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F-35B/C Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter)

usmarinemike

usmarinemike

Solidly part of the 42%.
pilot
Contributor
I got to visit the 33FW facility at Eglin this week. I'm not going to lie, it's an astonishing facility that can't parallel any training facility I've seen in any of the services. The approach that is being taken to training isn't what I'd call revolutionary, but it is a step above what most of our schools are capable of doing. For instance, I actually have faith in the computer based training. It's highly interactive, and I'm sure expensive to develop, but if it works as advertised it's going to put out some well trained maintainers/ordies/PR's. I actually got to put my hands on the first two F35Bs and see that they are actually real. It's a VSTOL plane with relatively small intakes though (low observable/stealth means no fan blades visible), so I'm not really convinced that it's not just full of packing peanuts.

I haven't completely drunk the koolaid on this jet and it's initial TTPs the way the guys at Eglin have, but I'm pretty excited about its future.
 
Jim123

Jim123

DD-214 in hand and I'm gonna party like it's 1998
pilot
Thread bump. A couple of local articles/PAO pieces about JSF training at Eglin... telling the story to the public kind of PAO stuff, nothing controversial or surprising.


This article talks about the support facilities, academics, simulators, pilots training, maintenance training, the defense budget, international sales, jointness, and... the new airplanes (of course).

http://www.pnj.com/article/20120902...ighter-jet-the-future-at-Eglin-Air-Force-Base


Grim Reapers reactivated (as VFAT-101, I think??) as the Navy's F-35 training squadron, and a little bit of squadron heritage and history.

http://www.pnj.com/article/20120902...-Reapers-flight-squadron-Eglin-Air-Force-Base
 
AUtiger

AUtiger

Crossing over to the dark side
pilot
It's just VFA-101. Their skipper was flying with us here in lemoore to get his hours
 
Recovering LSO

Recovering LSO

Suck Less
pilot
Contributor
"Rags" was one of the two CAG OPSOs during my time on CAG Staff. The guy he replaced is also working the program, and just found out that my old CAG is heading down there as well. Ironically, he is a former VF-101 CO.
 
Alpha_Echo_606

Alpha_Echo_606

Does not play well with others!™
Contributor
FillerUp.jpg

Fill 'er Up
Two F-35B Joint Strike Fighters conduct the first aerial refueling of its kind with a KC-130J Hercules in the sky above Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Oct. 2. Previous aerial refueling operations with the F-35 had been conducted with test aircraft. “It’s great to start to expand our operational capability in the context of working with the Marine Air-Ground Task Force,” said Lt. Col. David Berke, who commands the F-35B squadron, Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, at Eglin. The KC-130J was from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252, based out of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brian Adam Jones)
 
Uncle Fester

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Alpha_Echo_606 said:
Two F-35B Joint Strike Fighters conduct the first aerial refueling of its kind with a KC-130J Hercules in the sky above Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Oct. 2. Previous aerial refueling operations with the F-35 had been conducted with test aircraft. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brian Adam Jones)
Click to expand...

Not sure what the PAO shop meant by this. First by a Fleet plane, maybe? The 'test aircraft' tankers are VX-20 Herks, inclduing some J-types.

Still; nifty picture.
 
Renegade One

Renegade One

Well-Known Member
None
jmcquate said:
View attachment 11453
Click to expand...
Okay...I was wrong, I guess, for at least one airplane...but "Grim Reapers"...not "Gun Fighters" (VF-124?), and I don't "think" this was a long-held tradition in 101...maybe a "tribute" to other squadrons?

Don't want to fight...but the Sundowners did the shark's teeth thing for the community. Not sure when they de-commed in Tomcats or when they resurrected in F-5s, although I think the latter was in the '08-'10 timeframe.
 
jmcquate

jmcquate

Well-Known Member
Contributor
Renegade One said:
Okay...I was wrong, I guess, for at least one airplane...but "Grim Reapers"...not "Gun Fighters" (VF-124?), and I don't "think" this was a long-held tradition in 101...maybe a "tribute" to other squadrons?

Don't want to fight...but the Sundowners did the shark's teeth thing for the community. Not sure when they de-commed in Tomcats or when they resurrected in F-5s, although I think the latter was in the '08-'10 timeframe.
Click to expand...
101s callsign was/is "Gunfighter" and I think the Sharkmouth was a tribute to the Sun Downers.
 
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