02/06/2015 Second Line of Defense attended the ceremony for the arrival of the first F-35A to the USAF Weapons School on January 15, 2015. There are already 4 F-35As here with the test wing, but this is the first full up IOC template F-35A, which will be put through its paces…
2014-11-11 In this video, members of the 33rd Fighter Wing address the F-35 maintenance approach being implemented at Eglin AFB. 33rd Maintenance Group operates at the 33rd Fighter Wing. The mission of the 33rd Maintenance Group is to deliver safe, reliable and on-time aircraft to support F-35 pilot and maintainer…
2014-08-23 “Workhorse” Becomes First F-35 to Achieve 1,000 Flight Hours by Kenji Thuloweit 412th Test Wing Public Affairs 6/18/14 Edwards Air Force Base AF-2, the second production F-35 Lightning II for the U.S. Air Force, became the first F-35 to reach 1,000 flight hours. Paul Hattendorf, Lockheed Martin test pilot,…
2014-07-01 Two F-35B aircraft flew in close formation for the first time in short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) mode, also known as Mode 4, on Feb. 11, 2014, at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Recently, we talked to instructors at MAWTS about their work with the F-35 at Yuma Air…
2014-04-17 The F-35 training process started at Eglin but now the Marines are moving from Eglin to Marine Air Station Beaufort with the USN taking over the USMC facilities at Eglin. At Second Line of Defense we have regularly followed the standing up of the training processes for the F-35…
2014-02-13 An F-35C aircraft flies a high angle of attack intentional departure test flight in November 2013. The video includes comments from the pilots and engineers testing the F-35C carrier variant's high angle of attack capabilities at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. Earlier we wrote about our visit to…
2014-01-15 Lockheed Martin commemorated the 100th F-35 Lightning II today with a ceremony for employees, elected officials and customers. The 100th F-35, known as AF-41, will be the first F-35 delivered to Luke Air Force Base (AFB) in Glendale, Ariz. Fleet Status Of the first 100 F-35s produced, 44 are…
2013-10-19 The Integrated Test Force operates F-35B test aircraft aboard the USS Wasp at twilight in August 2013. The tests were a part of Developmental Test Phase Two for the F-35B STOVL variant. According to Lt. Col. Gillette, currently the X0 of the Squadron and in transition with the jet…
