The F-35 Lightning II operating in 12 different bases in the world have exceeded this month the 50.000 flight hours threshold. The first hour of flight was carried out with an F-35B, the BF-1 aircraft, the 1 June 2008.
The goal of the 25.000 hours was reached in December 2014, six years and six months later. And, to indicate the level of development and maturity of the program, the subsequent block of 25.000 hours was reached only a year and two months later.
"The F-35 program continues to grow and is gaining momentum. We have completed other flight tests and increased deliveries for the United States and partner countries " commented Lieutenant General Chris Bogdan, F-35 Program Executive Officer. "The next 50.000 hours will be reached much faster because in the next three years the global F-35 fleet will double."
The flight hours are divided into two main categories: operational flight hours, carried out by 155 aircraft delivered to six different countries, and hours of flight of the development and demonstration phase (SDD - System Development and Demonstration) carried out by the 18 aircraft assigned to the Integrated Test Forces of Edwards Air Force Base and Naval Air Station of Pax River. The 50.000 hours achieved include 37.950 hours flown by operational jets and 12.050 flown by the development and demonstration fleet. More than a third of the flight hours were carried out during the 2015.
Distinguishing between the three models, the F-35A flew 26.000 hours, the F-35B 18.000 and the F-35C 6.000. The F-35 are operating in 8 different bases: the Edwards Air Force Base in California, Eglin in Florida, Hill AFB in Utah, Luke AFB in Arizona, the Marine Corps Air Stations in Beaufort in South Carolina, Yuma in Arizona, the Naval Air Station of Patuxent River in Maryland; and the Nellis AFB in Nevada. The flights were also performed at two F-35 bases at Cherry Point's Marine Corps Air Station in North Carolina and at the Air Force Base's Ogden Air Logistics Complex in Utah. Other flight hours were carried out at the Cameri production facilities in Italy and at Fort Worth in Texas.
To date, there are more than 250 pilots and 2.400 maintenance workers trained in six different countries. More than 110 aircraft are currently in production at the two production plants. Three different F-35 models will replace the US Air Force A / OA-10 Thunderbolt II and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, the US Marine Corps F / A-18 Hornet aircraft, and the F / A-18 and AV aircraft -8B Harrier of the Marines, and a series of fighters used in at least ten European nations. After the declaration of combat-ready Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for the Marine Corps, the Air Force and the US Navy expect to reach this milestone in 2016 and 2018, respectively.
The program has exceeded the threshold of 50.000 flight hours in February. The 155 F-35 operating in Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States fly with the F-35 together to achieve this goal. The test pilot Bill "Gigs" Gigliotti piloted the F-35 in the first flight outside the United States the 7 Settembre 2015 at Cameri's FACO (Final Assembly and Check Out).
(Photo: Lockheed Martin)
