Posted on 03/05/2012 7:42:05 PM PST by U-238
US Air Force operational testers will start receiving their first Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighters at Edwards AFB in California in late June, a service official says.
According to the official, the 31st Test and Evaluation Sqn will initially receive four aircraft, with more to follow later.
If flight operations at Eglin AFB, Florida - scheduled to start on 6 March - ramp-up quickly to begin pilot training, the official says he is optimistic the operational testers can start flying by the end of June.
The unit will initially start with local area flight operations designed to familiarise pilots with the F-35 and help with developmental test efforts. They would also help prepare for formal initial operational testing, which is still some years away, the official says
(Excerpt) Read more at flightglobal.com ...
God bless and keep these pilots.
Flying anvils are hard to manage — only the best will do.
They will be operating from the best testing base in the United States.The aviation buffs will be camping outside the perimeter of the base to see the plane in action.
Bless them one and all.
Too bad the politicians ruined a good idea.
The F-16 and F-18 will rule as low-priced MRFs forever. When the F-22 comes back (it will), the F-35 will be the flying version of AGW.
Mission creep is more that consultant-spaek — it is a cancer.
i remember driving to work at edwards one morning in my younger days and seeing what looked like a bat plane. turned out to be the B2. a great base to see awesome planes.
I certainly agree with that. Check out the museum
Don’t headline writers ever read the article. This is not a “training command”. It’s an operational test and evaluation unit. It will have to train the pilots of course, but it’s function is to evaluation the operational suitabilty of the aircraft.
Don’t headline writers ever read the article. This is not a “training command”. It’s an operational test and evaluation unit. It will have to train the pilots of course, but it’s function is to evaluate the operational suitability and effectiveness of the aircraft.
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