Photo By Senior Airman James Hensley | F-35 Lightning II maintainers salute as the F-35 taxis out to the runway during the...... read more read more
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“We get to bring the F-35 to the public through the heritage flights which really honors the past and present of airpower,” said Maj. Will Andreotta, 61st Fighter Squadron F-35 heritage flight pilot. “It’s an amazing honor and experience to be a part of the F-35 program in general. It is the cutting edge of what we have out there and it shows people a little bit of the capabilities of the aircraft and give them a chance to talk to us so we can tell them how great this plane really is.”
Andreotta was able to fly the F-35 alongside a P-51 and P-38 in formations during the Heritage Flight Training and Certification Course.
“It’s important to show people what airpower was and is,” Andreotta said. “This aircraft is going to be the backbone of the United States Air Force. The planes that we’re flying with, the P-51 and P-38, were the backbone back in the greatest generation that we have so this is really a passing of the torch between what the backbone was previously and what we have now.”
It’s not just about the aerial maneuvers and flyovers performed during the airshow but also about the maintenance performed to keep the planes flying.
“I make sure we have a safe and reliable aircraft and also manage the maintenance of the aircraft,” said Senior Master Sgt. Sam Smith, 61st Aircraft Maintenance Unit F-35 heritage flight superintendent. “We get to showcase what we were and what we are now. Our team is the best there is. They amaze me every day and I’m proud to be a part of this team.”
The flight schedule will be released soon for all air shows and open houses the teams are planned to participate in.
| Date Taken: | 02.27.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 03.03.2017 12:46 |
| Story ID: | 225013 |
| Location: | AZ, US |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, F-35: Heritage Flight Training and Certification Course 2017, by SrA James Hensley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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