Lockheed Martin Releases F-35 Testing Records

[Quasar]

Lockheed Martin released today the flight test summary for the first two months of 2012. According to the company, as of Feb. 20, 2012 the F-35 program accumulated 114 flight tests and achieved 773 test points this year, representing roughly 10 percent of the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) flight test plan for 2012, which calls for the accumulation of 1,001 test flights and 7,873 test points.

However, the manufacturer anticipates that test point requirements throughout the year will grow, given the changes and restructuring of the program. A portion of the earned test points came from work added to the flight test baseline plan.

F-35A Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) jets have flown 46 times, the F-35B short takeoff vertical landing (STOVL) variant vertical flew 45 missions and the carrier variant flew 23 times. From the beginning of the flight-testing program in December 2006, F-35s have flown 1,704 times, including the production-model flights and AA-1, the original flight test aircraft. On January 25 this year this aircraft (AA-1) crossed the 2,500 flight hour threshold.

Among the milestones recorded by the F-35 test program this year are the highest altitude flown by the F-35 to date, with AF-4, the F-35A reaching an altitude of 43,000 feet Mean Sea Level (MSL) On Jan. 9. Another F-35A test aircraft, AF-3, completed the first low approach with the Distributed Aperture System (DAS) approach on Jan. 17, Demonstrating the ongoing maturation of the F-35 integrated sensor suite. The next day, AF-6 performed the first night flight and landing, the F-35A CTOL test jet, took off at 5:05 p.m. PST and landed at Edwards AFB, Calif. after sunset at 6:22 p.m. Weapons carrying flight tests are also progressing, on February 16, an the AF-1 (F-35A CTOL) flew the first test flights with external weapons, these mission also included ordnance carried in the internal weapons bays.

Performance issues associated with DAS have limited the use of the F-35 unique helmet display and sight, developed for the program by VSI. The sight was designed to use DAS live image feeds to display the outside view for the pilot, alleviating the need for night vision goggles for night flight. BAE Systems and VSI were asked to work on temporary solutions using NVG, to provide a near-term solution. However, using NVG on top of the standard helmet will limit the use of the sophisticated display and information fusion capabilities that make the F-35 unique. Therefore, it is anticipated that the objective helmet will be reinstated once DAS will deliver imaging within the required spec. Among the fix being considered are fixed camera mounted in the cockpit, and another, coupled to the helmet, both reducing the latency of night imagery imported from the DAS.

Eglin AFB, Fla., where the F-35 training force is based has become home of the largest F-35 fleet. The 2nd marine Aircraft Wing Fighter/Attack training squadron 501 received three more aircraft in January – BF6, BF8 and BF7. The delivery of BF7 on January 19th marked the 23rd Lightning II delivered to the DOD. While the Eglin fleet keep growing, F-35s are still grounded as flight operations and training await military flight clearance which is expected in few weeks.

Lockheed Martin Releases F-35 Testing Records | Defense Update

 

[Quasar]

2/28/2012 - WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) -- Officials at the Aeronautical Systems Center here issued a Military Flight Release today that will allow the F-35A Lightning II fighter to begin initial operations at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

This decision was reached after an airworthiness board conducted an assessment that evaluated potential risks and the corresponding mitigation actions to conduct unmonitored flights.

Flying the Air Force variant of the joint strike fighter will increase pilot and maintainer familiarity with the aircraft, exercise the logistics infrastructure and continue to develop aircraft maturity. These initial F-35A flights will be limited, scripted, conducted within the restrictions and stipulations of the MFR and flown by qualified pilots, officials said.

"The Air Force, Joint Strike Fighter Program Office and other stakeholders have painstakingly followed established risk acceptance and mitigation processes to ensure the F-35A is ready," said Gen. Donald Hoffman, the commander of Air Force Materiel Command, the parent organization of ASC. "This is an important step for the F-35A and we are confident the team has diligently balanced the scope of initial operations with system maturity."

The assessment was conducted with airworthiness engineering subject matter experts within ASC and was fully coordinated with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program Office, Air Education and Training Command and other expert participants. The Air Force is confident the aircraft is ready to fly in a safe and efficient manner, Hoffman said.

