First F-35C Flight With External Weapons
27 June 2012: The F-35C carrier variant flew for the first time with external weapons with US Navy test pilot Lt. Christopher Tabert at the controls. F-35C CF-1 flew with inert AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles on port and starboard pylons to measure flying qualities and aircraft vibrations. The mission was conducted from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, and lasted 2.2 hours. It marked CF-1 Flight 142.
Photo by Andy Wolfe
Pax Adds Another Pilot
29 June 2012: US Marine Corps Maj. Jon Ohman qualified as the most recent F-35 pilot at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. The 1.8-hour check flight marked F-35C CF-2 Flight 115.
Photo by Michael Jackson
Most Test Points Completed In One Month
30 June 2012: The Integrated Test Force closed out June with a new program record for the most test points accomplished in one month. The F-35 test fleet was airborne 114 times and completed 1,118 test points.
Photo by Darin Russell
