Air Force plans to increase flying hours and to improve parts availability took a hit June 24 as the House Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill cutting back both initiatives.
Air Force flying hours
The Air Force is seeking funding to let its pilots fly a little more than 1.1 million hours in fiscal 2027, which would be the most in about four years. But even if Airmen actually do fly all 1.1 million hours, it would still be ...
The Air Force is asking for a 21 percent increase in its Active-Duty operations and maintenance budget in fiscal 2027, which would help fund a big boost in spending on flying hours.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
The Air Force flying hours program—which has suffered steady declines in recent years to the alarm of observers and lawmakers—will stabilize in the coming years as leaders focus on making sure pilots and aircraft alike can actually fly all the hours that are funded, the ...
The Heritage Foundation described the Air Force’s readiness levels as “continuing to spiral downward” in its latest assessment of U.S. military strength, leading the conservative think tank to label USAF’s overall strength as “very weak,” its lowest possible grade on a five-point scale. In particular, the ...
The Air Force’s readiness has hit new lows due to pilot shortages, low flying hours, and aging aircraft, the Heritage Foundation’s 2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength found—leading the conservative think tank to give the service its lowest possible rating of “very weak.” The Space ...
After a brief one-year recovery, flying hours hve begun falling again across the Active Duty Air Force, although there were some gains for the Air National Guard and an overall improvement for the Air Force Reserve. Flying hours correlate to pilot proficiency and are a ...