HAZELWOOD, Mo. –
Air Force Lt. Col. Matthew Olde is an F-15 Advanced Eagle acceptance pilot and the director of operations at Defense Contract Management Agency Fixed Wing St. Louis.
He is also a government flight representative who conducts acceptance flights of the F-15 Advanced Eagle’s $30.1 billion dollar program. Olde works closely with the Air Force’s F-15 Systems Program Office and Boeing to ensure aircraft and warfighters are mission ready. He joined the DCMA team in 2021.
Olde received his bachelor’s degree in business management from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, in 2004. He earned his Air Force commission after completing Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 2006. He is a senior pilot and evaluator who has accumulated more than 2,200 flight hours in the F-15E, F-15C, F-15QA, F-15SA, and F-15EX.
On July 11, Olde flew an F-15 in his fourth flyover for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball game during Military Appreciation Night. Participating in community-engagement events help him maintain and sharpen his aviation knowledge and skills.
Q1. How long have you participated in flyovers for the Cardinals and other organizations? How was this year’s flyover different?
A1. I have been participating in flyovers for many years, including the last four years of the St. Louis Cardinals’ military appreciation games. I have also conducted five other flyovers. My most memorable flyover was leading a “Missing Man” formation over the Tomb of the Unknown Solider at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia to honor Air Force Lt. Gen. Winton Marshall, a decorated pilot who earned the Silver Star during the Korean War.
July’s flyover was unique because we conducted a four-ship formation with different F-15 variants — the F-15EX, F-15C, F-15E and F-15QA Advanced Eagle — which showcased the complete evolution and capabilities of the Eagle platform across multiple generations of this iconic fighter.
Q2. Which military personnel assisted this year?
A2. This year’s flyover brought together an unprecedented coalition including personnel from DCMA, the Air Force’s 4th Fighter Wing with the F-15E, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard’s 159th Fighter Wing with the F-15C, and Boeing Defense, Space & Security with the F-15EX and F-15QA Advanced Eagle. This multi-component coordination demonstrated seamless integration across the entire F-15 enterprise, from acquisition oversight to operational units to industry partners flying new production and developmental aircraft.
Q3. Are there any people that you would like to thank around the agency and within DOD?
A3. I’d like to thank Navy Capt. Daniel Martin, DCMA Fixed Wing St. Louis commander; Air Force Col. John McFarland, F-15 Eagle Division senior material lead at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center; Air Force Col. David Garay, F-15 Foreign Military Sales senior material lead; Navy Capt. Brian McElwain, DCMA Air Operations director; Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Gregory Masiello, previous DCMA Director; and Sonya Ebright, current acting DCMA director. I want to thank all of them for their leadership and support. I also want to thank the Boeing employees who made the recent flyovers possible.
Q4. How does this activity help you become a better pilot and DCMA employee?
A4. These activities enhance my skills as both a pilot and DCMA employee by requiring precise formation flying, coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration, and representing DCMA at a public event. This training strengthens my technical proficiency while building relationships across multiple military aviation communities. It also helps me exercise my flight leadership “muscle” since we generally do not fly with a wingman or fly in large formations during our sorties at DCMA, unless we are delivering aircraft or doing a specialized test sortie. These flyovers provide valuable opportunities to maintain and develop formation leadership skills that are critical to tactical aviation but often not practiced in our day-to-day DCMA flight operations.
Q5. Your children were at the event. What was their reaction? Were they able to meet and talk to some of the baseball players?
A5. My 9-year-old son loves watching the flyovers, as do my other two kids. While they didn’t personally meet any of the players, they really enjoyed the game and watching their dad and his friends fly over the stadium and St. Louis arch, which is actually named the Gateway Arch. It’s special to share these moments where my professional duties intersect with family experiences — not just for me, but for all the pilots. Several of the pilots’ families flew into town from North Carolina and Louisiana just for this event. Generally, after the flyover, we quickly get back to the stadium. I then make my way to my seat to spend that time with my family. My wife and family are very supportive despite the long days that this job sometimes requires, especially leading into an event like this one. My father and my father-in-law, who both live in Florida, joined us this year for the game.
