F-22 #07-0146 is back flying in the skies after a 5-year period of restoration. On May 4, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Philip Johnson, a functional-check-flight pilot assigned to the 514th Flight Test Squadron, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, flew the newly restored aircraft for the first time. The journey to restore this fighter jet to operational status was a challenging one, requiring the efforts of several agencies, units, and most importantly, a team of skilled airmen who worked tirelessly to make it happen.
One of the airmen involved in the rebuilding process was U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kyle Veurink, an F-22 artisan assigned to the 90th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. He joined the team in early 2022 and helped finish the final year of tests and repairs. When Veurink joined the project, the aircraft was missing multiple flight controls, its engines and seat weren’t installed, and its panels merged into fuel cells. Veurink and his team traveled to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where they cannibalized parts such as the leading edge, two flaps, and a seat off another F-22 that had undergone a similar rebuilding process after a mishap there.
Cannibalizing parts from one aircraft for use on another is a time-saving process that allows aircraft to be returned to combat-capable status sooner, as it cuts down on the time waiting for new parts to be manufactured. While the canning extended the rebuilding period of the Eglin F-22, it allowed the 3rd Wing to accelerate the timeline for restoring #07-146, replenishing the number of operational F-22s in the fleet at a faster pace.
Despite the extended period of repairs, the team of airmen involved in the rebuilding process pushed through its final tests, undergoing rebalancing and burner runs leading up to its functional test flight. Finally, after the combined efforts of several agencies, units, and airmen, F-22 #07-146 rejoined the operational fleet, fortifying the air dominance of the 3rd Wing and the U.S. Air Force.
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