Air Force issues flight release for Eglin AFB F-35A

 

[Quasar]

 

[Alpery]

thx Quasar...super pictures..

 

[Quasar]

The F-35 Flight Test Update in the Volume 26, Number 3 issue closed with the first F-35B vertical landing at sea aboard the USS Wasp (LHD-1) on 3 October 2011. Short takeoff/vertical landing test aircraft BF-2 and BF-4 completed seventy-two vertical landings and seventy-two short takeoffs at sea during the nineteen-day ship suitability testing period. The aircraft contributed to October’s program record of 122 flights. With ship trials complete and 268 vertical landings in 2011, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta rescinded probation for the F-35B on 20 January 2012.

The System Development and Demonstration, or SDD, fleet completed 2011 with more test flights and test points than in any other year — 972 and 7,823, respectively. In the last quarter, carrier variant test aircraft CF-3 conducted the first F-35 launch from the Navy’s new Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, and conventional takeoff and landing jet AF-1 achieved the F-35’s maximum design limit speed of Mach 1.6. The 2012 flight test plan calls for 1,001 flights and 7,873 test points, including night flying, airstart testing, and weapons separation testing.

Through 3 March 2012, the F-35 test program had completed 161 flights totaling more than 250 flight hours and had accrued more than 1,100 test points. F-35B test pilots have executed twenty-three vertical landings so far this year. With several more checkout flights completed, thirty-three pilots have now flown the F-35. Twenty-six pilots are flying currently.

4 October 2011: First Short Takeoff At Sea
Marine Corps Lt. Col. Fred Schenk flew the first short takeoff at sea from the USS Wasp (LHD-1) in F-35B BF-2 following the first landing at sea the previous day. The one-hour flight included two additional short takeoffs and three vertical landings on Flight 120 for BF-2. Marine Corps Maj. Richard Rusnok flew BF-2 Flight 121 later in the day for three additional short takeoffs and vertical landings, marking the program’s 200th vertical landing and 505th F-35B flight.

6 October 2011: BF-4 Lands At Sea
Marine Corps Maj. Richard Rusnok landed the second F-35B, test aircraft BF-4, aboard the Wasp. Upon returning from the 1.1-hour ferry from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division test facility at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, Rusnok hot pit refueled and then flew two short takeoffs and two vertical landings to complete BF-4 Flight 70.

10 October 2011: Steam Ingestion Catapult Launches Complete
Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Canin flew the final six F-35C steam ingestion catapult launches in test aircraft CF-3 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The catapult launches completed tests that began 26 September. The 0.9-hour flight, CF-3 Flight 29, brought the carrier variant catapult launch total to fifty-nine, thirty-six of which were steam ingestion launches.

14 October 2011: First Fuel Transfer From KC-10
US Government pilot Vince Caterina was at the controls as an Air Force KC-10 tanker refueled the F-35 for the first time. The 2.2-hour flight out of the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California, marked Flight 63 for F-35A AF-4.

18 October 2011: Test Fleet Surpasses 2,000 Flight Hours
The F-35 System Development and Demonstration fleet surpassed 2,000 total flight hours. The milestone includes flight hours on the first test aircraft, AA-1. The flight test team flew eight flights 18 October: four F-35A, three F-35B from the USS Wasp, and one F-35C sortie.

18 October 2011: Levin Becomes Lightning 30
Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Levin became the thirtieth pilot to fly the F-35 when he took off from Edwards AFB, California, in F-35A AF-7 for a 1.4-hour test mission. Levin is slated to support F-35 flight testing at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.

21 October 2011: F-35B Sea Trials Complete
F-35B completed initial ship suitability testing as the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) returned to homeport and F-35Bs BF-2 and BF-4 returned to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. BAE Systems test pilot Peter Wilson executed the last three vertical landings on the Wasp in BF-2 before returning to Pax River on a 1.7-hour flight, BF-2 Flight 137. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Matt Kelly flew BF-4’s 0.9-hour ferry flight, Flight 81 for the aircraft. During the nineteen-day test period, the F-35B logged more than twenty-eight flight hours and completed seventy-two short takeoffs and seventy-two vertical landings.

