Kreischer earns Air Force pilot wings

By Lt. Col. Todd Murphey

PHOENIX, Ariz. — The mission of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Ariz., is to “train the world’s greatest F-16 fighter pilots and maintainers”, while deploying mission-ready warfighters.

First Lt. Justin Kreischer was one of 16 graduates of the F-16 qualification course that will enter the combat air forces as the world’s greatest. Their graduation culminates nine months of intense training and hard work.

This team contributed to more than 2,100 sorties, 310 hours of academics per student and 768 simulators. This rigorous training laid the vital foundation of aircraft systems knowledge and study habits that will sustain them throughout their flying careers.

Each pilot flew five dual flights with an instructor to master handling the Viper, with the sixth flight a solo one.  Following the transition phase, the pilots learned to fly the Viper as a weapons system.  The tactical portion of their syllabus began with basic fighter maneuvers (one vs. one fights) and ultimately progressed to air combat tactics. ACT entailed four F-16s fighting as many as four adversaries in a challenging real-world combat scenario. The students transitioned to the air-to-ground phase where they began learning to fly in the low altitude environment, employ general purpose bombs, and fire the F-16’s 20-mm gun. Each student dropped live laser-guided bombs, also learning to do this under the cover of darkness with the additional challenge of using night vision goggles.

Their planning and flying skills were finally tested in a large, close-air support exercise integrating an air support operations center, U.S. Air Force and Marine joint terminal attack controllers on the ground, A-10s, AWACS and a Predator.  This capstone mission ensured the pilots were ready for their operational tours.

In all aspects of this incredibly demanding course, both in the air and on the ground, the students excelled and proved themselves worthy to be called Air Force fighter pilots. All of Luke Air Force Base’s airmen can be proud of the newest world-class Viper pilots.

Attending the September 23 Air Force graduation ceremony at Luke Air Force Base was Amber and Landon Kreischer, Phil and Carol Kreischer, Becky Leeth, and Steve and Denise Frey. Lt. Kreischer will be stationed with the 180th Fighter Wing in Toledo.