Wingmen

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Two of the Air Force Thunderbirds F-16s perform an inverted pass while three others come around for another pass during the practice show April 9 here. The weekend airshow drew more than 70,000 people each day. The T-birds headlined the show. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman 1st Class Anthony Jennings)

Arrival

Thunderbird maintainers scurry around their F-16 while another taxis in at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., April 8 in preparation for the airshow April 10 and 11. The T-birds will perform both days with their ground show beginning at 3 p.m. The airshow begins at 9 a.m. on both days. See www.eglin.af.mil for more information. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Soaring

A Thunderbird F-16 soars over the skies of Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., April 8 before arriving here for the airshow April 10 and 11. The T-birds will perform both days with their ground show beginning at 3 p.m. The airshow begins at 9 a.m. on both days. See www.eglin.af.mil for more information. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Green flight

An A-10C Thunderbolt II from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., flies along the coast of Florida March 25, 2010, during the first flight of an aircraft powered solely by a biomass-derived jet fuel blend. The A-10 was fueled with a 50/50 blend of Hydrotreated Renewable Jet and JP-8. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. Joy Josephson)

Hover craft

The first Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II short takeoff, vertical landing stealth fighter demonstrated the capability to hover March 17, during a test flight at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. The flight was a significant test mission leading up to the aircraft’s first vertical landing. It confirmed predictions of the jet’s vertical thrust, stability and control in hovering flight. The flight began with a conventional takeoff before F-35 lead STOVL Pilot Graham Tomlinson initiated conversion to STOVL mode at 200 knots airspeed. He then slowed the aircraft to 60 knots and flew a decelerating approach to a zero airspeed hover at 150 feet above the runway. This marked the first free air hover in the F-35B Lightning II aircraft. Upon reaching zero airspeed, the pilot executed test points to confirm the controllability of the aircraft in the hover. After completing all hover test points, the pilot executed a STOVL landing at 70 knots airspeed. Later in the day, BF-1 performed the first F-35 short takeoff. Matching performance predictions, the F-35B accelerated down the runway in STOVL mode and lifted off at 100 knots using less than 1000 feet of runway. The successful tests are the latest steps in demonstrating the F-35B’s ability to conduct operations from small ships and unprepared fields, enabling expeditionary operations around the world.

Airshow static

L-5G "Intensive Care"