Going VERTICAL
By Dana Schenck

Employees across the company gathered together to watch as Graham Tomlinson, F-35 Lead STOVL pilot, conducted the first vertical landing of the F-35B Lightning II.

The March 18, 2010, event at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., was live-streamed to all Aeronautics locations and to the Navy customer. This flight confirmed the F-35B's ability to operate from an austere area at sea or on shore – a unique capability for a supersonic, stealth fighter.

NAS PAX River is the primary test site for the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variant with more than 200 Lockheed Martin employees now supporting flight operations. Three F-35s are undergoing flight trials at the base with BF-4 scheduled to join the fleet in the summer of 2010.

AF-1 and AF-2 arrive together at Edwards AFB

Two F-35As made history on May 17, 2010, with the first multi-ship ferry flight to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The jets’ arrival at Edwards marks further expansion of test flight operations.

U.S. Air Force Test Pilot Lt. Col. Hank "Hog" Griffiths and Lockheed Martin Chief Test Pilot Jon Beesley flew the jets on the nonstop, long-range flight.

During the jets' deployment to Edwards, the F-35s will undergo ground- and flight-test activities for propulsion, aerial refueling, logistical support, weapons integration and flight-envelope expansion. "The ferry flight went very smoothly and reflects how the Air Force and Lockheed Martin will work cooperatively as we enter long-term F-35 testing at Edwards," Beesley stated.

Photo by Andy Wolfe The supersonic Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter landed vertically for the first time on March 18, 2010, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.		Photo by David Drais Two F-35A Lighting II aircraft fly together on a non-stop, long range ferry flight to Edwards AFB, Calif.

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