24 October 2011: AF-1 Flies Mach 1.6
Air Force Lt. Col. George Griffiths reached the maximum design limit speed of Mach 1.6 for F-35A for the first time during a 0.8-hour flight from Edwards AFB, California. The flight marked AF-1 Flight 170.

31 October 2011: Most Flights In One Month
The F-35 System Development and Demonstration program recorded 122 flights and 73 vertical landings in October, the most flights achieved in one month to date for the F-35 fleet. F-35B BF-2 was flown on twenty-two of those flights, the most for an individual F-35 test aircraft in a single month.

31 October 2011: 400th F-35A Flight In 2011
Lockheed Martin test pilot David Nelson flew F-35A AF-4 for the 400th F-35A conventional takeoff and landing System Development and Demonstration test flight of 2011. The half-hour flight marked AF-4 Flight 73.

2 November 2011: Pax Adds A Pilot
Marine Corps Maj. Russell Clift became the thirty-first pilot to fly the F-35 when he took off from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, in F-35B BF-4 for a 1.2-hour test mission. Clift is the sixth USMC pilot to fly the F-35. The pilot familiarization mission marked BF-4 Flight 85.

4 November 2011: First TC-7 Catapult Launch
A TC-7 steam catapult launched an F-35 for the first time with Navy Lt. Christopher Tabert at the controls. This launch was also the first F-35C catapult launch at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. The launch began the 0.7-hour Flight 32 for F-35C test aircraft CF-3. Previous catapult launches used a TC-13 Mod 2 test steam catapult at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.

7 November 2011: 300th F-35B Flight In 2011
Marine Corps Maj. Richard Rusnok flew a 2.6-hour mission in F-35B BF-2 to mark the 300th F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing System Development and Demonstration flight of 2011. The flight out of NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, marked BF-2 Flight 145.

18 November 2011: First F-35C EMALS Launch
The F-35 Integrated Test Force carried out the first Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, launch of the F-35C. Navy Lt. Christopher Tabert flew the milestone mission in F-35C CF-3 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The brief 0.1-hour test marked CF-3 Flight 37.

29 November 2011: 100th CF-1 Flight
Marine Corps Lt. Col. Matt Taylor was at the controls for F-35C CF-1 Flight 100 from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. CF-1 was the first F-35C test aircraft to reach this milestone on the 0.3-hour flight.

7 December 2011: 1,500 Flight Hours In 2011
The F-35 System Development and Demonstration test fleet surpassed 1,500 flight hours in 2011 with F-35A AF-4 Flight 82 from Edwards AFB, California. Air Force Lt. Col. George Griffiths piloted the 3.1-hour KC-10 refueling mission in AF-4, completing the planned clean aircraft KC-10 tanker refueling test requirements.

10 December 2011: First VL With New Auxiliary Air Inlet Doors
BAE Systems test pilot Peter Wilson executed his 100th F-35B vertical landing during BF-1 Flight 155, the F-35B’s first short takeoff/vertical landing mode flight and vertical landing with the redesigned auxiliary air inlet, or AAI, doors. The 1.8-hour flight from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, verified performance of the new AAI doors after discoveries in flight test found the original door design was prone to oscillation.

10 December 2011: Three F-35s Fly In Formation
Three F-35A aircraft with Air Force pilots at the controls fell in line during concurrent flight tests at Edwards AFB, California. Maj. Matt Hayden flew 3.2 hours for AF-2 Flight 176; Lt. Col. Dwayne Opella flew AF-3 Flight 83 for 2.3 hours; and Maj. Speares flew AF-4 on the 2.1-hour Flight 85.

19 December 2011: First F-35B Flight With Instrumented BRUs
Marine Corps Maj. Russell Clift flew the first F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing mission with instrumented bomb rack units, or BRUs, holding GBU-32 satellite-guided weapons. The 2.1-hour flight from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, included flight with the weapon bay doors open. The test mission marked F-35B BF-3 Flight 167.

