The taxi

The F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter taxis out for its first training sortie followed by an F-16 chase aircraft March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

The brief

(Right to left) Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the first Air Force qualified F-35 pilot, Maj. Joseph Bachmann, the first Marine qualified F-35 pilot, and Lt. Col. Lee Kloos, the 58th Fighter Squadron commander, receive an operations brief from Lt. Col. Todd LaFortune before stepping out for the first-ever F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

The helmet

Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations, undergoes a computerized helmet test prior to stepping to the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter for its first-ever training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Smith is the first Air Force pilot qualified to fly the F-35. The helmet is tested with a computer before each sortie. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

The suit

Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations, zips up his flight suit prior to stepping to the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter for its first-ever training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Smith is the first Air Force pilot qualified to fly the F-35. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

First flight

The F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter lifts off for its first training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. It’s the first flight of any 33rd Fighter Wing F-35 since their arrival to the base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Randy Gon)

First flight

The F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter lifts off for its first training sortie March 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. It’s the first flight of any 33rd Fighter Wing F-35 since their arrival to the base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)