First Night Vertical Landing
2 April 2013: Marine Corps Maj. C. R. Clift completed the first vertical landing at night in an F-35. The mission, at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, was performed in F-35B BF-4.
Photo by Dane Wiedmann
F-35C Maximum Mach
3 April 2013: Marine Corps Capt. Mike Kingen took an F-35C to Mach 1.6 for the first time during a flight from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. Mach 1.6 is the top design speed for the F-35C.
Photo by Andy Wolfe
First F-35A GBU-12 Separation
9 April 2013: USMC Lt. Col. Jon Ohman performed the first GBU-12 separation test in an F-35A. The weapon was released from the left weapon bay of F-35A AF-1 flying over the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Center ranges.
Photo by Darin Russell
300 Flights For AF-1
10 April 2013: Air Force Lt. Col. Peter Vitt flew F-35A AF-1 on its 300th flight. The mission involved a successful GBU-31 separation test over the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Center ranges.
Photo by Paul Weatherman
Two Firsts At Night
10 April 2013: Air Force Capt. Eric Schultz flew F-35A AF-7 in the first night Instrument Meteorological Conditions flight test. The IMC mission, from Edwards AFB, California, also included the first hot pit refueling for an F-35 at night.
Photo by Tom Reynolds
Link 16 Connectivity
11 April 2013: USMC Lt. Col. Jon Ohman flew BF-17 for the first F-35 link with an AWACS aircraft, successfully exchanging Link 16 messages during a multiship flight that included an E-3 Sentry, multiple F-16s, and multiple F/A-18E/Fs.
Photo by Matthew Short
500 Flights For F-35C
18 April 2013: The F-35C fleet completed the 500th System Design and Development flight during a mission that included formation flying with Navy Lt. Cdr. Michael Burks flying CF-5 and Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Canin flying CF-2.
Photo by Michael D. Jackson
BF-18 Arrives At Edwards
26 April 2013: Royal Air Force Sqn. Ldr. James Schofield delivered F-35B BF-18 to the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards AFB, California. The aircraft is to be used at the ITF for Mission System testing. BF-18 was ferried from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, by way of Fort Worth, Texas.
Photo by Matthew Short
First High Asymmetric Load
29 April 2013: Lockheed Martin test pilot Mark Ward flew F-35A AF-2 for the first high asymmetric load flight test on an F-35. The load consisted of an AIM-120 on Station 7; a GBU-31 on Station 8; an AIM-9X on Station 11; and weapon pylons on Stations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, and 10. The load equated to 15,000 foot-pounds asymmetry.
Photo by Darin Russell
Most SDD Flights In One Day
2 May 2013: The F-35 test program flew eleven flights in one day to set a new record. The flights consisted of five for F-35A, four for F-35B, and two for F-35C.
Photo by Paul Weatherman
First Dual AIM-120 Carriage
3 May 2013: Air Force Lt. Col. Peter Vitt flew F-35A AF-6 for the first mission that included two AIM-120 missiles. The flight occurred at Edwards AFB, California.
Photo by Darin Russell
5k Flight Hours
10 May 2013: The F-35 SDD fleet surpassed 5,000 flight hours.
Photo by Tom Reynolds