19 December 2011: AF-2’s 100th Flight In 2011
Lt. Col. George Griffiths from Edwards AFB, California, piloted the first F-35 test aircraft to reach 100 flights in one year, F-35A AF-2. The 2.2-hour flight marked AF-2 Flight 179.

22 December 2011: BF-3’s 100th Flight In 2011
Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Levin flew F-35B BF-3 for the aircraft’s 100th flight in 2011 at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. The flight, BF-2 Flight 168, was a 1.2-hour weapons test mission. It was also the final BF-3 flight of 2011.

31 December 2011: F-35 Completes 972 Flights, 7,823 Test Points In 2011: The 2011 F-35 flight test plan called for 872 flights and 6,622 test points.
For the year, the System Development and Demonstration program flew 972 flights and tallied 7,823 test points. The F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variant was flown on 474 flights and tallied 3,600 test points. The F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variant was flown on 333 flights and tallied 2,636 test points. The F-35C carrier variant was flown on 165 flights and tallied 1,587 test points. Additionally, the F-35B test fleet executed 268 vertical landings. The cumulative 2011 milestones were achieved through a combination of planned test flights and test points along with test flights and test points added throughout the year.

5 January 2012: First Vertical Landing For BF-5
Marine Corps Lt. Col. Fred Schenk executed the first vertical landing in F-35B BF-5 at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. The 1.1-hour flight, BF-5 Flight 26, included four sorties and two vertical landings. Of the five F-35B test aircraft at Pax, BF-5 was the final jet to complete a vertical landing.

9 January 2012: Highest Altitude To Date
F-35A AF-4 flew at the program’s highest altitude to date, 43,500 feet above mean sea level, or MSL, with Air Force Lt. Col. George Griffiths at the controls. The 1.2-hour flight from Edwards AFB, California, marked AF-4 Flight 92.

32nd Pilot Flies First Flight
Lockheed Martin test pilot Elliott Clemence became the thirty-second pilot to fly the F-35 when he took off from Edwards AFB, California, in F-35A AF-6 on a 1.4-hour test mission.

10 January 2012: 600th F-35B Flight
F-35B BF-4 completed the 600th F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variant test flight with Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Levin at the controls. The flight from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, marked BF-4 Flight 93.

18 January 2012: First F-35 Night Flight
Lockheed Martin test pilot Mark Ward was at the controls of F-35A AF-6 for the F-35’s first night flight. The 1.3-hour mission consisted of a series of straight-in approaches in twilight and darkness at Edwards AFB, California. The flight marked AF-6 Flight 57.

20 January 2012: Secretary Panetta Ends F-35B Probation
US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced he is rescinding probation for the F-35B a full year ahead of schedule. The decision came after significant progress of the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing program in 2011. His announcement was made at the F-35 Integrated Test Facility at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, at a town hall meeting attended by government and contractor employees.

25 January 2012: First Spooldown Airstarts
Lockheed Martin test pilot David Nelson was at the controls of F-35A AF-4 Flight 95 for the program’s first engine airstarts. The 2.1-hour mission out of Edwards AFB, California, included eight successful engine spooldown airstarts.

25 January 2012: Test Fleet Reaches 2,500 Flight Hours
The F-35 System Development and Demonstration flight test program surpassed 2,500 flight hours with eight flights on 25 January. The first F-35 test aircraft, AA-1, flew more than 125 hours. F-35A conventional takeoff and landing aircraft flew more than 1,300 hours; F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variants flew 775 hours; and F-35C carrier variant jets flew 289 flight hours.

27 January 2012: 200th F-35C Flight
Navy Lt. Christopher Tabert flew the program’s 200th F-35C carrier variant test flight in test aircraft CF-2 from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, for a speed brake test mission. The 1.3-hour sortie marked CF-2 Flight 52.

1 February 2012: Pax Adds An RAF Pilot
RAF Sqdn. Ldr. Jim Schofield became the thirty-third pilot to fly the F-35 when he took off from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, for a test mission in F-35B BF-2. The 1.2-hour pilot qualification mission marked BF-2 Flight 155.

