The deputy commander of the 4th Operations Group at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., has flown his 3,000th hour in an F-15E Strike Eagle. This milestone for Col. Todd Boyd sets him apart in the 4th Fighter Wing—he’s the first current pilot there to achieve it. His commander called him a “true expert” in the Strike Eagle, reports SSgt. Shawn Jones. Boyd is a commander, instructor, and a flight examiner for every Strike Eagle mission. Achieving 3,000 flying hours also makes him one of the most experienced F-15E pilots in the entire Air Force.
In the days before the Air Force was an independent service, when it was still part of the U.S. Army, parts made by companies like Collins, Goodrich, Hamilton, and Sundstrand filled the skies. That shared legacy still ties today’s U.S. Air Force to Collins Aerospace, a modern company built on…