Air Education and Training Command announced on 17 December 2012 that the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida, can begin F-35A Lightning II pilot and instructor training. The preliminary results of the US Air Force’s Operational Utility Evaluation, or OUE, showed the F-35A aircraft, pilot training, and sustainment systems at Eglin are robust enough to conduct pilot transition and instructor upgrade courses. The forty-six day OUE encompassed classroom and simulator training along with six flights. Four pilots, Majs. John Wilson, Matthew Johnston, and Joseph Scholtz, along with Lt. Col. Brian O'Neill, comprised the test class. Training is slated to begin 7 January 2013. Approximately thirty-six US Air Force pilots are expected to go through the training program in 2013.
