MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz. -- Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 was recently recognized by the Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James Conway for flying more than 50,000 mishap-free flight hours.
The Snipers broke the 50,000 hour mark in early July 2010, and have not had a mishap since October 1995.
A mishap can range from maintenance to pilot errors, sometimes resulting in aerial accidents and extreme cases the death of the pilot or destruction of the aircraft.
At an average of 45 minutes per flight, 50,000 hours equates to nearly 70,000 mishap free sorties.
The Snipers are the only adversary squadron within the Marine Corps, and the only squadron on station to achieve this milestone.
The Sniper pilots display professional airmanship in every sortie and the aircraft maintenance we have is world-class, said Lt. Col. Tim Golden, VMFT-401 commanding officer.
The all-civilian staffed Sikorsky Aerospace is the maintainer of the Snipers’ F-5E Tiger II aircraft.
“It’s the best job in the world,” said Jeffrey Treffert, aircraft maintenance manager. “The experience we have is unparalleled. We’re very proud to support the Marine Corps and the nation.”