Community

Viper Driver Flying Hours

Lt.Col. Mike "Brillo" Brill

Sierra Hotel main menu | Submit your flying hours

Viper Driver

	Name	*Lt.Col. Mike "Brillo"* Brill**
	Country
	Unit	421st Fighter Squadron "Black Widows"
	Flying F-16s
	Viper Hours	6275
	See also	Air Force pilot breaks own world aviation record
Major Brill is a full-time air reserve technician in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and has been the operations officer of the 466th Fighter Squadron of the 419th Fighter Wing based at Hill. He is a 1979 graduate of the Air Force Academy and 1986 graduate of the Fighter Weapons School. He alse flew 40 combat hours during operation Provide Comfort II. Brill's first flight in the F-16 occurred at Hill AFB in November 1980, the same time as Initial Operational Capability was declared with the aircraft at that location. Since then, he has flown the F-16 continuously with the following units, in order: 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hill AFB; 474th Tactical Fighter Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada; 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, Korea; 57th Fighter Weapons Wing, Nellis AFB; 388th Tactical Fighter Wing; and 419th Fighter Wing (since 1990). Brill is continuing a tradition he began in 1993 when he was the first U.S. pilot to surpass 3,000 hours in the "Viper." Achieving 4,000 hours in the same fighter aircraft is a rare achievement, and Brill, a reservist for almost half of his time flying the F-16, has averaged 225 hours per year in his 17+ years flying the aircraft. Brill's achievements in the F-16 include serving as an instructor pilot since 1984 and participating on three Gunsmoke teams (1985, 1987, 1993) and one William Tell team (1996). Gunsmoke and William Tell are the USAF's premier worldwide air-to-ground and air-to-air weapons competitions, respectively, and Brill has participated in more of these than any other pilot. His team won the Gunsmoke '87 competition and thus earned the title of "World Champions" for a two-year period. 2003: Lt. Col. Brill is now the commander of the 466th Fighter Squadron "Diamondbacks" at Hill AFB, Utah 2004: Lt. Col. Brill has been selected for the rank of colonel by the Air Reserve Personnel Center.

F-16 Flying Hours

6,000 Hours		# 1 on the 6K list
Unit	421st Fighter Squadron "Black Widows"	[Unit History]
Date	2 May 2008
Comment
5,000 Hours		# 1 on the 5K list
Unit	466th Fighter Squadron "Diamondbacks"	[Unit History]
Date	22 November 2002
Comment	The 5,000 hour milestone was achieved during a routine combat training mission out of Hill AFB. The flight consisted of four F-16s from the 419th FW.
4,000 Hours		# 1 on the 4K list
Unit	N/A
Date	23 August 1998
Comment	He surpassed 4000 hrs in the F-16 on 23 Aug 1998 at Hill AFB Utah. He flew the mission in aircraft 87-0225 F-16C Block 30 NVIS . Lockheed VP Zim Zimmerman was on hand to present Mike with the one and only 4000 hr patch. It is gold in color with the falcon in the center.
3,000 Hours		# 3 on the 3K list
Unit	N/A
Date	July 1993
Comment	Hill
2,000 Hours		# 10 on the 2K list
Unit	N/A
Date	unknown
Comment
1,000 Hours		# 139 on the 1K list
Unit	N/A
Date	unknown
Comment

Flying Hours on other aircraft

Visitor Comments

Congratulations!!!

Mark Pedruco, Jul 06, 2010 - 06:10 AM

Congratulations Mike!!!!!!

From all the staff of Garden Island Resort in the Fiji Islands, also the dive staff and meke group!!!

We had no idea we had a celebrity amongst us.....

Our knowledge of fighter planes is limited to what we see on TV/movies we are indeed honoured to meet a real live fighter pilot..........stuff dreams are made of.

Well wishes from the staff and management

Mark and staff of Garden Island Resort, Taveuni, Fiji.

Note: Errors and omissions in the above text can be added here. Please note: your comments will be displayed immediately on this page.

If you wish to send a private comment to the webmasters, please use the Contact Us link.