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)