Forum: F-35 Units

Guard’s first F-35 pilots ready to take flight over Florida base 19 May 2012
Florida National Guard Public Affairs Office

http://www.dvidshub.net/news/88680/guar ... orida-base

"EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – When military aviators of the future look back at the beginnings of the F-35 program, they may see the names of two Florida National Guard pilots listed among the first to fly the Air Force’s fifth-generation fighter jet.

Lt. Col. Randal Efferson and Maj. Jay Spohn are the only Guard pilots currently assigned to the 33rd Operations Group at Eglin Air Force Base, and they’ll soon be taking to the skies to master the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.

Once trained, Efferson and Spohn will help develop the training and standards for other F-35 pilots as the fighters are integrated into the Air Force’s fleet of aircraft.

"It is a huge accomplishment,” Efferson said, noting that they will be among the first 100 pilots to fly the Air Force’s newest fighter jet. “We’ve been working for the past two years to get to this point, and just on May 3 we were issued clearance to fly initial cadre pilots [non-test pilots].”

Spohn will be the fifth member of the 33rd to fly the F-35, and the second to train at Eglin; about three months later Efferson will be the tenth military cadre pilot to fly. Before becoming fully qualified as instructor pilots, Spohn and Efferson will each have to complete five instructional sorties and one evaluation flight....

Rest of the story at the JUMP!

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You know, the Guard charter used to be you took the 'old stuff' and made due with it, and were prepared, within reason or necessity, to respond to additional requirements in support of the 'reggies'.

There was a certain 'enjoyment' (and logic) from a Guard vantage point to the flying associated with that operational philosophy.

One would wonder if it's still there...

Those are my guys!! Cool

Godspeed. Those birds should look great with the 125th in a few years.