Q6. Did your training or preparation change this year compared to previous years?
A6. The main difference this year was coordinating four jets instead of two. In fact, we had six jets airborne to enable two air spares to ensure we had a four-ship formation over Busch Stadium. Once we had four jets ‘in the green’ and ready to fly, those other F-15s (F-15C and F-15E) conducted a training sortie. That is important for the public to understand. These flyovers are excellent training for us and are conducted in concert with our normal training activities. There is no additional cost to the American taxpayer or the F-15 contracts to fly these jets overhead in events like a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game.
Q7. You also previously participated at an activity at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Can you discuss when and what you did? How were you chosen to participate?
A7. My DCMA F-15 weapons system officer, Air Force. Capt. Thomas Zogal and I, recently supported the F-15EX Site Activation Task Force visit at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan with the 127th Wing June 11. It was a huge event in which hundreds of people, including multiple military general officers, attended.
This event occurred shortly after President Donald Trump’s announcement in Michigan regarding the F-15EX program. What makes Selfridge’s transition especially noteworthy is that they are moving from the A-10C Thunderbolt to the F-15EX. This is a far more substantial platform transition than other Air National Guard units based in Portland, Oregon, Fresno, California, and New Orleans, will eventually experience going from the F-15C to F-15EX.
Despite this major transition, landing the F-15EX at Selfridge so quickly after the presidential announcement demonstrated that the 127th Wing team is excited, ready and capable to deliver F-15EX capability to the combatant commands. It sent a clear message that the military personnel based at Selfridge aren’t just prepared for future F-15EX operations — they’re ready now, even with the significant mission and aircraft transition ahead of them. This rapid demonstration of capability showcases the professionalism and adaptability of the Michigan Air National Guard and validates both the site activation process and the unit’s ability to successfully execute a complete mission transformation.
Q8. How did Selfridge prepare you for this year’s flyover?
A8. While the Site Activation Task Force event at Selfridge didn’t have much operational relevance to the Cardinals’ flyover, from a strategic standpoint, keeping the F-15EX in front of the American public, national leadership and other decision makers is critical to the long-term success of the capabilities that the F-15EX platform brings. These high-visibility demonstrations help maintain support and understanding of our advanced air superiority platforms.
Q9. What do you want people to know about DCMA pilots?
A9. DCMA pilots represent a unique asset in the defense acquisition enterprise. We bring extensive operational experience, often with thousands of flight hours in tactical or mobility aircraft, into the acquisition world. This combination allows us to support the outside-the-box efforts that leverage both our tactical expertise and technical knowledge while having access to strategic narrative-setting opportunities.
When we participate in high-visibility events like the Cardinals’ four-ship flyover with operational and developmental aircraft from multiple units or organizations, or lead site activation efforts at Selfridge, we’re not just pilots, but we’re acquisition professionals who understand how these systems perform in operational environments. We can speak credibly to contractors, program offices, and senior leaders about what works, what doesn’t, and what our warfighters need. This dual perspective of operational credibility combined with acquisition insight allows DCMA pilots across the agency influence into strategic conversations while executing tactical missions that demonstrate American airpower capabilities to the public.
Q10. You have multiple roles in addition to being an F-15 pilot. Can you discuss what you do as part of your job duties at DCMA Fixed Wing St. Louis?
A10. At DCMA Fixed Wing St. Louis, my responsibilities primarily include all F-15 acceptance check flights, modifying and updating aircraft flight acceptance procedures, and overseeing quality assurance for the military aviation programs here from a pilot perspective. I support the Systems Program Office at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center as the F-15EX subject matter expert for various engagements, including those related to Foreign Military Sales. This role leverages my extensive pilot experience to ensure aircraft and aviation systems meet military specifications. I stay in close coordination with the Eglin Air Force Base F-15 test community in Florida, along with my counterpart at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, which is the location of the F-15 depot.
My operational background allows me to evaluate contractor performance from a warfighter’s perspective, while my acquisition training ensures taxpayer dollars are spent effectively. This combination enables me to participate in strategic initiatives like these flyovers while maintaining the technical credibility necessary for complex contract oversight.