Bergman Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I know I am cynical, but 15 years? Really? Wasn't the U-2 designed in 120 days or something? The mighty KC-135 went from proposal to test flight in 2 years. Our acquisition process is jacked up. Glad to see they're keeping at least one good-location base open for business at least. /30/2011 - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- Air Force officials said the unveiling of the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter was a "historic occasion" during a rollout ceremony here Aug. 26. The F-35A, on display during the ceremony, was delivered here in July by Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the Air Force's first F-35 pilot. "This is indeed a new era," said Gen. Edward A. Rice Jr., the Air Education and Training Command commander and host of the milestone event. The aircraft was developed in a span of only 15 years, one-eighth of the 118 total years powered flight has existed, he said. The F-35 brings advanced technological capabilities for the future and the nation's defense -- something the general explained was clearly unimaginable when Orville and Wilbur Wright performed their maiden flight Dec.17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, N.C. "While this celebration is taking place in the Air Force hangar with the Air Force variant of the F-35, this is really a story about the fully integrated team of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, industry and community partners who have been working years to make this day possible," said Col. Andrew Toth, the 33rd Fighter Wing commander. "In fact, Marine Col. Art Tomassetti, my vice, (today's master of ceremonies), and test pilot, has been with this program for more than a decade. So, some of us have been waiting a long time to see this day." During the past two years, the integrated and multi-service team "Nomads" transformed their corner of Eglin AFB into the Department of Defense's F-35 Integrated Training Center. The center includes a university setting in which maintainers are expected to live, work and train alongside pilots in operating the fifth-generation stealth fighter. More than 400 guests watched the JSF unveiling inside a newly constructed Air Force hangar, a place where a future generation of F-35 maintainers, pilots and leaders will learn their craft. "Eventually about 2,200 maintainers and 100 pilots a year will pass through our schoolhouse doors," Toth said. "In 2014, the program should mature enough to have the Air Force send students fresh from basic training." Delivery and success of the new program required the Air Force overcome a great number of challenges. It will continue to do so until the F-35 capabilities reach their full potential for the interest of national security, Rice said. "But with all the wonders of technology and the amazing physical performance of the F-35, let me say that none of this happens without magnificent people," he said. Wing leadership said they're already reaping the benefits of multi-service collaboration in co-located facilities. "What this aircraft behind me is a visual representation of our exciting future," Toth said. "The 33rd Pursuit Group of the past is nothing like the 33rd FW of today, except in the longstanding spirit of air power. With the F-35 program, we foresee air dominance for our services and partner nations for the next 30 to 50 years."d the JSF unveiling inside a newly constructed Air Force hangar, a place where a future generation of F-35 maintainers, pilots and leaders will learn their craft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 The F-35A, on display during the ceremony, was delivered here in July by Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the Air Force's first F-35 pilot. Emmit was a Lt in my flight at Eielson. I asked him what goals he wanted me to help him meet when he first showed up. He told me he wanted help to go to TPS. I said I would help him go to FWIC instead and he could decide later if he still wanted to go to TPS. I told him TPS could be really lame since those guys rarely get to do any cool flying and once he finished at Nellis he would never look back. Sent him to Nellis, he kicked ass and eventually came back to Nellis as an IP. He ignored my advice "Emmit, listen to me, you're gonna get stuck at Wright Pat eating boogers for the rest of your career...don't do it." and had just finished TPS when I retired. Now he's a LtCol and the first F-35 pilot. So much for my shitty advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pawnman Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Gotta love the useless comparisons..."an eighth of the time that powered flight has existed". Things that took less time than the F-35: The Beatles entire career as a band. The Apollo program from Kennedy's speech to Neil Armstrong. The combined timelines of WWI and WWII. Both Mars rovers were proposed, approved, developed, launched, and have been on Mars for over 3 years. The entire construction, from proposal to completion, of: The Golden Gate Bridge, the World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, the Suez Canal, and the Channel Tunnel. The Manhattan Project. Alexander the Great's conquest of Persia. Caesar's conquest of Gaul. The Wright brothers' first airplane, from conception to Kittyhawk. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrainerModel Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Don't forget this plane is not mission ready either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USAFflyer2be Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Just curious, which patch does he wear on his left shoulder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
di1630 Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Don't forget this plane is not mission ready either. Not only "NOT MISSION READY" but still in early developmental testing. I spoke to a guy in the program and he said the jet is still doing unexpected stuff in flight. They are doing OT in conjunction with DT well before normal time because the program is so far behind. The Eglin jets can pretty much only fly instrument patterns. We need to rush this program though because we really need this jet...now. What a typical USAF Cluster foook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Just curious, which patch does he wear on his left shoulder? He knows better than to fuck that up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKinnear Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 How long before PA 'shops out the tab patch? Over/under: 2 weeks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disregard Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 The aircraft was developed in a span of only 15 years, one-eighth of the 118 total years powered flight has existed, he said. The F-35 brings advanced technological capabilities for the future and the nation's defense -- something the general explained was clearly unimaginable when Orville and Wilbur Wright performed their maiden flight Dec.17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, N.C. 2011-1903=108 years since Kitty Hawk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breckey Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Or the blue shirt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theSituation Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Or the blue shirt Beat me to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 used to be a picture of a Capt with a star and a patch. Now guys are promoted so fast they're O-5s w/o command wings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoAround Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 used to be a picture of a Capt with a star and a patch. Now guys are promoted so fast they're O-5s w/o command wings. Or he/she did something else before pilot training (nav, mx, shoe, etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Champ Kind Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Or he/she did something else before pilot training (nav, mx, shoe, etc). Not with a patch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daynightindicator Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Not with a patch. There are (a few) late-to-rate patch wearers. I know several. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetfreezer Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Not with a patch. Intel patch... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Or he/she did something else before pilot training (nav, mx, shoe, etc). Nope. They get promoted too fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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