33rd FW flightline

A maintainer watches the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter as the pilot performs shutdown procedures after a sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Aug. 16. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Karen Roganov)

33rd FW flightline

Airman 1st Class Lance Colbert, a crew chief from 58th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, reviews joint technical data tasks, like maintaining landing gear pins, in a Portable Maintenance Aid after the 100th sortie of an F-35A Lightning II at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Aug. 16 Colbert is on the leading edge of helping stand up maintainer and pilot student training at the world’s premier joint strike fighter F-35 Integrated Training Facility located at Eglin’s 33rd Fighter Wing. The F-35 incorporates a wide range of new technologies for stealth, multi-mission capabilities, and sustainability. Colbert has been an integral part of activities leading to the almost 200 combined sorties to date at Eglin for the Air Force and Marine Corps variants of the F-35 as the team continues to train up instructor pilots and develop maintainer syllabus. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Karen Roganov)

Nellis maintainer launches first F-35

Staff Sgt. Shaun Whittington, of the 57th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, moves by his F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter to begin shutdown procedures at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Aug. 16. The sortie marked the 100th F-35A mission flown at Eglin, but also was Whittington’s first time launching the new aircraft. Whittington is one of three maintainers from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., being trained on the F-35. Once their training is complete, they’ll provide maintenance support to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron’s F-35 fleet. The 422nd is a geographically separated unit of the 53rd Wing, headquartered at Eglin. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Nellis maintainer launches first F-35

Staff Sgt. Shaun Whittington, of the 57th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, marshals in his F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter after its sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Aug. 16. The sortie marked the 100th F-35A mission flown at Eglin, but also was Whittington’s first time launching the new aircraft. Whittington is one of three maintainers from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., being trained on the F-35. Once their training is complete, they’ll provide maintenance support to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron’s F-35 fleet. The 422nd is a geographically separated unit of the 53rd Wing, headquartered at Eglin. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

100th F-35A flight at Eglin

Lt. Col. Lee Kloos, the 58th Fighter Squadron commander, talks with his crew chief from the cockpit of the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter after a sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Aug. 16. Kloos’ flight marked the 100th A-variant sortie flown from Eglin. Kloos, an instructor pilot on the F-35, flew the two-ship mission with Col. Andrew Toth, the 33rd Fighter Wing commander, as one of Toth’s F-35 familiarization training flights. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

100th F-35A flight at Eglin

Maintainers place chocks on the wheels of an F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter after its sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Aug. 16. The sortie marked the 100th F-35A mission flown at Eglin. The Air Force and Marine Corps pilots accomplish morning and afternoon sorties every day, depending on the weather. Together, the A and B variant F-35 pilots have flown almost 200 sorties at Eglin. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

International F-35 maintenance training

British Royal Navy maintainers, Petty Officer Mike Elland and Chief Petty Officer Yuki Ho, watch a wheel and tire removal and installation demonstration as part of their F-35 maintenance training July 26 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The maintainers are here receiving maintenance training for the UK variant of the F-35. (Courtesy photo/Gunnery Sgt. Stacey-Ann Viner)

UK F-35

The first British F-35B Lightning II arrives at Eglin AIr Force Base, Fla., from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas, on July 23. The jet is the first of eight international partner variants of the joint strike fighter to be based at the 33rd Fighter Wing's F-35 integrated training center. British maintainers and pilots will be imbedded in Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 and the country’s pilot training begins this fall. In the near future, they will be doing operation test preparation activity, leading the way for the U.K. to maintain the jets and becoming instructor pilots. The U.K. officially took ownership of the aircraft at a Lockheed Martin ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas, July 19. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Karen Roganov)

UK F-35

United Kingdom Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Jim Schofield poses for a photo after he piloted the first British F-35B Lightning II from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas, July 23. The jet is the first international variant of the joint strike fighter to be based at the 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. U.K. maintainers and pilots will be imbedded in the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 and U.K. pilot training begins this fall. In the near future, the U.K. will be doing operation test preparation activity, leading the way to maintain the jets and becoming instructor pilots. .The U.K. officially took ownership of the aircraft at a Lockheed Martin ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas, July 19. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Karen Roganov)

F-35

(U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Karen Roganov)

100th F-35 sortie

Marine Lt. Col. David Berke, commanding officer for the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 is all smiles after he flew the 100th F-35 Lightning II sortie at the 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla. July 11. The 33rd FW’s 100 flights completed include 74 F-35A sorties and 26 F-35B sorties. Current flying operations at the wing consist of Marine and Air Force fighter pilots checking out in the F-35 variants for each service. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Karen Roganov)

100th F-35 sortie

Marine Lt. Col. David Berke, commanding officer for the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, taxis in from completing the 100th F-35 Lightning II sortie at the 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla. July 11. The 33rd FW’s 100 flights completed include 74 F-35A sorties and F-35B sorties. Current flying operations at the wing consist of Marine and Air Force fighter pilots checking out in the F-35 variants for each service. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Karen Roganov)

