In a significant milestone for the F-35 training programme, the 2,000th pilot has graduated through the system.
The F-35 Full Mission Simulator, a cutting-edge trainer, plays a crucial role in preparing pilots for their first flights, equipping them with the necessary skills to handle the advanced capabilities of the F-35 aircraft.
With an average of 192 hours of training required before taking to the skies, becoming an F-35 pilot is an arduous process. Nearly half of this training time is spent in the simulator, which utilises high-fidelity simulation to provide a seamless transition from trainer to jet. The simulator incorporates the same software as the F-35 aircraft, complete with full weapons and sensor simulation, enabling pilots to train for a wide range of air-to-air, air-to-ground, and electronic warfare missions.
Maj. Chris “Blade” Jeffers achieved the distinction of being the 2,000th pilot to graduate from the F-35 training program. Completing his training at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, Maj. Jeffers is set to join the United States Air Force, where he will operate the F-35A.
“The most rewarding part of training is just seeing what I can do now in the F-35 compared to the F-16. The situational awareness and capabilities that the F-35 offers would take multiple F-16s.” – Maj. Chris Jeffers
Upon completing the F-35 training program, pilots return to the simulator for additional training and mission preparation as required. By utilizing simulations, the program effectively reduces costs and minimizes wear and tear on the jets. This approach enables fleets to remain mission-ready while allowing pilots to maintain their skills at optimal levels.
‘Blade’ Jeffers! Do you get to pick your own Callsign in the US forces?
Air Force, sometimes. Navy – No!
Great but how is our U.K. jet training pipeline? Still recovering from SDR 2010?
“ With an average of 192 hours of training required”
I’m surprised it is as little type specific training as that TBH.
Morning SB, Think that probably shows how realistic the synthetic training sims are, also I think this is an average school/sim to solo in a physical airframe, I was told by an RAF QFI (Typhoons) it was about 200hrs ground work before his mate got his hands on a real F35B, then at least another 25hrs to prove his sim skills in the real thing.
Edit for terrible spelling and missing words
Some additional figures from the F35 project. In addition to the number of trained pilots. Over 14,015 engineers have been trained. 651,001 flight hours amassed. 386,613 sorties flown. 401 overseas operational deployments and detachments. 27 global operating bases from a current planned number of 43. 12 warships are now F35 capable. This will increase to 19. 19 warships capable of deploying 5th gen stealth strike fighters in numbers. Russia and China have zero. That’s enough keep the Chinese awake at night. 17 nations are now involved in F35, with a few more waiting in the wings to sign up. The… Read more »
Relatively recently, believe an issue remained w/ development of software simulation environment for F-35 FMS, to the extent that testing and final acceptance had been delayed. This, in turn, delayed the decision to authorize full rate aircraft production. Has this issue been resolved, at least to the level that victory has been declared, w/ floggings meted out to the poor bastards actually assigned to perform miracles, while praise and promotions are awarded to the non-participants? 🤔😳 (As has been noted here previously, some have elevated the timing of periods of association w/ major programmes to an artform.) 😁
I don’t think anything keeps the PRC up at night. They brought the world to its knees with a lab virus and felt no recourse. As long as a MIRV isn’t splitting city blocks over Shanghai, they really don’t care if they lose 1 million men or a hundred ships. Just like the USSR, It’s all expendable.
More engineers next, I wonder what the cost of the upgrade will be? F-35 Engine Running Too Hot Due To ‘Under-Speccing,’ Upgrade Now Vital (Updated) “We compared these engines [options for the F-35], the AETP engine, the current engine, [and] modernization of the current engine,” Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt, the current head of the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), explained. He said his office also had done work on “identifying a significant power and thermal management system requirement, and we evaluated numerous options of power and thermal management systems to get us to various levels of cooling and… Read more »
Worth reading in full.
Norway Has the World’s Only Fully Fifth Generation Fighter Fleet: Engineer Shortage Threatens to Ground High Maintenance F-35s
“Although the new aircraft provide significant performance advantages over their predecessors, including stealth capabilities, far more advanced sensors and avionics and access to a new generation of armaments, the F-35’s maintenance requirements have been notoriously high – with its operational costs far exceeding estimates when the program was initiated which has repeatedly brought its suitability to fully replace F-16 fleets into question.”
LINK
What Mickey Mouse website is this? When it accused the United States and Norway of destroying the Nord Stream pipeline in June 2022. The rest of the article also reads like a child’s rant. Poor choice.
😂NEWS FROM THE FLIGHTDECK 😂
Just in:
I’ve run out of excuses again, so I’ll just have to use the old ones!
https://worldwarwings.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/F-35Explosion-735×413.jpg
I presume our aircrew trained at this Centre in the early days but now our own OCU converts aircrew to type?