Forum: F-35 Units

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123343819

Nellis AFB pilots fly their first operational F-35 mission

Posted 4/10/2013

by Staff Sgt. Michael Charles
99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

4/10/2013 - NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) -- Two F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron here conducted the aircraft's first operational flights from Nellis AFB.

These historic flights came less than a month after the March 19 arrival ceremony for the aircraft, but members of the 57th Maintenance Group's Lightning Aircraft Maintenance Unit and the 422nd TES have prepared for years to make the transition of the F-35A to Nellis AFB a smooth one.

"It's been a long time coming, and the level of effort by all those involved with getting to this point has been nothing short of astounding," said Capt. Brad Matherne, the 422 TES F-35 division commander, and one of the first pilots to conduct this operational flight at Nellis AFB. "Now we can get down to the business of what Nellis (AFB) does best; the development of tactics."

The successful flight does not begin or end with the pilots, said Lt. Col. Benjamin Bishop, the 422nd TES director of operations, and the other pilot to conduct the first operational flight from Nellis AFB. It was the maintenance team who mastered a complex new airframe, and worked overtime to ensure it was ready for flight.

"The fact they were able to accept the aircraft and get them into the air so quickly is astonishing," Bishop said......
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A simulator is also being constructed on Nellis AFB to test and develop tactics for advanced training. Together with continued operational flights, Air Force officials will begin to see how the Lightning II reacts to realistic enemies in real-world operations.

The Air Force plans to assign 20 more F-35s to Nellis AFB by 2020.

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little more at the jump.

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Historic budget cuts halt training flights, trim F-35 testing at Nellis 12 Apr 2013 KEITH ROGERS

Quote:

"...CANNED LIGHTNING
Nellis also is a test bed for the new F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter jets. Three of these high-tech, stealth aircraft are assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, a tenant unit of the 53rd Wing out of Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., that Nellis maintainers support.

“We are doing everything we can to keep testing of the F-35 on track and have some hours to continue in August but they will stand down as well,” Moore said...."

http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/milit ... ing-nellis

spazsinbad wrote:

[b]...We are doing everything we can to keep testing of the F-35 on track and have some hours to continue in August but they will stand down as well,”...

I suspect with Nellis developing the multitude of tactics, a "stand down" will not have much impact on their progress. Having the simulator and production a/c (hardware) on the flight line to up and down load the programs will be invaluable to validate their technology and methodologies. But, sooner or later the pilots will want to fly and test it in the air, ...don't we all! Smile