Declaring IOC for the F-35B and Going to Japan: Lt. Col. Gillette Discusses the Approach

09/29/2013
2013-09-29 During the visit of Secretary Wynne to the 33rd Fighter Wing, we accompanied him on the visit and add some meetings of our own. Among the most notable of those additional meetings was an opportunity to sit down with two USMC leaders in the process of the roll out of…

Visiting the 33rd Fighter Wing: An Overview and Update on the F-35 Program

09/29/2013
2013-09-29  By Robbin Laird On September 4th Secretary Wynne visited the 33rd Fighter Wing for an update on the F-35 program as seen from the training facility.  Ed Timperlake and I accompanied him and added some meetings of our own, notably with maintainers and USMC squadron leaders. https://www.sldinfo.com/secretary-wynne-visits-the-33rd-fighter-wing/ We have…

Depot Level Maintenance of the F-35

09/28/2013
2013-09-28 Several hundred people gathered today in hangar 237 to witness the first F-35A Lightning II which arrived for depot level maintenance during a ceremony hosted by the Ogden Air Logistics Complex commander, Maj. Gen. H. Brent Baker Sr. The ceremony addressed Hill's key role in the depot repair and…

Visiting the Ready Room of VMFAT501: Leveraging Combat Experience to Prepare the F-35B for Deployment

09/26/2013
2013-09-26 By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake During the visit of Secretary Wynne to the 33rd Fighter Wing, we accompanied him on the visit and added some meetings of our own. Among the most notable of those additional meetings was an opportunity to sit down with two USMC leaders in the…

Shaping the Weapons Approach for the F-35B: Leveraging the Harrier Experience

09/25/2013
2013-09-26 Although the F-35B is a new aircraft, and new skills are being learned, the USMC is clearly harvesting experience where relevant to shaping the combat approach of the new aircraft.  In a discussion with a combat-hardened Marine who is a weapons loader for the Harrier, the shaping of the approach…

An Update on F-35 Low Observable Maintenance at the 33rd Fighter Wing

09/24/2013
2013-09-25 One of the issues Secretary Wynne was briefed on and given a hands on look was Maintenance of Low Observable characteristics approach being shaped at the 33rd FW. USAF maintainers showed the Secretary how they were addressing the effort and rolling out the LO maintenance capability. The LO maintainers…

From the “Silent” Eagle to Stealth: Why the South Korean Air Force Should be Concerned (Updated)

09/23/2013
2013-09-23 By Ed Timperlake John Boyd in his lecture (which I sat through twice) had a sine qua non building block for his work: the F-86 versus Mig-15 exchange rate kills by his beloved F-86 in "MIG Ally. " The exchange rate was approximately 10 to 1. Lessons learned at…