Lt. Col. Eric Alvarez became one of few US Air Force officers to log 5,000 flight hours in the B-1B Lancer, marking a career milestone as the aircraft nears retirement.
Business travel has recovered mainly to pre-pandemic levels, and many individuals log significant miles in the air once again. However, they mostly travel for work, whereas the crews on America’s strategic bombers are essentially “in the office” when in the air.
One United States Air Force Weapons System Officer (WSO) hit a milestone, spending 5,000 hours up in the air! The service announced last week that Lt. Col. Eric Alvarez, who is also the 345th Bomb Squadron commander, passed the threshold in a Rockwell B-1B Lancer from Dyess Air Force Base (AFB), Texas, becoming just one of a small handful of people to surpass that many flying hours.
Who Is Lt. Col. Eric Alvarez?
Alvarez’s childhood dream was to fly. He spent 14 years on active duty with the Air Force and another 10 with the Air Force Reserve. The B-1B wasn’t his first choice, but it is where he has spent those hours doing what he loves.
“Ultimately, as a kid, I wanted to fly, so I had to take some additional prep courses to make it through all the tests, and at the end, I went to officer training school,” explained Alvarez.
“I did not get my initial pick, which was fighter jets, but they gave me bombers, the B-1B, and looking back on that, I have zero regrets.”
His first flight in the BONE (as the B-1B is known to its crews and maintainers) began in October 2004, and in April of this year, he logged his 5,000th mile. However, he didn’t focus on the number; it was just business.
“It didn’t hit me until my family and friends greeted me after I landed because we kept going along like any other sortie with what we trained to do—go up and fly, be ready with our tactics and procedures,” said Alvarez, “Train, fly and land, and oh, by the way, you’ve reached 5000 hours!”
Lt. Col. Alvarez Steps Down
Alvarez also said he would continue to serve the United States as long as he could, but he plans to spend more time with his family while passing his knowledge on to the next generation. However, the days of the B-1B Lancer are counting down.
The B-1B supersonic bomber first entered service in the mid-1980s and continues to support the US bomber presence in the Asia-Pacific region and conduct close air support missions in US operations worldwide. It has not carried nuclear weapons since the end of the Cold War.
And though it was designed to strike Soviet cities in the event of World War III, it wasn’t employed in combat until 1998 when it struck Iraqi targets during Operation Desert Fox.
It became the Air Force’s workhorse during the Global War on Terror (GWOT), and time has taken its toll on the airframes. Initially, 100 were built, but the fleet suffered attrition due to accidents and other mishaps, while the oldest retired from service.
In 2023, the Air Force Global Strike Command retired the 17 B-1B bombers from its inventory, leaving a fleet of 45 aircraft that will serve until the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bomber enters service.
Alvarez isn’t the only US Air Force aviator who has logged serious hours. Lt. Col. Justin Meyer, the commander of the 110th Bomb Squadron, became the first US Air Force pilot to surpass 2,000 flight hours in the Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth bomber during a flight on June 6, 2024.
That was an impressive milestone, as only 550 B-2 pilots had received a “Spirit Number,” the one-of-a-kind number given to those lucky enough to spend time in the cockpit of the B-2.
In September 2024, C-130 Hercules test pilot Gary Hogg logged his 10,000th flight hour on the transport aircraft during a modernization test.
Imagine the frequent flyer miles these gentlemen would have, but then again, they’ve likely flown around the world numerous times, so their downtime may be spent with their feet on the ground!
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Dleng.
