Airman 1st Class John Patterson, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Airman 1st Class John Patterson, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, monitors F-35A Lightning II preflight checks at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The 33rd Maintenance Group is responsible for the maintenance of t... More
An F-35 Lightning II rolls down the 33rd Fighter Wing
An F-35 Lightning II rolls down the 33rd Fighter Wing flightline toward the runway for another sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Royal Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols,
Royal Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols, lifts off in a Marine F-35B Lightning II for the first short take-off and vertical landing sortie by a United Kingdom pilot at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Fe... More
An F-35A Lightning II taxis down the 33rd Fighter Wing
An F-35A Lightning II taxis down the 33rd Fighter Wing flightline after a sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The Air Force F-35s make of the majority of the joint strike fighters located on base. (U.S. Air Fo... More
Staff Sgt. Mark Freeman, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Staff Sgt. Mark Freeman, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, performs a post-flight check on the tire of an F-35A Lightning II before refueling it at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 variants use the... More
An F-35A Lightning II pilot turns his aircraft along
An F-35A Lightning II pilot turns his aircraft along the yellow taxi line on the 33rd Fighter Wing flightline at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Senior Airman Herbert Tucker, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Senior Airman Herbert Tucker, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, checks his six before marshaling out a refueled F-35A Lightning II at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 variants use the refueling area... More
Senior Airman Herbert Tucker, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Senior Airman Herbert Tucker, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, marshals in an F-35A Lightning II for a hot pit refueling session at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 variants use the refueling areas... More
Senior Airman Herbert Tucker, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Senior Airman Herbert Tucker, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, marshals in an F-35A Lightning II for a hot pit refueling session at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 variants use the refueling areas... More
Airman 1st Class John Patterson, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Airman 1st Class John Patterson, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, marshals in an F-35A Lightning II after a sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The 33rd Maintenance Group is responsible for the maintenance ... More
Brian Easterling, a 96th Test Wing firefighter, climbs
Brian Easterling, a 96th Test Wing firefighter, climbs a ladder to extract an injured F-35 Lightning II pilot during a major accident response exercise May 9. This was the first MARE involving the Air Force’s n... More
F-35 Lightning II variants fill the 33rd Fighter Wing’s
F-35 Lightning II variants fill the 33rd Fighter Wing’s hot pit refueling area on Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 variants use the refueling areas in conjunction with the 96th Logistics Readiness Squ... More
A Lockheed Martin maintainer pulls the chocks from
A Lockheed Martin maintainer pulls the chocks from a Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35A Lightning II prior to a sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The RNLAF completed their first joint strike fighter flying so... More
A Lockheed Martin maintainer for the Naval F-35C Lightning
A Lockheed Martin maintainer for the Naval F-35C Lightning II carries wheel chocks back to a hangar after a refueling session at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 variants use the refueling areas in c... More
Eglin Air Force Base firefighters move toward a 33rd
Eglin Air Force Base firefighters move toward a 33rd Fighter Wing F-35 Lightning II during a major accident response exercise May 9. This was the first MARE involving the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft at ... More
Maj. Laurens Vijge, a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot,
Maj. Laurens Vijge, a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot, dresses in his life support equipment prior to his first flight in the F-35A Lightning II Dec. 18 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Vijge became the first R... More
Maj. Laurens Vijge, a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot,
Maj. Laurens Vijge, a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot, gets fit tested for his helmet mounted display for the F-35A Lightning II Dec. 11 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. On Dec. 18, Vijge became the first RNLAF ... More
Maj. Laurens Vijge and Lt. Col. Albert De Smit, of
Maj. Laurens Vijge and Lt. Col. Albert De Smit, of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, walk out to the F-35A Lightning II prior to Vijge's first flight in the aircraft Dec. 18 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Vijge ... More
Members of the Royal Netherlands Air Force watch as
Members of the Royal Netherlands Air Force watch as their F-35A Lightning II prepares to taxi out for its first flight Dec. 18 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Maj. Laurens Vijge became the first RNLAF pilot to f... More
