ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 2, 2015) F-35C Lightning II test

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 2, 2015) F-35C Lightning II test pilot Cmdr. Ted “Dutch” Dyckman prepares to launch from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) during the second phase of carrier suitability and integration testing of the F-35C carrier variant Joint Strike Fighter. During DT-I in November 2014, the F-35C demonstrated exceptional performance both in the air and on the flight deck, accelerating the team’s progress through its initial ship trial schedule, achieving 100 percent of its threshold test points three days early and conducting night ops during DT-I – an unheard of feat since the Navy’s F-4 era. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy Lockheed Martin photo by Andrew McMurtrie/Released)