News>Maintainers prepare for F-35A training on F-35B and F-35C
Photos
Master Sgt. Timothy Weaver (rear) and Tech. Sgt. Lucas Delk work with Pedro Vera inside the internal weapons bay of an F-35C Lightning II at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. The two NCOs are crew chiefs from the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Mr. Vera is a Lockheed Martin Airframe Powerplant Group technician. (Courtesy photo)
Airmen from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., who will be maintaining the F-35 Lightning II, shown here during a media day at Edwards AFB, Calif., traveled to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., for hands on experience with the new joint strike fighter. (Air Force photo/Stephen K. Robinson)
by Andrea Watters
Naval Air Systems Command Communications
5/27/2011 - NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. (AFNS) -- Air Force maintainers are getting hands-on experience with the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter here.
Seven Airmen from the 33rd Fighter Wing arrived here recently to spend 75 days gaining firsthand experience maintaining the F-35B and F-35C variants, while those aircraft continue flight test and evaluation.
Lockheed Martin is scheduled to deliver the F-35A to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, later this year.
"It is beneficial working around the F-35B and F35-C variants," said Master Sgt. Timothy Weaver, a crew chief assigned to the 33rd Fighter Wing. "With this being a joint program, we learn a lot about how each branch handles maintenance. We are learning how the Marines operate, how the Navy operates, and sharing how we operate."
The F-35C is distinct from the F-35A variant with its larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for greater control in the carrier-takeoff-and-landing environment.
However, the three variants are similar enough that the visiting maintainers will benefit from performing basic maintenance, such as refueling, launch and recovery, and tire changing -- all functions the Navy considers day-to-day maintenance, Sergeant Weaver said.
"The C and A variants have a lot of the same systems, but some of the parts are in different locations," Sergeant Weaver said.
The Eglin AFB maintainers volunteered for this assignment, and Sergeant Weaver said his team looks for any opportunity to get their hands dirty, and when they can't, they are watching and gaining knowledge.
