F-35 training resumes at Eglin

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (WALA) - Since the Pentagon lifted an order which briefly grounded its fleet of F-35 fighter jets, training exercises are back to normal at Eglin Air Force Base, the hub of F-35 training. 

A seasoned F-16 pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Pelkington (“Trap” for short) is no stranger to the skies. 

But the Air Force wants Trap to train pilots on the F-35 Lightning II, so it’s back to the school house.

“The training program is definitely stepped up to make sure that you’re ready to go the first time out," Trap said.

It’s done in four steps, easing you in, with maintainers and pilots working together.

First up is a simple power point lecture explaining the aircraft’s complex software.

Next, students move through a virtual world accomplishing tasks.

There is life size mock ups, done in part at the F-35 academic training center.  It’s nearly the size of six football fields; Eglin says there’s nothing else like it in the world. 

Students work there before step four, getting your hands dirty on the flight line.

“The training that we have here, there’s nothing like it," said Technical Sergeant Johnathan Meyer.  "The virtual reality world that we first get into when you actually get to learn how to do it that way, and then you come into the life-size trainers, we didn’t really get that before.  Then you go out to the aircraft and actually do it on the aircraft, it gives you all the different scenarios that you’ll be able to learn from.”

Eglin said F-35’s simulators are state-of-the-art.  They’re not only efficient, but cost effective, since 50 per of the training syllabus is done in them.

That makes training independent of weather, maintenance and range availability which can hinder daily operations.

“The simulators here are absolutely phenomenal," Trap said.  "They offer unprecedented capability well beyond anything I experiences in the F-16.”

Friday was Trap’s second time out in the F-35.  He’s still getting to know the aircraft, before he moves on to more tactical missions.

For him, it’s just good to be back in the air following the Pentagon’s brief order grounding the F-35 fleet.

“When we’re flying, moral is definitely high," Trap said.  "We’ve had a couple bumps in the road where we’ve had to take a breather for a little bit, but we roll with it.  It didn’t affect me because I was in training and we just continued meeting our requirements for ground school.  But definitely everybody’s glad to be back flying again.  It allows us to continue our mission here, and do what we came here to do.”