Women Pilots

Colonel Nicole Malachowski was born in 1974 and grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. She earned her pilots wings in 1997, later she was assigned to the 492nd Fighter Squadron of the 48th Air Expeditionary Wing in Lakenheath, England. Malachowski was given this command after finishing F-15E Strike Eagle training in 1998. She was a pilot during Operation Allied Force in Kosovo. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Malachowski flew 26 combat missions from January to March of 2005. She is the first female pilot to fly with the Air Force Thunderbirds. She was the pilot of the number three aircraft from 2005 to 2007. Colonel Malachowski was inaugurated into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame in 2008.