Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Peier

Commander Training Air Defense Swiss Air Force - Pilot School

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas PEIER earned his military pilot wings in June 1995 on the F-5E Tiger. He was subsequently assigned to Fighter Squadron 1 and qualified as a flight instructor on both the PC-7 and the British Aerospace Hawk Mk66 jet trainer. In 1998, he transitioned to the F/A-18C Hornet. During his assignment with Fighter Squadron 18 in Payerne, he was selected to join the PC-7 Display Team and subsequently the Patrouille Suisse aerobatic team. In 2010, Lieutenant Colonel PEIER was appointed Commanding Officer of Fighter Squadron 18 in Payerne. In 2014, he assumed the position of Chief Flight Instructor for the F/A-18 Hornet. From 2018 to 2023, he served on the Swiss Air Force Staff Branch A3/5 and worked for the evaluation of Switzerland's New Fighter Aircraft program. Since 2024 he is the Commander of the Air Defense Training. In this role, he is responsible for Lead- In Fighter Training on the PC-21, preparing future fighter pilots for their transition to the F/A-18 Hornet and in the future to the F-35A. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas PEIER has accumulated approximately 4,000 flight hours, including more than 2,400 hours on the F/A-18 Hornet.