Staff Sgt. Mark Freeman, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Staff Sgt. Mark Freeman, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, touches the 58th Fighter Squadron logo on the side of an F-35A Lightning II during hot pit refueling at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 v... More
Brian Easterling, a 96th Test Wing firefighter, extracts
Brian Easterling, a 96th Test Wing firefighter, extracts an injured pilot from an F-35 Lightning II during a major accident response exercise May 9. This was the first MARE involving the Air Force’s newest figh... More
Maj. Laurens Vijge, a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot,
Maj. Laurens Vijge, a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot, makes adjustments while in the seat of an F-35A Lightning II prior to his first flight in the aircraft Dec. 18 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Vijge becam... More
Staff Sgt. Mark Freeman, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Staff Sgt. Mark Freeman, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, refuels an Air Force F-35A Lightning II while an international-partner joint strike fighter takes off in the distance at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. ... More
Airman 1st Class John Patterson, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Airman 1st Class John Patterson, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, moves underneath the F-35A Lightning II during preflight checks prior to a sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The 33rd Maintenance Group is... More
Royal Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols,
Royal Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols, taxies his Marine F-35B Lightning II in after completing the first short take-off and vertical landing sortie by a United Kingdom pilot at Eglin Air Force Ba... More
Sgt. 1st Class Terry Van Rooij, a maintainer with the
Sgt. 1st Class Terry Van Rooij, a maintainer with the Royal Netherlands Air Force, takes a picture of the Dutch F-35A Lightning II prior to its first flight Dec. 18 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Maj. Laurens V... More
Heat pulses off the flightline as Royal Air Force pilot,
Heat pulses off the flightline as Royal Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols, taxis a Marine F-35B Lightning II toward the runway for the first short take-off and vertical landing sortie by a United Ki... More
Royal Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols,
Royal Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols, moves his Marine F-35B Lightning II in for refueling after the first short take-off and vertical landing sortie by a United Kingdom pilot at Eglin Air Force ... More
Tech. Sgt. James McCallen, 33rd Maintenance Squadron,
Tech. Sgt. James McCallen, 33rd Maintenance Squadron, monitors an F-35A Lightning II’s preflight checks at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The 33rd Maintenance Group is responsible for the maintenance of the Air For... More
Royal Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols,
Royal Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols, hovers over the runway in a Marine F-35B Lightning II during the first short take-off and vertical landing sortie by a United Kingdom pilot at Eglin Air Forc... More
A 33rd Fighter Wing pilot brings in an F-35A Lightning
A 33rd Fighter Wing pilot brings in an F-35A Lightning II for refueling after a sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Royal Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols,
Royal Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols, lifts off in a Marine F-35B Lightning II for the first short take-off and vertical landing sortie by a United Kingdom pilot at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Fe... More
Staff Sgt. Mark Freeman, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Staff Sgt. Mark Freeman, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, performs a post-flight check on an F-35A Lightning II tire before refueling it at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 variants use the refueli... More
Senior Airman Herbert Tucker, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Senior Airman Herbert Tucker, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, marshals in an F-35A Lightning II for a hot pit refueling session at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 variants use the refueling areas... More
Lockheed Martin maintainers complete preflight checks
Lockheed Martin maintainers complete preflight checks on the Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35A Lightning II prior to a sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The RNLAF completed their first joint strike fighter f... More
Staff Sgt. Chris Hunter, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Staff Sgt. Chris Hunter, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, connects the gas pump to an F-35A Lightning II as another joint strike fighter lifts off the Eglin Air Force Base runway. All of the F-35 variants us... More
Maj. Laurens Vijge, Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot,
Maj. Laurens Vijge, Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot, examines the wheel of an F-35A Lightning II with a Lockheed Martin maintainer during a preflight check Dec. 18 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Vijge became ... More
Maj. Laurens Vijge, a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot,
Maj. Laurens Vijge, a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot, salutes his Lockheed Martin crew chief as he taxis out for the first flight in the F-35A Lightning II. Vijge became the first RNLAF pilot to fly the joi... More
