High-flying Royal Navy pilot named top student by US Navy fighter squadron
A Royal Navy pilot has been congratulated on social media after being given the Top Stick award for his exceptional flying skills with a US Navy squadron.
Lewis "Spare" Phillips outperformed his peers during his training with members of Strike Fighter Squadron 31, known as the Tomcatters.
In addition to earning his flying patches, the pilot was awarded Top Stick for being the highest-scoring student in his course.
People have taken to social media to praise him for his accomplishments such as WO Dave Smith, Second Sea Lord Command Warrant Officer and Jacob The Pilot, a young future pilot who raises vital funds for RAF charities.
With the callsign Felix, Strike Fighter Squadron 31 is the second-oldest Navy Fighter Attack squadron still in operation.
"Felix" is a reference to the unit emblem of Felix the Cat carrying an old-fashioned bomb with a lit fuse.
The squadron operates the US Navy's latest strike fighter aircraft, the single-seat F/A-18E Super Hornet.
Military personnel on exchange with personnel from another nation is nothing new.
Last December, a US Marine Corps officer was awarded the Commando Medal after putting in a superb performance on the All-Arms Commando Course run by the Royal Marines.
Captain Brown also earned the right to wear the famous green beret after completing the course.
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