Absolutely . I'm Lieutenant Colonel
Christopher Campbell . I go by the call
sign of Sin when I'm in my flying unit .
Sure I am the commander of the F 35
Integrated Test force . So our unit
tests the entire fleet of F 35 of
which there are three variants the F 35
A . B and C . The A model is a
conventional takeoff and landing
airplane . The B model is a short
takeoff and vertical landing version so
it can actually hover and land . And
then the C . Model is made for aircraft
carriers and can land on the big top
aircraft carriers . It is difficult to
identify the differences , but if you
look carefully you can spot them . So
the A . Model of which I have a model
right here can be identified
generically from its its unique shape ,
it has a bunch of straight lines along
the leading edge of the wings and tail .
It also has a twin tail . So there are
two vertical tails and there is a
single engine . So if you're looking at
it from below , you'll see only one
tail pipe at the end . The B . Model
which can hover that one has an
additional engine that actually sits at
the top of the airplane and creates a
vertical flow of air so that it can
land flat , right on a small deck
aircraft carrier or on a landing pad .
Then the C . Model is even more unique .
It has a larger wing area so the wings
look a little bit larger and if you see
it on the ground then you might see the
wings folded up so that they can fit
more of them on the top of an aircraft
carrier .
So our job as flight testers of the F-
35 is all about what we call opening
the envelope . So our job is to take an
airplane that has not been proven and
to run it through its paces . So we
take that plane and we see how fast it
can go , how high it can fly . We see
how hard it can turn . And with an
airplane like the F 35 it can go very
fast , very high and turn exceptionally
hard . So our job is pretty busy as we
expand its envelope and reach its
limits every step of the way we're
collecting data as we fly . So we start
near an area where the aircraft were
certain that it is safe to operate .
And then as we go a little bit faster
we collect data . Our jets are
specially instrumented to collect the
forces on the , on the airplane and we
fly it a little bit faster , analyze
that data , make sure that it's safe to
operate in that area . Uh And then we
are cleared to move out to the next
step and take it a little bit faster .
In the case of the F 35 we can take it
all the way out to 1.6 times the speed
of sound and up to 50,000 ft . Plus the
airplane can turn at nine Gs . Which
means that the pilot inside feels nine
times his or her body weight when it's
pulling it's at its max performance .
I think that the most exciting thing is
taking a new capability or a new
feature on the airplane that we've
tested here at Edwards Air Force Base
and then watching it make it into the
field and seeing the software that
we've designed and tested fielded on F
30 fives that are now flying over in
europe and in the pacific and across
the United States . Uh It's very
satisfying to see See your work in use
and in the case of the F- 35 we as an
engineering and pilot team , we've
created capabilities that are now in
over 850 aircraft worldwide
and that number grows by one jet every
2.33 days because of the
pace that we can make these F- 35 .
It's very cool .
I would say that the first step is
actually paying attention in school . I
I was I was very fond of math and
engineering and science when I was in
grade school . Um and that developed
into an interest and a love for
aviation . So when I was young I was I
was I knew that I wanted to be a pilot
and I knew that I wanted to kind of
push the envelope and test my limits
and so I had my my goal set on becoming
a test pilot quite some time . Uh When
I when I finished high school I went to
the Air Force Academy and studied
engineering there . Um And I enjoyed
that very much and then I went to U . S .
Air Force pilot training down in texas ,
learned to fly the F . 16 1st and then
I got to marry two of my passions at
test pilot school , so mathematics
engineering and aviation . Uh And I did
that about 10 years ago and now I get
to do it every day ,
I'd have to say uh don't be afraid to
follow your passions . Uh If you really
invest your time and effort in making
those uh making those first steps and
then if you have the endurance and the
will to keep it up then you can reach
that goal . In the end it took me a
long time to make it here but I'm so
glad that I stuck with it because I
love my job every day .