62 FS activated

2nd F-35 squadron stands up

Posted 6/16/2015
by Senior Airman Grace Lee
56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

6/16/2015 - LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, ARIZONA -- Lt. Col. Gregory Frana assumed command of the 62nd Fighter Squadron during an assumption of command ceremony June 5 at Luke Air Force Base.

Frana previously served as the first F-35A Director of Operations for the 61st FS at Luke.
Col. William Bailey, 56th Operations Group commander, presided over the ceremony.
The 62nd FS is scheduled to begin accepting jets in July and will be joined by two partner nations, including Norway and Italy. A Norway pilot is scheduled to begin class in September.

http://www.luke.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123450999

On the other hand, Luke will lose another squadron.

The 308th Fighter Squadron, of the 56th Fighter Wing, will close nex month.

On the other hand, Luke will lose another squadron.

The 308th Fighter Squadron, of the 56th Fighter Wing, will close nex month.

Why not just keep the existing one instead of creating a new one?

I think if we follow history, the 61st deactivated a while ago in prep for the F-35 and so did the 62nd FS. I'm not so sure about the 63rd, we'll have to see. As for the 308th (and eventually the 309th / 310th) are going to follow the same pattern. The USAF wants to keep the history going for these 5 (possibly 6) squadrons. It speaks volume that the 308th Fighter Squadron didn't just move to Holloman AFB with it's F-16s.

Photo from June 2015 Luke AFB AF Mag'n Story PDF attached 8 pages - mostly photos.

“A four-ship of 61st Fighter Squadron F-35As fly in formation over the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Two of them belong to USAF and the other two to RAAF.”

62nd Fighter Squadron Gets First F-35s
15 Aug 2015 SLDinfo

"08/15/2015: 62nd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base accepting its first two F-35 aircraft. There will be 18 total F-35s joining the squadron over the next year. The jets will be flown by instructor pilots preparing for the first class of students in March 2016. The 62nd FS will include pilots and aircraft from partner nations Italy and Norway. The squadron's maintenance personnel are Lockheed Martin contractors."

Source: https://vimeo.com/136379930

Surely whoever designed the squadron patch was clairvoyant? How else to explain the lightning flash on the gloves...

Two F-35s arrived. One was 13-5068. What was the other?

13-5069?

13-5065

First F-35As for Luke’s 62nd FS
Sep 2015 Air International Magazine

"US Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II 13-5068/‘LF’ touches down at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, on August 10 following its delivery flight from the factory at Fort Worth, Texas, with 13-5065/‘LF’. These are the first two F-35As for the 62nd Fighter Squadron ‘Spikes’, which currently flies the F-16C and F-16D, but is now re-equipping with the F-35A as the second training unit at the base after the 61st FS. The squadron will take delivery of 18 F-35As over the next year and begin training the first class of students in March 2016. The unit will include pilots and aircraft from partner nations Italy and Norway. Jim Haseltine "

Funny that they say that the Spikes currently fly the F-16C/D.

Story about the 'popcorn' badge above....

Walt Disney inspires squadron
17 Aug 2015 Senior Airman Marcy Copeland 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

"8/17/2015 - LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Arizona. -- Everyone had a role to play during World War II at home and abroad. For Sgt. Seymour Pine it was serving in the 62nd Fighter Squadron assigned to the 56th Fighter Group at Luke Air Force Base as a Stars and Stripes reporter....

...While stationed at Luke, Pine had the unique privilege of accepting the 62nd Fighter Squadron emblem of a boxing bulldog from the artist who drew it--Walt Disney....

...Disney himself took on a personal project for the war effort which was creating unique insignia to not only bring humor to units, but to help boost morale at home and overseas. More and more of Disney's art was used as decals on tanks, trucks, bombs, planes and many different types of military transport and equipment.

Disney created an insignia design unit within Disney Productions Studios. Working with Hank Porter, Roy Williams, Bill Justice, Van Kaufman, Ed Parks, and George Goepper, Disney created more than 1,200 insignia throughout World War II.

A valuable war effort by Disney and Disney Studios, he created them free-of-charge. Disney himself served during World War I in France through the American Red Cross as an ambulance driver and understood the need to have something close to remind the men of home.

Disney once said "The insignia meant a lot to the men who were fighting. I had to do it. I owed it to them."

The 62nd emblem was completed in April 1943 while the squadron was fighting the Axis Powers in Europe. Disney personally delivered it with Pine accepting it on behalf of the squadron. The boxing bulldog is still used as the squadron's emblem and inspires the pilots of today just as it did 74 years ago.

"It is a privilege to serve in a fighter squadron whose legendary past includes 12 aces, 357 kills, and a patch that was designed by Walt Disney," said Capt Joseph Stenger, 62nd FS A flight commander. "The pictures we have of the original 'Spike Aces' and squadron patch are a salient reminder we're serving in an organization that was taking the fight to the enemy long before we were born, and will continue to do so long after we're gone. Those P-47 pilots set the bar very high and it's our job to uphold the standard they set and ensure the pilots we train will do so as well.""

Caption: "While stationed at Luke, Sgt. Seymour Pine had the unique privilege of accepting the 62nd Fighter Squadron emblem of a boxing bulldog from the artist who drew it—Walt Disney. (Courtesy photo from Richard Pine)" http://www.luke.af.mil/shared/media/pho ... 00-001.jpg

Source: http://www.luke.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123456122

FROM: https://translate.google.com/translate? ... edit-text= & http://nettsteder.regjeringen.no/kampfl ... 8x1024.jpg

HAS THIS POST BEEN MADE?: "...Just the landing pattern is worth a small post in itself!"

Nope, been tailing http://nettsteder.regjeringen.no/kampfly/ - nothing there.

My best guess is Hanche is a busy man, other pilots have started training, he's to be the first .no instructor.