VMFAT-501 Completes First Eight Turn Eight

Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT-501), the Marine F-35 training squadron at Eglin AFB, Florida, launched an eight-ship F-35 training mission on 26 April 2013. The eight pilots returned from their initial mission, hot pit refueled, and then flew another mission for a total of sixteen sorties in three hours. This was the first eight-turn-eight for the F-35 program.