Edwards Airman flies high as first military F-35 pilot

Air Force ^ | 1/31/08 | by Senior Airman Julius Delos Reyes

[BurbankKarl]

1/31/2008 - NAVAL AIR STATION FORT WORTH, Texas (AFPN)

-- A pilot from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., became the first Air Force and government test pilot to fly the F-35 Lightning II during a test sortie at the Lockheed Martin facility Jan. 30 at Naval Air Station Fort Worth.

Lt. Col. James Kromberg, the director of operations for the 461st Flight Test Squadron, flew the F-35, numbered AA-1, which is currently flying envelope expansion, flying qualities evaluations, subsystems testing and initial systems assessments at Fort Worth. After the flight, Colonel Kromberg said the F-35 flew "very well."

"The aircraft was responsive across all flight regimes," Colonel Kromberg said. "The engine thrust response was excellent -- accelerating very quickly. The aircraft was very stable during formation flight."

The colonel said he was very excited to fly the F-35.

"I have been smiling since arriving at the aircraft this morning and haven't stopped," he said.

Before the flight, the test team briefed Colonel Kromberg covering all test maneuvers, safety of flight requirements and potential emergency procedures.

Prior to flying the F-35, Colonel Kromberg received training at Fort Worth in the aircraft simulator, control room crew resource management and emergency procedures. He's been a part of the test team since September 2005.

Aside from the training, Colonel Kromberg said he was involved with helping draft the F-35's initial flight manual, test plans and aircrew training procedures. He has more than 3,200 flight hours experience flying various aircraft including the F-16, F-15 Eagle, T-38 Talon and AV-8B Harrier.

Before joining the Air Force in 2003, Colonel Kromberg was a Marine officer from 1987 to 2003. During that time, he attended Naval Flight Training, served in three AV-8B Harrier squadrons as both a maintenance and operations officer, attended the Air Force Test Pilot School and served as the lead AV-8B operational test director. Before his current stint at the 461st FLTS, Colonel Kromberg served as the Test Pilot School assistant operations officer and plans and programs director.

As a former Marine with AV-8B experience and a graduate of both the Marine's weapons school and Air Force's TPS, he is uniquely qualified to be the first military pilot on this joint program, said Col. Arnie Bunch, the 412th Test Wing commander.

"As the Edwards Integrated Test Force director of operations, he is the military pilot most closely associated with tests of AA-1," Colonel Bunch said. "He has participated in simulator tests, flight control development and cockpit design of the JSF for the last two years."

Because the F-35 is in the development stages, only Test Pilot School graduates can fly the aircraft first, Colonel Bunch said. The initial pilot cadre -- contractor and military -- are chosen for their fighter aircraft backgrounds, extensive test experience and experience in the JSF program.

There are advantages to having both contractors and military testers fly test missions, Colonel Bunch said.

"Contractor pilots typically are assigned to the same program for many years and provide continuity," Colonel Bunch said. "Military pilots bring more recent operational experience and warfighters' perspective."

Colonel Kromberg said he was appreciative of this opportunity to fly the F-35.

"Though I am the first government pilot, this flight is really just a continuation of the ongoing successful test effort the contractor, government and partner countries take part in each day," Colonel Kromberg said. "I am very humbled at this opportunity to represent the Air Force as the first government F-35 pilot."

The F-35 is scheduled to arrive at Edwards AFB for further flight tests in the spring.

[stinkerpot65]

[mcshot]

Loved the old Flash Gordon series and use to fly one while taking a bath using the hot and cold water controls - probably the same on on his rocket ship.

[EQAndyBuzz]

It looks so simple. Look at the Eurofighter. Too much crap on it.

[alfa6]

Hey P.E. seen this guy flying around the area?

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Tallguy]

Lockheed Martin vs. USAF pilot. This is the first USAF pilot.

It’s really the same situation as the Bell X1 project where Chalmers “Slick” Goodlin was the Bell test pilot involved in the initial flight acceptance of the jet under USAF contract.

Once the USAF took possession, it was Chuck Yeager & his flight test team that actually flew the thing past the sound barrier & to record altitudes.

Interestingly, “The Right Stuff” makes it look like Goodlin & Yeager were in competition for the first supersonic flight. It probably wasn’t the case since the USAF was interested in getting the plane before the ‘real’ testing began.

[southernerwithanattitude]

The F-22 is much faster! {plus its built in Georgia!}

[Professional Engineer]

Hey P.E. seen this guy flying around the area?

Alas no.

Funny you mention it though. When Msdrby and I started dating, she was next door neighbor to the Lockheed factory.

[Professional Engineer]

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds...and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of...wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or even eagle flew.

And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

[alfa6]

As I recall “Slick” Goodlin wanted $150,000 and hazard pay to go supersonic in the X-1. So the USAF said shoot we got captains that make a couple of hundred a month, we can get one of them to fly it.

See wiki enrty here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalmers_Goodlin

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[tanknetter]

That’ll look good with the red white and blue Thunderbirds paintjob on it... someday. :-)

Here you go

[Samwise]

[Doogle]

check this out..(ya mentioned the x-1), just a couple of model builders having fun and spending big bucks...enjoy!

http://users.skynet.be/fa926657/files/B29.wmv

[A.A. Cunningham]

The prototype X-35 was piloted by several military pilots:

LCDR Greg “Fence” Fenton, USN, MAJ Art “Turbo” Tomassetti, USMC, LCDR Brian “Goz” Goszkowicz, USN and Sqd. Ldr. Justin Paines (UK Royal Air Force). .

Tomassetti was also the first pilot to fly the X-35A, B and C.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Tomassetti focused on VX-23 mission

[Doogle]

..REMEMBER IT WELL..
I think the best presentation was when President Reagan read it after the Christa McAuliffe tragedy back in “86”
(it sent chills down my spine)

[alfa6]

Yea I've seen that:-) In the R/C community there are folks who specialize in LARGE scale models like this.

Here is a pic of the C-17 on the ground with a Boeing 747 in the background.

Y'all take care

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Tallguy]

Yeah, that’s the Goodlin/Yeager storyline that is the ‘official’ line. And the Bell X-1 project was an early research aircraft, so perhaps the pattern wasn’t yet set in stone. By ‘pattern’ I mean that the company/builder uses it’s own resources (pilots) to prove the craft can meet minimum government specs before turning it over to the buyer (USAF or NAVY) for military aircrews to push the envelope.

One of my personal ‘heroes’ was Scott Crossfield, who died last year in a plane crash. Crossfield was the North American company test pilot on the X-15 project. It was his job to test the basic flight charactaristics of that bird before the plane was turned over to the Blue Suits. The story goes that there was a lot of betting as to whether or not Crossfield would firewall it on the last flight just to get the speed & altitude record back in his hands. He didn’t, he stuck to the basic flight plan & the USAF pilots got that honor. (His last flight in the X-15 was the only one where the plane was fully-fueled.)

[Tommyjo]

That is completely clean configuartion. The JSF in dirty config will operate with pylons/hardpoints and external tanks. JSF can’t carry all its weapons load in the internal bays.