3/7/2012 - The F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter lifts off for its first training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. It’s the first flight of any 33rd Fighter Wing F-35 since their arrival to the base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations, puts on his flight gear prior to stepping to the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter for its first-ever training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Smith is the first Air Force pilot qualified to fly the F-35. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations, secures his helmet for testing prior to stepping to the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter for its first-ever training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Smith is the first Air Force pilot qualified to fly the F-35. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations, undergoes a computerized helmet test prior to stepping to the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter for its first-ever training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Smith is the first Air Force pilot qualified to fly the F-35. The helmet is tested with a computer before each sortie. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations, removes his helmet after a successful test prior to stepping to the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter for its first-ever training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Smith is the first Air Force pilot qualified to fly the F-35. The helmet is tested with a computer before every sortie. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - (Right to left) Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the first Air Force qualified F-35 pilot, Maj. Joseph Bachmann, the first Marine qualified F-35 pilot, and Lt. Col. Lee Kloos, the 58th Fighter Squadron commander, receive an operations brief from Lt. Col. Todd LaFortune before stepping out for the first-ever F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations, walks around the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter prior to its first-ever training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Smith is the first Air Force pilot qualified to fly the F-35. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations, walks up to the cockpit of the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter, followed by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Houser, aircraft crew chief for the sortie, prior to its first-ever training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Smith is the first Air Force pilot qualified to fly the F-35. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations, puts on his helmet as Staff Sgt. Jeremy Houser, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, assists prior to the first F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter training sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., March. 6. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations, secures his helmet from the cockpit of the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter prior to its first-ever training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Smith is the first Air Force pilot qualified to fly the F-35. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - Staff Sgt. Jeremy Houser, a 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron maintainer, communicates with the pilot of the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter during flight checks prior to the first-ever training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Houser was the crew chief for the first sortie. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations, begins flight checks on the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter prior to its first-ever training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Smith is the first Air Force pilot qualified to fly the F-35. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - The F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter taxis out for its first training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - The F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter taxis out for its first training sortie followed by an F-16 chase aircraft March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - The F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter taxis out for its first training sortie followed by an F-16 chase aircraft March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - The F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter lifts off for its first training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. It’s the first flight of any 33rd Fighter Wing F-35 since its arrival to the base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

3/7/2012 - The F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter lifts off for its first training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. It’s the first flight of any 33rd Fighter Wing F-35 since their arrival to the base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Randy Gon)

3/7/2012 - The F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter lifts off for its first-ever training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. It’s the first flight of any 33rd Fighter Wing F-35 since their arrival to the base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Randy Gon)