US Marines F-35s



  • BF-11.jpg
    Lockheed Martin test pilot Al Norman flew F-35B BF-11 (Navy Bureau Number 168062) on its inaugural flight on March 21st, 2012 from NAS Fort Worth. The aircraft will be assigned to VMFAT-501 at Eglin AFB. [Photo by Carl Richards]
  • BF-10.jpg
    Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti flew F-35B BF-10 (Navy Bureau Number 168061) on its inaugural flight on March 15th, 2012 from NAS Fort Worth. The aircraft will be assigned to VMFAT-501 at Eglin AFB. [Photo by Carl Richards]
  • BF-13.jpg
    Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti flew F-35B BF-13 (Navy Bureau Number 168309) on its inaugural flight on March 12th, 2012 from NAS Fort Worth. [Photo by Carl Richards]
  • BF-12.jpg
    Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti flew F-35B BF-12 (Navy Bureau Number 168308) on its inaugural flight on March 30th, 2012 from NAS Fort Worth. The aircraft will be assigned to VMFAT-501 at Eglin AFB, Florida. [Photo by Carl Richards]
  • BF-14.jpg
    The ninth F-35B production aircraft, BF-14, takes off for its first flight from NAS Fort Worth on April 24th, 2012. [Lockheed Martin photo Tom Harvey]
  • BF-09_002.jpg
    F-35B BF-09 takes off for its ferry flight to Eglin AFB on May 10th, 2012. [Lockheed Martin photo by Fred Clingerman]
  • BF-10_001.jpg
    F-35B BF-10 takes off for its ferry flight to Eglin AFB on May 10th, 2012. [Lockheed Martin photo by Fred Clingerman]
  • BF-11_001.jpg
    F-35B, BF-11 depart NAS Fort Worth for its 90 minute ferry flight to Eglin AFB with USMC, Lt. Col. Fred Schenk at the controls. [Lockheed Martin photo by Angel DelCueto]
  • VMFAT-501.jpg
    Marine Maj. Joseph Bachmann, a VMFAT-501 pilot, takes off in his first F-35B sortie from Eglin AFB on May 22nd, 2012. The historic flight was airborne during the Marine Corps' 100th year of aviation, two months after 2nd MAW officially introduced the service's fifth generation fighter to the world at the 33rd FW. [Lockheed Martin photo by Maj. David Drais]
  • BF-15.jpg
    Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti flew F-35B BF-15 (Bureau No: 168311) on its inaugural flight on July 13th, 2012 from NAS Fort Worth. The aircraft will be assigned to VMFAT-501 at Eglin AFB. [Lockheed Martin photo by Angel DelCueto]
  • 168313.jpg
    Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti flew F-35B BF-17 (USN Bureau Number 168313) on its inaugural 1.2-hour flight on July 24th, 2012 from NAS Fort Worth. The aircraft will be assigned to VMFAT-501 at Eglin AFB. [Lockheed Martin photo by Tom Harvey]
  • 168312.jpg
    Lockheed Martin test pilot Al Norman flew F-35B BF-16 (USN Bureau Number 168312) on its inaugural flight on July 26th, 2012 from NAS Fort Worth. The aircraft will be assigned to VMFAT-501 at Eglin AFB, Florida. [Lockheed Martin photo by Angel DelCueto]
  • 168314.jpg
    Lockheed Martin test pilot Al Norman flew F-35B BF-18 (USN Bureau No: 168314) on its inaugural flight on August 8th, 2012 from NAS Fort Worth. [Lockheed Martin photo by Tom Harvey]
  • VMFAT-501_001.jpg
    F-35B STOVL version assigned to VMFAT-501 bearing tail number 05 approaches Eglin AFB. Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT-501) is a newly reactivated training squadron in the United States Marine Corps that will eventually consist of 20 F-35B Lightning II aircraft and will serve as the Fleet Replacement Squadron. Known as the 'Warlords', the squadron will be based at Eglin AFB and will fall administratively under Marine Aircraft Group 31 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, but operationally under the USAF's 33d Fighter Wing. [Photo by Dick Jenkins]
  • BF-15_001.jpg
    F-35B BF-15 (Bureau No: 168311) from VMFAT-501 departs on its delivery flight on September 27th, 2012 to Eglin AFB. BF-15, piloted by USMCs Maj. Mike Rountree, left NAS Fort Worth JRB at 10:39 hrs CDT en route for a 90 minute ferry flight to Eglin. [Lockheed Martin photo by Randy Crites]