The flight crew flies in Norwegian weather and lands on slippery runway. The F-35 is not dependent on the drag chute during all winter conditions I recently read that the F-35 does not handle slippery runways. Can it really be that the air force have bought a fighter plane that we can not use in winter weather? That would be stupid. Fortunately, it's probably not true.
The development of the F-35A drag chute began in 2010. Testing on the airplane began this summer and if everything goes according to plan, testing will be completed during spring 2018. The test, for which colleague Eskil Amdal is a part, is intended to qualify F-35A for winter conditions. For our part, it may also mean using the drag chute.
Already in the new year, the plan is that we will begin to fly with the drag chute system mounted here at home. Because the technical testing has not yet been completed, we will initially have a smaller "envelope" to operate within. We nevertheless think it's worth getting started early so that we can already start collecting experience with the F-35A combination on winter wear with a brake pad.
In line with the planABC News recently wrote an article that could give the impression that the F-35A has to stand on the ground if the runway is slippery. That's not correct.
"On Monday, I learned for the first time that F-35 tackled ice conditions were good."
It is important to be aware that the F-35 will be able to operate on winter wear also without a drag chute. It's not a be or not-be. "It depends" is an answer I often have to resort to. In this context, there are many factors, including how much weight the aircraft is carrying, how slippery the runway is, how long the runway is, if the airplane keeps the correct landing speed, whether the airplane is using the correct technique, whether the plane has a technical fault, how The surface of the runway is, altitude of the runway, what the temperature is, where the center of gravity of the aircraft is based on the current combination of cargo and fuel, To mention a few.
Larger margins and extra flexibilityThe drag chute gives us greater margins: It allows to handle larger variations from the optimal. We will especially tackle the combination of high weight and slippery runway better. In addition, it gives us additional flexibility by opening for use of runways where brake wires are not installed.
I had the pleasure of trying myself in proper Norwegian conditions both last Friday and Monday. On Monday, I learned for the first time that F-35 tackled ice conditions very well. It was also positive to discover how easy it was to stop the machine on the runway, which was covered by slush. Some may agree to call this winter conditions. It was in any case more wintery than in Arizona.
In flight, I have learned that the world is rarely black and white. Context, prerequisites, knowledge and ability makes a difference. Everything is related to everything. I think this lesson has universal validity. For me, it means, among other things, that I am careful to "buy" obscure statements in the media, regardless of subject matter.