Lockheed Martin maintainers complete preflight checks
Lockheed Martin maintainers complete preflight checks on the Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35A Lightning II prior to a sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The RNLAF completed their first joint strike fighter f... More
Senior Airman Herbert Tucker, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Senior Airman Herbert Tucker, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, marshals in an F-35A Lightning II for a hot pit refueling session at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 variants use the refueling areas... More
Staff Sgt. Mark Freeman, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Staff Sgt. Mark Freeman, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, performs a post-flight check on an F-35A Lightning II before refueling it at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 variants use the refueling ar... More
Senior Airman Travis Barry, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Senior Airman Travis Barry, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, marshals out an F-35A Lightning II after a hot pit refuel session at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 variants use the refueling areas i... More
The Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35A Lightning II
The Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35A Lightning II lifts off from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., for its first flight Dec. 18. Maj. Laurens Vijge became the first RNLAF pilot to fly the joint strike fighter and t... More
Airman 1st Class John Patterson, Tech. Sgt. James McCallen
Airman 1st Class John Patterson, Tech. Sgt. James McCallen and Airman 1st Class Jake Wiedmeyer, 33rd Maintenance Group, stand at the ready during preflight checks prior to an F-35A Lightning II morning sortie a... More
Eglin Air Force Base firefighters and medical technicians
Eglin Air Force Base firefighters and medical technicians prepare to move an injured F-35 Lightning II pilot during a major accident response exercise May 9. This was the first MARE involving the Air Force’s ne... More
Staff Sgt. Matthew Reed, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Staff Sgt. Matthew Reed, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, salutes as an F-35A Lightning II rolls out for another sortie after hot pit refueling at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 variants use the... More
A 33rd Fighter Wing maintainer performs post flight
A 33rd Fighter Wing maintainer performs post flight checks on an F-35A Lightning II after a sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
A 33rd Fighter Wing F-35A Lightning II taxis back after
A 33rd Fighter Wing F-35A Lightning II taxis back after a sortie as another F-35 lifts off from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Maj. Laurens Vijge, a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot,
Maj. Laurens Vijge, a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot, and Lt. Col. Matt Renbarger, the 58th Fighter Squadron commander, receive their preflight briefing Dec. 18 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Vijge became th... More
An Eglin Air Force Base firefighter stands by to engage
An Eglin Air Force Base firefighter stands by to engage the fire from an F-35 Lightning II during a major accident response exercise May 9. This was the first MARE involving the Air Force’s newest fighter aircr... More
Airman 1st Class John Patterson, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Airman 1st Class John Patterson, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, monitors F-35A Lightning II preflight checks at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The 33rd Maintenance Group is responsible for the maintenance of t... More
Maj. Laurens Vijge, a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot,
Maj. Laurens Vijge, a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot, makes adjustments while in the seat of an F-35A Lightning II prior to his first flight in the aircraft Dec. 18 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Vijge becam... More
Royal Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols,
Royal Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols, hovers over the landing pad in a Marine F-35B Lightning II during the first short take-off and vertical landing sortie by a United Kingdom pilot at Eglin Air... More
Airmen from the 33rd Maintenance Group perform checks
Airmen from the 33rd Maintenance Group perform checks on an F-35A Lightning II prior to a hot pit refueling session at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 variants use the refueling areas in conjunction ... More
Senior Airman Travis Barry, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance
Senior Airman Travis Barry, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, marshals in an F-35A Lightning II for a hot pit refueling session on the Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., flightline while two other F-35s soar in the ... More
A Marine F-35B Lightning II from the Marine Fighter
A Marine F-35B Lightning II from the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 rolls by the 33rd Fighter Wing hot pit refueling area as two F-35As receive fuel at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 va... More
Maj. Laurens Vijge, a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot,
Maj. Laurens Vijge, a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot, climbs into the seat of an F-35A Lightning II for his first flight in the aircraft Dec. 18 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Vijge became the first RNLAF pi... More