and they are so much better than my generation was. I glad I get to hang around and learn from them. [The SPADs] are tolerant; they teach me a lot and I enjoy flying with them and learning. It's the best collection of talent I've ever been around. They're the best!"

Q: What do you feel is the significance of reaching 7000 total military flying hours?
A: I don't personally attach a lot of significance to these hours, it's a lot of hours, and it's a lot of sorties when you fly small airplanes, fighters. It sounds significant. But to me what's important is that it represents thousands of people who have worked on my airplanes all that time, had them ready for flight, the people who support you on the ground in every way, the operation clerks, the life support people, avionics people, the shop people in maintenance squadrons, crew chief all made it happen. All I had to show up at the jet.

"Those are the people who really made it happen; that's the significance to me. Frankly, the jets they gave me were always good. I've really had few problems in my entire flying career with airplanes, very few serious emergencies. I've had a hand full...I've never gone off the runway yet...(knock-knock), had to take a cable once...lost the tread on a tire...lost two engines in a two-engine airplane one time, but I got one restarted, so it worked out okay. That's the worst thing that's ever happened as far as something wrong with the airplanes - so flying maybe 5000 sorties or so -- that's a very small number of problems. I've been blessed with great folks working on airplanes."

Q: Do you have anything to add to those aspiring to reach, maybe close, to reaching those numbers?
A: I never even thought about really it until I got close to 7000 - I wasn't keeping track of it. As I got over 6900 hours I thought ... I might make 7000 which is twice as much as a lot of my contemporaries. A lot of guys have 3000, 3500, maybe 4000, tops. So I've been blessed to get to fly a lot but I've done my share of staff jobs too. I've been around a long time, I'm old, I'll be 62 [this] week and then in 40 [years of my military career,] so I've been blessed - it's been great!"