First Guard F-35A Flies

Production milestones, roll-outs, test flights, service introduction and other milestones.
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by Seadogg » 31 Jul 2019, 17:31

31 July 2019 , at Lockheed Fort Worth, Texas the first VT tail coded Vermont Air National Guard F- 35A made its first flight Aircraft AF-207.
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by afjag » 31 Jul 2019, 18:56

Does anyone have an updated estimated arrival date to Vermont?


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by mixelflick » 01 Aug 2019, 12:30

Something tells me Crazy Bernie isn't going to like this..

But maybe he'll see the value in prestige/jobs the F-35 brings to Vermont. I can tell you that where I am (MA), we take great pride in the F-15's flying out of Barnes ANG base. I see and hear them every day, and they're an immense presence in the skies over the Northeast.

How much moreso if your state hosts F-35's? Good for the Green Mountain Boys. A long and proud tradition steps it up...


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by aussiebloke » 01 Aug 2019, 13:15

afjag wrote:Does anyone have an updated estimated arrival date to Vermont?


In September, the first pair of F-35s will touch down, with 18 set to be stationed in Vermont by the summer of 2020.


https://vtdigger.org/2019/07/29/ahead-o ... dproofing/


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by XanderCrews » 02 Aug 2019, 05:38

mixelflick wrote:Something tells me Crazy Bernie isn't going to like this..

But maybe he'll see the value in prestige/jobs the F-35 brings to Vermont. I can tell you that where I am (MA), we take great pride in the F-15's flying out of Barnes ANG base. I see and hear them every day, and they're an immense presence in the skies over the Northeast.

How much moreso if your state hosts F-35's? Good for the Green Mountain Boys. A long and proud tradition steps it up...


Bernie fought for them the entire time despite push back from everyone. In fact Bernie fighting for the F-35 in Vermont was the first time I ever heard of him years before he became a household name. I'm no Bernie bro, but like McCain he whined in public and then also went full on in all the deals to make sure he got F-35s.

congrats to VT. Thank you Bernie. :devil:
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by jaws » 02 Aug 2019, 05:38

Outstanding! Go ANG!
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by ChippyHo » 03 Aug 2019, 04:30

The first F-35A Lightning II destined to the Vermont Air National Guard made its first flight from Lockheed Martin Ft. Worth facility, Texas, on Jul. 31, 2019.

The aircraft, AF17-5265, is the first of 20 stealth jets that will be taken on charge by the 158th Fighter Wing at Burlington Air National Guard Base, Burlington, Vermont, starting in September 2019: the unit is slated to be equipped with 18 aircraft and two reserve aircraft.

The “Green Mountain Boys” have ceased their F-16C/D Block 30 operations on Apr. 6, 2019, after flying the “Viper” (as the aircraft is dubbed in the fighter pilots community) for 33 years.

Sorry - attribute quote to https://theaviationist.com/2019/08/02/f ... -ft-worth/


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by outlaw162 » 03 Aug 2019, 05:14

Looks like a Title 10 bonanza....a far cry from the days of Guard bums, furloughed airline pilots....and the locals with an agricultural day job changing from farmer's coveralls into flight suits. Things must be getting serious. :shock:

AFTP morphs from 'All Farmers Turn (into) Pilots' to.....'Another Full Time Payee'.

edit: I guess UTA is still 'Up Together Always' :D


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by falcon.16 » 03 Aug 2019, 10:07

What is the National Guard? is it inside USAF or is it diferent?
https://aeropathfinder.blogspot.com/


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by krorvik » 03 Aug 2019, 10:42

Actually, both:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_National_Guard

When Air National Guard units are used under the jurisdiction of the state governor they are fulfilling their militia role. However, if federalized by order of the President of the United States, ANG units become an active part of the United States Air Force. They are jointly administered by the states and the National Guard Bureau, a joint bureau of the Army and Air Force that oversees the United States National Guard.


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by outlaw162 » 03 Aug 2019, 16:00

An individual state's fighter unit really has nothing to offer in support of state contingencies (aircraft-wise), unlike for example a C-130 unit or Army Guard helo unit which can support disaster relief operations in a governor directed within state context. It just looks cool to have F-35s with a state code on the tail. In the '70s, the Ohio Guard had 4 fighter units, more fighters than some smaller nations at the time. (The governor could possibly use some of the fighter unit support organizations, i.e. security, mobility, comm, CE, etc. on a within state basis however.)

Until the state fighter unit, or a detachment of the unit is federalized they are basically a high performance flying club.


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by zero-one » 04 Aug 2019, 11:06

falcon.16 wrote:What is the National Guard? is it inside USAF or is it diferent?


I always thought the ANG was sort of a tier 2 AF that was purely defensive in nature and usually flew older planes than their AF counterparts. Sort of like the Airforce's version of the Navy's cost guard.
And because they are defensive in nature they usually focus on A-A missions only.
But I was wrong cause I soon found out that there is actually the Hawaii ANG unit, that operates Raptors.

curious about these F-35s and also the F-16s that are assigned to ANG units.
Do they train and use A-G capabilities or are they focused on A-A.


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by basher54321 » 04 Aug 2019, 13:31

zero-one wrote:curious about these F-35s and also the F-16s that are assigned to ANG units.
Do they train and use A-G capabilities or are they focused on A-A.


F-16 ANG units and roles
http://www.f-16.net/units_airforce156.html

Bit out of date here: http://www.f-16.net/f-16_users_article32.html

Every conflict since Desert Storm has had Guard units in combat doing the A-G role.


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by outlaw162 » 04 Aug 2019, 16:12

Every conflict since Desert Storm has had Guard units in combat doing the A-G role.


minor addition:

Every conflict since and including Vietnam has had Guard units in combat doing the A-G role. This includes Guard A-7s in Panama. (In addition some individual ANG pilots volunteered and were activated for the Korean War, but no complete units were called, the Guard really operated some obsolescent stuff back then, true flying club classics)

4 F-100 units were sent to SEA: Buckley, ABQ, Sioux City and Niagara Falls, all with older F-100Cs. And in addition, when RegAF F-4 units were rotated south to Vietnam out of Kunsan AB So Korea, the Kansas and Ohio/Lockbourne Guard F-100s were activated and sent to Kunsan in a primarily airfield defense role.

(They learned that by this time the F-100 was not totally suited to this role however. Fortunately, No Korea was more interested in harassing the Navy at the time.)

The whole concept has gradually changed. Whereas previously the ANG was relegated to hand-me-downs, they now get first line stuff, ostensibly in the glamorous name of 'total force', but more likely an indication of the effects of 'mission tempo' and cutbacks on the regulars.

The Hawaii Guard and Virginia Guard Raptors are not their own machines, but are 'associate unit' aircraft also flown by the regulars. Unlike the Reserve's 419th F-35s colocated with the regulars at Hill AFB, Vermont's F-35s will be their own ballgame which provides some morale benefits, although they'll certainly be an unpleasantly high visibility operation.


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by zero-one » 04 Aug 2019, 17:36

Okay, but if this is the case, then why does there need to be a distinction between the AF and ANG. Isn't it redundant? Won't it save money if they were just integrated into 1 unified force. Sorry, military force structure isn't my strong suite


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