F-35 first flight

J.J. · by **J.J.** » 22 Dec 2006, 21:37

Today, USAF released this very nice single picture:

Initial flight of the F-35 Lightning II on Dec. 15, 2006 over Fort Worth, Texas. [LMTAS photo by David Drais]

Source: http://www.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/ ... 9J-101.jpg

Question: The scenery on the ground looks like a military living area. Anyone USAF servicemember who can/will identify this location?

sjean77 · by **sjean77** » 22 Dec 2006, 21:54

There are a couple of websites with these photos..

http://images.teamjsf.com/main.php?g2_v ... temId=3182

The Scenery is a housing development north of Fort Worth in the Path of were the Flight test occured....In Texas we call them Tract Homes..they try and see how many homes can you get on one Acre

Raptor_claw · by **Raptor_claw** » 22 Dec 2006, 22:24

J.J. wrote:Question: The scenery on the ground looks like a military living area. Anyone USAF servicemember who can/will identify this location?

I bet our service men and women wish their housing was that nice. Someone should post a picture of the actual on-base housing at the former Carswell AFB. The story goes that when Carswell 'shut-down', the state looked at using the housing for a low-security penitentiary, but couldn't because it didn't meet the building code standards required. (In simpler terms, the housing our service families had been using wasn't good enough for our criminals).

Not totally sure that story is 100% accurate, but that's what was going around.

J.J. · by **J.J.** » 22 Dec 2006, 22:49

Thank you very much for your immediate feedback, sjean77 and Raptor_claw! There are really great pictures on http://images.teamjsf.com/main.php?g3_v ... temId=3182

Initial flight of the F-35 Lightning II on Dec. 15, 2006 over Fort Worth, Texas. [LMTAS photo by David Drais]

Initial flight of the F-35 Lightning II on Dec. 15, 2006 over Fort Worth, Texas. [LMTAS photo by David Drais]

Initial flight of the F-35 Lightning II on Dec. 15, 2006 over Fort Worth, Texas. [LMTAS photo by David Drais]

<a href="http://www.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/061215-F-0000J-006.jpg">Hi-res</a>

Update: Since last night, all in all six first flight hi-res pics are online on USAF's public main website: http://www.af.mil/news/story_media.asp? ... =123036076

sjean77 · by **sjean77** » 23 Dec 2006, 00:53

Acutally the government turned the Old Hospital into a Female prison and all of the substandard Base housing located to the south of Carswell had been sold, Dirt cheap and was moved off now there is a Wal-MArt, Sams Club and a Lowes. My how things change.....

No Luck on a second flight this year. Today(Friday) started a week long holiday for all of the Lockheed Martin Fort Worth Plant

Ztex · by **Ztex** » 24 Dec 2006, 04:59

I am not sure exactly where this housing is but it is not on base...it is just another fine example of suburban tract houses. Northern Tarrant COunty is full of this kind of development...one of the fastest growing counties in the country.

Z

asiatrails · by **asiatrails** » 24 Dec 2006, 18:23

idesof wrote:
Raptor_One wrote:but nobody expected that the F-35 wouldn't actually fly.

Wrong. Firefox genuinely doubted the F-35 would even get airborne. Too bad there is no stick out your tongue smiley

You mean like this :-P

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 16 Apr 2020, 11:20

Interesting reading this 'first' thread. Meanwhile a USN tome on their first 100 years of NavAv provided the photo below:

United States Naval Aviation 1910-2010 Volume I Chronology
03 Nov 2015 Mark L. Evans & Roy A. Grossnick

"The first F-35A Lightning II takes off for its maiden flight at Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, 15 December 2006."

Source: https://www.docdroid.net/ZgFxUdO/united ... ol-1-2-pdf (23Mb)