Tyndall pilot sets unique milestone

Published July 8, 2015
By Senior Airman Alex Echols
325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- A Team Tyndall member recently made history becoming the first Airman to fly over 1,000 hours in the F-22 Raptor and 2,000 hours in the F-15C Eagle cementing his legacy with both aircraft and the Air Force.

One of less than 14 people to reach over 1,000 hours in the F-22, Lt. Col. Tom "House" Kafka, Florida Air National Guard Headquarters Det. 1 vice commander and 325th Training Support Squadron assistant director of operations, is the only pilot to have all of his F-22 flight time out of Tyndall.

"I feel blessed, humbled, thankful and extremely lucky," Kafka said. "I'm blessed because I still have the health to still be flying at the 25-year mark and lucky to be in the F-22 for going on ten years now."

During those 10 years, Kafka flew over 900 sorties in the F-22. He recognizes that not one of those flights could have taken place without the combined efforts of the team of professionals that make Tyndall's mission happen each day.

"Everyone's part is so important," he said. "From the crew chiefs, maintainers and flight doctors, to the aviation resource managers and aircrew flight equipment, everyone plays a vital role for us to be the greatest Air Force on the planet, and we don't get the job done unless everyone does their part. Also, as a former OSS, director of operations, of course nothing happens from a flying standpoint without the folks in the tower, the RAPCON, Fire Department, and the people who run the flight records office. "

Kafka began his 25-year career as an Air Force Academy recruiter and football coach. Then he became the 2nd Fighter Squadron executive officer while waiting to train to be a fighter pilot. After that he spent over 10 years flying the F-15.

Hanging up his F-15 helmet in 2006, Kafka became the first Florida Air National Guard F-22 pilot as well as the third Air National Guardsman to fly the fighter jet. A few months later, he would set another precedent, becoming the first ever Air National Guard F-22 instructor pilot.

"My greatest accomplishment is not playing football at the Air Force Academy," Kafka said. "It's not flying F-15s and F-22s for the last 25 years, or being the first to do something. It's still getting to relate to and train F-22 students half my age, to be a part of their fighter career and be a part of the next generation of fighter pilots in the Air Force. To me that's what it is all about."

Kafka wanted to give a heartfelt thank you to Brig. Gen. Jim "Eif" Eifert, Florida Air National Guard Assistant Adjutant General-Air, and to Col. Dave "Sluggo" Silva, Florida Air National Guard, Headquarters Det. 1 commander.

He also stressed he could not have made it to this milestone without the unwavering love and support of his wife of 20 years, Jana, and his son, Jacob.

"I am blessed to have such a patient, loving family who has "loaned" their Dad and Husband to the military all of these years," he said. "Their understanding made it possible for me to put in all of the long hours and do whatever it took to become a good F-15 pilot and after, that a good F-22 pilot," he said.