Eglin AFB (USA) prepares for arrival of F-35's

[Henk Voortwijs]

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet will fly its first official missions
from Eglin AFB, FL, this fall, but the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force
students that will be learning to fly the aircraft are already preparing for
their mission.
The students were some of the first to be measured yesterday for their
customized flight suits.
Billed as the world's premier strike aircraft through 2040, the F-35
Lightning II is the first of its kind. The single seat, single engine,
multi-role fighter can perform close air support, tactical bombing and air
defense missions.
Mike Sanders is with the deputy commander's office of the 33rd Operations
Squadron and says he is thrilled with the addition. "This aircraft, and the
capability that it brings to our nation and our international partners,
it's leaps and bounds" Sanders said.
And Eglin AFB is gearing up for its arrival. Major Tyler Bardo will be one
of the first F-35 instructors at Eglin AFB. "Today I think all of us were
pretty excited to see the gear we are going to be flying with and get the
chance to try it on” Bardo says.
Lee Kloos, with the 58th Fighter Squadron, agrees. "This gets us one step
closer, as we get fit for the new equipment. Understanding how it fits, how
it’s going to help us as we're flying and operating a mission," said Kloos
of the upcoming fighter jet.
The flight equipment is more tailored than the traditional legacy suits.
In fact, it's the most advanced it has ever been. The F-35 flight suits are
individually and specifically customized for the pilot to endure extreme
conditions, giving them the capability to withstand emergency situations. "If
for some reason we have to get out and we eject, we've got everything we
need to survive; whether we go down in the water or on land," Sanders said
of the flight risks.
To give you some idea of that danger, ejections range around 600 nautical
units depending on the altitude. That roughly equates to about 750 miles an
hour. It makes the flight equipment and protective gear critically
important. "Having that gear fit you perfectly and having all that protective
equipment is really what you need to survive that type of shock," says Bardo of
the ejection severity.
And with the flight suits in house, and the F-35s right around the corner,
Eglin AFB is well on their way to taking their operations to new heights.
The new F-35s were designed to replace the F-16, A-10, F/A-18, and the
AV-8B fighter jets.

Credits: Al Stern of MilRadioComms Group