Marine F-35 variant reaches 100th sortie milestone
Marine Corps Maj. Tye Bachmann, of the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501, completed the 100th sortie of the F-35B variant of the Lightning II Aug. 31 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The flight was a lineup of six aircraft returning to the skies on the first day of flying after Hurricane Isaac. The 100th B variant sortie is another marker that the F-35 team is progressing forward in sortie generations and maintenance training as the aircraft systems continue to mature. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Karen Roganov)