Lt. Col. Timothy Webster, instructor pilot with the 96th Flying Training Squadron at Laughlin AFB, Tex., reached his 3,000th flying hour in the T-38 trainer, announced base officials. Webster achieved this milestone on July 31 during a flight with a specialized undergraduate pilot training student, states an Aug. 15 base release. “I’ve always wanted to fly; it is interesting and not many people get to do it,” said Webster, who joined the Air Force Reserve in 1988 and went on active duty the following year, according to the release. “Flying 3,000 hours in the T-38 is a major accomplishment; only a few have attained it,” said Lt. Col. William Lee, 96th FTS functional check flight chief. (Laughlin report by A1C Jimmie D. Pike)
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.