Off the ground

An A-10C Thunderbolt II takes off from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., June 28, 2012, marking the first flight of an aircraft powered solely by a alcohol-derived jet fuel blend. ATJ, or Alcohol to Jet, is a cellulousic-based fuel. It can be derived using wood, paper, grass, anything that is a cell-based material. The sugars extracted from these materials are fermented into alcohols, which are then hydro-processed into the aviation-grade kerosenes used for aviation fuel. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Ready to fly

Senior Airman Mitchell Harrington, of the 46th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, goes over last minute checks before sending the A-10 on its first flight using an alcohol-derived fuel blend June 28 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Check flight

Marine Lt. Col. Roger Hardy, Defense Contract Management Agency F-35 Lightning II acceptance pilot, prepares for his first of six F-35A check out flights at the 33rd Fighter Wing. The AV-8B Harrier pilot is the first military member to qualify in flying operations at the wing who isn't assigned to Eglin. He currently works at the DCMA office, Lockheed Martin, Ft. Worth, Texas, to provide government oversight/inspection of contractor aircraft operations; ensuring safe and effective joint strike fighters are operationally ready before they are delivered to the Department of Defense. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Karen Roganov)

413TH FLTS HUEY

413th Flight Test Squadron Huey helps in wildfire effort. (courtesy photo)

Dropping bombs

Squadron Leader Sion Hughes, a British exchange pilot and Capt. Gary Beisner, a 46th Operations Group test engineer, return to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., after a bomb rack unit jettison test May 21. The mission collected separations data for the BRU-61carriage system loaded with a Guided Bomb Unit-39 over the Gulf of Mexico. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is the first DoD aircraft to test jettison capabilities of the BRU-61. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Joely Santiago)

Dropping bombs

Squadron Leader Sion Hughes, a British exchange pilot and Capt. Gary Beisner, a 46th Operations Group test engineer, fly back to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., after a bomb rack unit jettison test May 21. The mission collected separations data for the BRU-61carriage system loaded with a Guided Bomb Unit-39 over the Gulf of Mexico. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is the first DoD aircraft to test jettison capabilities of the BRU-61. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Joely Santiago)

first F-35B sortie

Marine Maj. Joseph Bachmann, a Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron-501 pilot, takes off in his first F-35B sortie from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., May 22. The goal for Marines was to start local area operations and conventional flights, beginning the process of gradually expanding the envelope to short takeoffs and vertical landings and more complex aerial training. The historic flight was airborne during the Marine Corps' 100th year of aviation, two months after 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing officially introduced the service's fifth generation fighter to the world at the 33rd Fighter Wing. (Lockheed Martin photo/David Drais)

First F-35B sortie

Members of Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, contract partners and 33rd Fighter Wing personnel watch the first F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter sortie May 22. The goal for Marines was to start local area operations and conventional flights, beginning the process of gradually expanding the envelope to short takeoffs and vertical landings and more complex aerial training.The historic flight at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., was airborne during the Marine Corps' 100th year of aviation, two months after 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing officially introduced the service's fifth generation fighter to the world at the 33rd Fighter Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Karen Roganov)

Dropping bombs

A B-1B Lancer from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., releases a Guided Bomb Unit-31 over the Utah test range May 17 as part of Combat Hammer, a weapons system evaluation program. Aircraft from many different squadrons were on hand to participate in the air-to-ground evaluation conducted by the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron, located at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The squadron hosts evaluations at Hill, Tyndall and Eglin each year, assessing weapon system performance, reliability, capabilities, and limitations in realistic combat scenarios against representative real-world targets. (Courtesy photo.)

Dropping bombs

A B-1B Lancer from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., flies over the Utah test range May 17 as part of Combat Hammer, a weapons system evaluation program. Aircraft from many different squadrons were on hand to participate in the air-to-ground evaluation conducted by the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron, located at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The squadron hosts evaluations at Hill, Tyndall and Eglin each year, assessing weapon system performance, reliability, capabilities, and limitations in realistic combat scenarios against representative real-world targets. (Courtesy photo.)

Dropping bombs

An F-15 from the 389th Fighter Squadron releases a Guided Bomb Unit-31 over the Hill Air Force Base, Utah test range May 8 as part of Combat Hammer, a weapons system evaluation program. Aircraft from many different squadrons were on hand to participate in the air-to-ground evaluation conducted by the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron, located at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The squadron hosts evaluations at Hill, Tyndall and Eglin each year, assessing weapon system performance, reliability, capabilities, and limitations in realistic combat scenarios against representative real-world targets. (Courtesy photo.)

33 FW

(From left) Col. Andrew Toth, the 33rd Fighter Wing commander and Terry Yonkers, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics, listen as Staff Sgt. Anthony Stewart, the 58th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, describes the capabilities of the F-35 Joint Strike Air Force Base, Fla., April 20. Yonkers was at Eglin participating in Earth Day events and touring the base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Mike Spaits)