Lt. Col. Ryan Bailey Hits 1,000 Hours in B-2

A major milestone was hit at Whiteman Air Force Base on Saturday, August 23, when Lt. Col. Ryan Bailey of the 131st Bomb Wing and Missouri National Guard took flight in the B-2 Stealth Bomber. Bailey surpassed 1,000 flying hours as he took to the sky on Saturday.

According to Whiteman Air Force Base Public Affairs records, Bailey joins a small group of dedicated pilots on this achievement. Counting all statuses - actively flying, retired, and non-flying - there are only 330 pilots who have trained to fly the B-2. Only 43 of those pilots have ever reached 1000 or more B-2 flying hours. 15 actively fly the B-2, and currently seven are from the Missouri Air National Guard.

After passing his 1000 flying-hour milestone in the B-2, Lt. Col. Ryan Bailey, also thanked members of the 131st Maintenance Group at Whiteman Air Force Base.

“Today’s flight is about the superb maintenance Airmen in the 131st and 509th Bomb Wings,” Bailey said. “It’s really a 100,000-hour flight because it takes well over 100 hours of great maintenance for every flight hour.”

Thank you to those who continue to fly and support the B-2 Mission.