Air Force Top Pilot Awarded to Major Joseongmin with '2000 Hours Accident-Free' Record

The Air Force announced on the 20th that Major Jo Seong-min, an F-15K pilot, has been selected as the Best Pilot of 2024.

The 'Best Pilot' is the highest honor given to Air Force pilots, along with the 'Top Gun,' the winner of the Air Force Air Shooting Competition. Unlike the Top Gun, who wins the Air Force Air Shooting Competition, the Best Pilot must receive high scores in all categories, including overall combat skills, peer evaluations, and unit life.

Veteran pilot Major Jo Seong-min, who has a total flight time of over 2,100 hours, served as the flight commander of the 110th Fighter Squadron, 11th Fighter Wing, last year, playing a key role in airspace defense. Major Jo received the Best Pilot plaque on this day and will later receive a presidential citation.

In particular, while serving as flight commander last year, Major Jo set a remarkable record of 2,000 hours of accident-free personal flight time. He is currently working as an air warfare planning officer at the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Major Jo said, “I believe that all senior and junior pilots and colleagues who are silently performing their duties at the highest points in the Republic of Korea at this very moment are all Best Pilots,” and added, “Although I have not been able to spend much time with my family due to flight schedules and emergency standby, I want to express my gratitude and love to my wife and daughter, Haeon, who have always trusted and supported me unconditionally.”

He also stated, “I will continue to do my best to complete any mission assigned to me and strive tirelessly to become a pilot who can earn the trust of the people.”

Meanwhile, the Air Force held the Best Pilot award ceremony at the Seoul Air Force Hotel, presided over by Air Force Chief of Staff General Lee Young-soo. At the ceremony, as in previous years, Kim Doo-man, chairman of the Kim Shin Memorial Association (11th Air Force Chief of Staff), presented Major Jo with the 'Kim Shin Award' plaque and a prize of 10 million won.

In addition, three Best Pilots in each aircraft category will receive the Minister of National Defense citation along with prize money. The Best Pilots by category are Major Lee Gu-yong, KF-16 pilot of the 39th Wing, in the fighter category; Major Jang Hyun-jae, CN-235 pilot of the 5th Air Mobility Wing, in the air mobility, surveillance and control, and refueling category; and Major Park Jin-eung, T-50 pilot of the 1st Fighter Wing, in the education and training category.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.