Flight plan

Maj. Travis Burton, an A-10 pilot with the 40th Flight Test Squadron, reviews his checklists before take-off June 28. Elliot's sortie marked the first flight using an alcohol-derived fuel blend in an A-10 Thunderbolt II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Down the barrel

The A-10 Thunderbolt II waits for its next take off June 28 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The A-10's flight made history becoming the first-ever flight using an alcohol-derived fuel. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Complete

Lt. Col. Lee Kloos, 58th Fighter Squadron commander, prepares to exit an F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter, after a successful sortie May 31. Completing this last of six flights was the final step in making him the first non-developmental test pilot to fly the JSF. Now, Kloos can train/qualify other 33rd Fighter Wing initial cadre pilots to fly the F-35. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Karen Roganov)

Dropping bombs

Squadron Leader Sion Hughes, a British exchange pilot and Capt. Gary Beisner, a 46th Operations Group test engineer, take off from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., during 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, release an inert Mark-84 bomb during 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)

3D F-15

An image of an F-15 from SEEK EAGLE's 3D scanner currently in use at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Courtesy photo)

First F-35B sortie

Marine Sgt. Eric Spence, a plane captain with Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron-501, marshals the first F-35B 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 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)

First F-35B sortie

Marine Sgt. Eric Spence, a plane captain with Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron-501, and Marine Maj. Joseph Bachmann prepare life support equipment for their first F-35B 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 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

An F-16 from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, 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

An F-16 from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, releases a Guided Bomb Unit-24 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.)

JSF formation

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)

JSF formation

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)