Det. commander conquers career milestone Published Oct. 24, 2007 By Airman 1st Class Ryan Whitney Nellis Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- A Nellis pilot entered into F-15 "Eagle" history when he completed a testing mission Oct. 19, pushing his total flight hours in the F-15 A-D to more than 3,000. Col. Jimmy Clark, Detachment 6 commander, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, hit this monumental milestone that has been 26 years in the making while on his fourth flying tour here at Nellis. "Every time I fly here, I am flying with such talented people, and the learning curve keeps getting steeper," Colonel Clark said. "I am continually impressed with the talent level of Nellis pilots and here at Nellis, you learn something new from every mission that you fly." From flying in the U.S. Air Force Weapons School as an instructor as well as a student and being vice commander of the 57th Wing, the largest composite wing in the Air Force, to participating in more than 15 Red Flag exercises and being commander of AFOTEC, Nellis has been very good to the colonel. Although Nellis has changed dramatically since Colonel Clark first flew here in 1986, one of the things that has remained constant is the level of professionalism and excellence that the Eagle Aircraft Maintenance Unit and the other maintenance units under the 57th Wing have displayed. "Without their skill and dedication, the diverse and complex missions flown at Nellis would not be possible," said Colonel Clark. "I have always been impressed by the Nellis maintenance units and the work that they do on a daily basis." After parking his aircraft, the colonel was greeted by friends, fellow pilots and a fire hose, provided by 99th Civil Engineer Fire Protection Flight. Upon exiting the aircraft, the 3,000 hour flight veteran was hosed down, a common tradition among pilots whenever they reach certain career milestones.
