• First international student-pilot flies F-35

    The first international student aviator at the 33rd Fighter Wing, training to be an F-35B Lightning II instructor pilot, completed his first sortie in the joint strike fighter here March 19.United Kingdom Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Frankie Buchler flew with Marine Fighter Attack Training

  • F-35 production on track

    The F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter program is a different program than it was four years ago, the F-35 program executive officer said here March 12.In a speech at the McAleese/Credit Suisse Defense Programs Conference at the Newseum, Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan told attendees that he and

  • Airmen win AF maintenance awards

    Maj. Jose Lasso, the 96th Maintenance Squadron commander, and Senior Airman Mark Blinn, a lead standardization crew member with the 96th Maintenance Group, were recently named 2012 Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez award recipients.The Air Force award is given to maintainers who demonstrate the highest degree of

  • Nellis pilot first reservist to fly F-35

    A reservist from the 706th Fighter Squadron here recently became the first to fly the F-35 Lightning II, Air Force's newest aircraft.Maj. Joseph Scholtz is an operational test pilot integrated into the active duty Air Force's 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, and currently Nellis AFB's only

  • 31st TES begins F-35 operational testing

    Edwards entered a new phase of testing on the F-35 Lightning II program with the arrival March 6 of the first two operational test aircraft.Team members from the 53rd Wing's 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron, a tenant unit here, will determine how to best tactically operate the F-35A conventional

  • Maintainers go 'old school' for F-35 training day

    Maintainers from the 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron went "old school" on the Air Force's most technically advanced fighter jet fighter during a training day March 4.The "old school" maintenance involved opening up an F-35 Lightning II to get some practical training for the technicians who are

  • Nellis pilots take first step toward F-35 operational testing

    Two officers from the operational test community are among the six pilots in the first F-35 Lightning II pilot training course after an Air Education and Training Command decision to start training here in January.Lt. Col. Benjamin Bishop, the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron director of

  • Experiment improves AF cops' battlevision

    A battle-ready Airman moves down a dirt road alone. His shoulders and neck ache under the weight of the flack vest, pack and helmet, but his eyes remain focused and alert scanning for movement. After six weeks of intense vision training, the Airman's eyes pick up the slightest movement from the

  • Senior master sergeants announced

    More than 1,360 master sergeants out of 12,834 eligible, have been selected for promotion to senior master sergeant, Air Force Personnel Center officials said today. The average overall score for those selected was 673.11. Selectees' average time in grade is 4.02 years and time in service is 18.89

  • Magnetic levitation track reaches new world record in speed

    The 846th Test Squadron successfully performed its most ambitious test to date on the magnetic levitation track at here, Feb. 7. Members of the 846th were able to use the Maglev track in conjunction with a new propulsion system to reach an astounding speed of more than 500 miles per hour."We went