Code One Magazine: F-35 Flight Test Update 7

 

[Quasar]

Video Captures Ballistic Missile Defense Capabilities of Northrop Grumman's Distributed Aperture System for F-35

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) released a video showing the successful detection and tracking of a two-stage rocket launch at a distance exceeding 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) with the company's AN/AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture System (DAS). The demonstration took place this summer during a routine flight test of DAS conducted aboard the company's BAC 1-11 test bed aircraft.

A video accompanying this release is available at: Video Captures Ballistic Missile Defense Capabilities of Northrop Grumman's Distributed Aperture System for F-35 (NYSE:NOC)

"DAS is an omni-directional infrared system that can simultaneously detect and track aircraft and missiles in every direction, with no practical limit on the number of targets it can track. DAS truly revolutionizes the way we think about situational awareness," said Dave Bouchard, program director for F-35 sensors at Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector. "In recent testing, DAS has proven to have applications and capabilities beyond its initial requirements for the F-35, including ballistic missile detection and tracking, and counter-rocket, artillery and mortar (C-RAM) capabilities."

The video generated by DAS during the flight test has been magnified 10 times to allow clearer viewing of the rocket. Unlike other sensors, DAS detects and tracks the rocket at horizon-break without the aid of external cues. DAS algorithms continuously track the rocket through first-stage burnout, second-stage ignition, across DAS sensor boundaries, and through the rocket's second-stage burnout at a distance of more than 800 miles. The video also shows DAS' detecting and tracking the rocket's first-stage re-entry.

The AN/AAQ-37 DAS is designed to provide advanced situational awareness capabilities, including missile and aircraft detection, track, and warning for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. DAS also gives a pilot 360-degree spherical day/night vision, with the capability of seeing through the floor of the aircraft. An operational DAS system is comprised of multiple DAS sensors whose images are fused together to create one seamless picture. Because DAS is passive, an operator does not have to point the sensor in the direction of a target to gain a track.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

Video Captures Ballistic Missile Defense Capabilities of Northrop Grumman's Distributed Aperture System for F-35 (NYSE:NOC)

 

[Quasar]

 

[Quasar]

FORT WORTH, Texas, April 4, 2012 - The first F-35 Lightning II for The Netherlands rolled out of the F-35 production facility on April 1. This is the latest step in the production process leading to its eventual assignment to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., later this summer. The Netherlands will use the conventional takeoff and landing jet, known as AN-1, for training and operational tests for pilots and maintainers. AN-1 will undergo function fuel system checks before being transported to the flight line for ground and flight tests in the coming weeks. The Royal Netherlands Air Force continues to be at the forefront of flight testing and pilot training and remains at the leading edge of advanced 5th Generation fighter technology. (Lockheed Martin image)

https://www.f35.com/news-events/news-releases.aspx#dutchrollout

 

[500]

Hi Res:
http://s019.radikal.ru/i608/1203/9d/f3478cd40722.jpg
http://s019.radikal.ru/i611/1203/75/10966279e0d4.jpg

F-35 In Afterburner - YouTube

 

[Quasar]

PENTAGON: Lockheed Martin scrambled today to explain the latest increases in the Joint Strike Fighter's costs, arguing that the three versions of the aircraft "will be comparable to or lower than that of the seven" older airplanes it will replace. Overall, the F-35 will cost an appreciably impressive $1.5 trillion over the 55 years it is expected to be flying, up from an estimated $1 trillion.

For more news and information on the swiftly-changing defense industry, please sign up for the AOL Defense newsletter. For the quickest updates, like us on Facebook.


The latest numbers were released this afternoon as part of the Pentagon's authoritative Selected Acquisition Report. The overall value of the program comes from a Lockheed Martin statement.

For perspective on just how much money is involved, the latest Government Accountability Office's survey of major defense program says the estimated cost of the Pentagon's 96 major defense acquisition programs is $1.58 trillion. The "total acquisition cost" of these programs has grown by 5 percent to $74.4 billion. GAO says "about $31.1 billion can be attributed to factors such as inefficiencies in production, $29.6 billion to quantity changes, and $13.7 billion to research and development cost growth. As GAO puts it, these costs are "dominated by a small number of programs, with the Joint Strike Fighter accounting for the most cost growth in the last year, and the largest projected future funding needs."

