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.)

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.)

Stored Lightning

A 33rd Maintenance Squadron Airman backs in an Air Force F-35A Lightning II into the 58th Fighter Squadron 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 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.)

Storing 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.)

Storing 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.)

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)