Fighting Falcon

An F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot soars over the Gulf of Mexico during a sortie with F-35A Lightning IIs from the 33rd Fighter Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Edward Schmitt)

JSF X 4

A four-ship of F-35A Lightning IIs flies over the Gulf of Mexico Feb. 1 before returning to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Pilots with the 33rd Fighter Wing began flying the formation the first time here last week. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Edward Schmitt)

Eglin F-35s

Two F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.(Courtesy photo)

Greetings

Lt. Col. Brian O'Neill, 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron director of operations and a "student" in the Air Force F-35A Lightning II Operational Utility Evaluation, salutes his crew chief before his postflight inspection Nov. 14 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. He became qualified to fly the aircraft during the last sortie of the service’s evaluation of the 33rd Fighter Wing's joint strike fighter training program, a necessary review for Air Education and Training Command to decide if the unit is “ready for training” next year. O’Neill will return to the 31st TES, a geographically separated unit of the 53rd Wing at Edwards AFB, Calif., where the Air Force will eventually begin operational testing on the new aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Karen Roganov)

500

The Integrated Test Force here completed its 500th combined sortie for both the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing and F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft Nov. 2. Flight operations for the F-35 began on the Emerald Coast March 6. There are currently 22 F-35s at Eglin as the fleet continues to grow supporting the team as it trains instructor pilots and maintainers. The team accomplished the 500 sorties in 238 days cutting the time between each milestone sortie. (Lockheed Martin photos by Neal Chapman)

F-35 progression

Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Pressley, of the 33rd Maintenance Operations Squadron, is the first maintainer to complete an F-135 engine run. He will be an instructor for next few maintainers chosen to go through the F-35A engine run course. Having maintenance personnel conduct engine runs frees up pilots for training missions and allows the jets to get fixed faster. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Bruce Ferris)

Fifth Gen formation

An F-22A Raptor from the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and an F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter from the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., soar over the Eglin range Sept. 19. This was the first time the two fifth generation fighters have flown together for the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock)

Fifth Gen formation

An F-22A Raptor from the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and an F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter from the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., soar over the Eglin range Sept. 19. This was the first time the two fifth generation fighters have flown together for the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock)

Fifth Gen formation

An F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter from the 33rd Fighter Wing, and an F-22A Raptor from the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., turn toward the Eglin Air Force Base runway Sept. 19. This was the first time the two fifth generation fighters have flown together for the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock)

Fifth Gen formation

An F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter from the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and an F-22A Raptor from the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., soar over the Emerald Coast Sept. 19. This was the first time the two fifth generation fighters have flown together for the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock)

Moving North

A 96th Test Wing F-15 taxis past two F-16s toward the runway at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Aug. 27. The 96th and the 53rd Wing evacuated their aircraft due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Isaac. The Wings’ F-16s flew to Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., and the F-15s flew to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Stored Lightning

Members of the 33rd Maintenance Squadron move an Air Force F-35A Lightning II off the flightline and into a hangar at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Aug. 27. The 33rd Fighter Wing’s joint strike fighters were moved into hangars in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Isaac. The 58th Fighter Squadron hangar held nine A models, while the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501 hangar stored the 10 B models. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)