The costs of the F-35 aircraft itself rose $10.7 billion; Pratt & Whitneys F135 engines that power the plane are treated separately and their costs rose $5.6 billion.

Lockheed issued a statement noting that the cost projections "are based on a number of variables that are subject to considerable fluctuation over the next 55 years, making the estimate inherently imprecise." Also, Lockheed notes the Pentagon has never before tried to project the costs of an aircraft over such a long stretch. And the Pentagon added "several new costs and program adjustments" that had not been part of earlier SARs.

"For example, the 2010 SAR estimate projected only operations and support costs, while the 2011 SAR projection adds the cost of acquisition and development. This results in the appearance of cost growth year over year," Lockheed argues. "The DOD's decision to shift the delivery of 179 aircraft beyond 2020 also added cost growth. This shift caused a $60 billion increase in operations and support costs due to inflation and the two-year program extension. The SAR estimate also added four squadrons, grew staffing requirements and increased scope. For example, the 2011 estimate added 2,650 personnel for maintenance and security for the U.S. Air Force at an additional cost of $24.3 billion. The government also included the cost of lifetime modernization to the aircraft to improve its capabilities - expenses that are not included in the cost projections for other aircraft."

Frank Kendall, the presumptive undersecretrary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, told the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday that he had come up with affordability targets to drive Lockheed Martin to save costs. We obtained a copy of the F-35 SAR talking points and they include those targets for both production and for sustainment. These numbers are for unit recurring flyaway cost. (This is the cost to buy a plane, not to operate it. It also usually doesn't include all development costs.)

We lay them out for each of the three models.

Production
F-35A = $83.4 million
F-35B = $108.1 million
F-35C = $93.3 million

Cost Per Flying Hour
F-35A = $35,200
F-35B = $38,400
F-35C = $36,300

The F-35 was not alone in getting more expensive. The next generation aircraft carriers (CVN) increased 5.5 percent or $2.2 billion "due primarily to the application of revised escalation indices (+$951.0 million) and revised estimates for CVN-78 non-recurring engineering, Dual Band Radar, and construction performance variance (+$811.0 million). For the second carrier, CVN-79, "higher estimates for non-recurring engineering, basic construction and Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), overhead and industrial base impacts, and inflation" pushed the costs up $1.2 billion.

The ignoble award of highest percentage increase for a program (one not changed much by quantity changes) goes to the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS). Program costs rose 13.1 percent to hit a nice and juicy $3 billion.

F-35 Total Costs Soar to $1.5 Trillion; Lockheed Defends Program

 

[Quasar]

 

[PERSIAN GOD KING]

This has no chance against the russian PAK-50, or the mig 35, su 35.
it cannot even super cruise.
This is just a waste of money for the yankees.
That is why I like it.

 

[500]

This has no chance against the russian PAK-50, or the mig 35, su 35.

it cannot even super cruise.

But it can hover!

 

[Quasar]

F-35A pilots complete Eglin's first formation flight

4/12/2012 - Two F-35A Lightning IIs from the 33rd Fighter Wing soar over Eglin Air Force Base's range during the unit’s first joint strike fighter formation flight April 10. Lt. Col. Eric Smith, 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations, flew the lead aircraft while Marine Maj Joseph Bachmann, Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 aircraft maintenance officer, flew wingman. The pilots, both first in their service qualified to fly the 5th generation aircraft, were validating pilot syllabus objectives in preparation for future training. The 33rd FW is responsible for F-35 A/B/C pilot and maintainer training for the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and in the future, at least eight coalition partners. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Ryan Seymour)

 

[Quasar]

Eglin completes first F-35A refueling mission

4/12/2012 - An F-35A Lightning II from the 33rd Fighter Wing soars alongside a KC-135R Stratotanker and an F-16 Fighting Falcon during the unit’s first joint strike fighter air-to-air refuel mission April 11. Lt. Col. Eric Smith, 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations and first Air Force qualified F-35 pilot, flew the mission. The 33rd FW is responsible for F-35 A/B/C pilot and maintainer training for the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and in the future, at least eight coalition partners. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Casey Smith)