Pilot tours with his ‘Dream Machine’

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ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) --  Air Force Reserve Command’s recruiting service has teamed up with a veteran F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot and aerobatic performer to increase command awareness and attract young people interested in aviation.

Maj. Ed Hamill is a private contractor in civilian life. He owns and operates the Air Force Reserve Above & Beyond Aerobatic Team, “Living the Dream.” His biplane, the Dream Machine, is scheduled to perform in air shows across the country in 2003.

As a child, Hamill dreamed of being a pilot and earned his pilot's license when he was 16 years old. He decided to become a fighter pilot after watching an F-16 aerial demonstration at an air show.

He spent 10 years as an active-duty airman, accumulating more than 2,500 flying hours, including combat time over Bosnia and Iraq. Hamill began his aerobatic career in 1998, two years before separating from the Air Force. He has flown in air shows and aerobatic competitions, including three U.S. National Aerobatic Championships.

He is a member of the Air Force Reserve Command Unit Program and continues to fly F-16s, instructing future pilots at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.

Hamill’s aerobatic show tells a story about the last century of flight. Professionally choreographed music and narration takes audiences on a journey through the past 100 years of flight. The message is the same throughout: Set goals, work hard to achieve them and never give up. Just as Hamill lives his dream of performing in his biplane and serving in the Air Force Reserve, he hopes to encourage others to live their dreams, too.

Hamill’s upcoming shows and dates are:

-- Van Nuys Aviation Expo at Van Nuys, Calif., June 21 and 22.

-- Fair St. Louis Air Show in St. Louis, July 3 and 5.

-- Robins AFB Air Show at Robins AFB, Ga., Sept. 6 and 7.

-- Naval Air Station Mayport Air Show at Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 25 and 26.

-- Randolph AFB Open House at Randolph AFB, Texas, Nov. 1 and 2. (Courtesy of AFRC News Service)