July 17, 2018 388th Maintenance Group eying future time, cost savings with 3-D printing HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah, -- Inside a simple-looking building just off of Hill’s flight line, Airmen are tinkering with advanced technology to bring the future of cost-effective maintenance to America’s most advanced fighter aircraft. The 388th Maintenance Group’s Air Force Repair and Enhancement
April 12, 2018 F-35 completes most comprehensive flight test program in aviation history The F-35 Integrated Test Force, based at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, has completed more than 65,000 test points, 9,200 test flights, and six major test aircraft detachments on board L-class and Nimitz class carriers on both U.S. coasts.
Feb. 2, 2017 JSF pilot ensemble designed to keep out chemical, biological agents After several tests during the past six months to contaminate and decontaminate an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter with simulated chemical and biological agents, the 461st Flight Test Squadron has now moved forward to testing a suit ensemble designed to protect the pilot from those threats. “Over a
Jan. 19, 2017 Edwards test pilot first to reach 1,000 flight hours in Joint Strike Fighter Lockheed Martin test pilot David "Doc" Nelson became the first pilot to achieve 1,000 flight hours in the F-35 during a test sortie Jan. 6, 2017. He achieved the milestone during a 4.5-hour flight in AF-03, one of the 461st Flight Test Squadron’s Joint Strike Fighters used for developmental test
Jan. 13, 2017 Edwards AFB reduces cost for fire suppression test Members of the F-35 Integrated Test Force developed a new funnel system that captures the foam or water deluge during required hangar fire-suppression system tests, saving $79,750 and several days of delay, which can be critically important for test programs.
Dec. 7, 2016 Multiple F-35s take to the skies to test communication data links All three variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter are being used by the 461st Flight Test Squadron in recent multi-ship testing, which employs four or six jets to ensure communication systems between the planes are working properly and accurately. The F-35 contains state-of-the-art tactical data
Oct. 7, 2016 Fighter aircraft shelter from Hurricane Matthew Florida F-15s and South Carolina F-35s come to Eglin Air Force Base to shelter from Hurricane Matthew.
Aug. 19, 2016 F-35 prepared to undergo chemical, biological decontamination testing After years of preparation, the 461st Flight Test Squadron and Joint Strike Fighter Integrated Test Force are ready to test the F-35 Lightning II’s ability to be decontaminated from chemical and biological weapons exposure. Contractors, Airmen and Air Force civilians have been tirelessly working in