LT. COL. GORDON P. KIMPEL He is a T-38C Talon instructor pilot with the 50th Flying Training Squadron at Columbus AFB, Miss. At 59, he is the Air Force's oldest active-duty instructor pilot after being recalled as part of the Retired Rated Officer Recall Program. He has more than 3,500 flying hours in the F-15 and F-4 and 600 hours in the T-38. He graduated from undergraduate pilot training at Vance AFB, Okla., in December 1976 and is also a retired Delta Air Lines captain with more than 8,000 commercial flying hours with type ratings in the B-737, B-757, B-767, B-777 and MD-11.