News>Marine squadron's F-16 flights "a milestone" toward JSF
Photos
Marine Lt. Col. James Wellons checks his oxygen mask March 18, 2011, prior to an F-16 Fighting Falcon training flight at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Pilots from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 will be flying the new F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter and are training at Eglin AFB. They are flying F-16 sorties to familiarize themselves with an aircraft similar to the F-35 as well as introduce them to airspace and flightline operations. Colonel Wellons is the VMFAT-501 commander. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Marine Lt. Col. James Wellons inspects his F-16 Fighting Falcon March 18, 2011, prior to a training sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Pilots from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 will be flying the new F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter and are training at Eglin AFB. They are flying F-16 sorties to familiarize themselves with an aircraft similar to the F-35 as well as introduce them to airspace and flightline operations. Colonel Wellons is the VMFAT-501 commander. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Marine Lt. Col. James Wellons reviews the F-16 Fighting Falcon maintenance log book March 18, 2011, before flying a training sortie from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Pilots from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 will be flying the new F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter and are training at Eglin AFB. They are flying F-16 sorties to familiarize themselves with an aircraft similar to the F-35 as well as introduce them to airspace and flightline operations. Colonel Wellons is the VMFAT-501 commander. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Marine Lt. Col. James Wellons inspects his F-16 Fighting Falcon March 18, 2011, prior to flying a training sortie from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Pilots from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 will be flying the new F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter and are training at Eglin AFB. They are flying F-16 sorties to familiarize themselves with an aircraft similar to the F-35 as well as introduce them to airspace and flightline operations. Colonel Wellons is the VMFAT-501 commander. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Marine Lt. Col. James Wellons begins to taxi his F-16 Fighting Falcon March 18, 2011, as Airman 1st Class Andrew Merriman guides him out of the hangar at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Pilots from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 will be flying the new F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter and are training at Eglin AFB. They are flying F-16 sorties to familiarize themselves with an aircraft similar to the F-35 as well as introduce them to airspace and flightline operations. Colonel Wellons is the VMFAT-501 commander. Airman Merriman is a crew chief with the 56th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Marine Capt. Mark Noble taxis his F-16 Fighting Falcon on the flightline at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., after flying a training sortie March 18, 2011. Pilots from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 will be flying the new F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter and are training at Eglin AFB. They are flying F-16 sorties to familiarize themselves with an aircraft similar to the F-35 as well as introduce them to airspace and flightline operations. Captain Noble is with VMFAT-501. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Marine Capt. Mark Noble discusses his just-completed training flight in an F-16 Fighting Falcon March 18, 2011, with an instructor pilot from the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Pilots from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 will be flying the new F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter and are training at Eglin AFB. They are flying F-16 sorties to familiarize themselves with an aircraft similar to the F-35 as well as introduce them to airspace and flightline operations. Captain Noble is with VMFAT-501. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
by Samuel King Jr.
96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
3/21/2011 - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- Marine aviators of Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 completed four sorties this week in F-16 Fighting Falcons, beginning a familiarization process to ensure readiness and efficiency in the transition to the Department of Defense's fifth-generation fighter, the F-35B Lightning II.
"It's a tremendous opportunity to fly (these sorties)," said Lt. Col. James Wellons, the VMFAT-501 commander. "This is the first time a VMFAT-501 pilot has flown here at our new home."
Officials elected to bring the F-16 Fighting Falcon from Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., to the 33rd Fighter Wing here, because of its similarity to its descendant, the F-35. Its flying characteristics are similar to the F-35, so the training and mindset pilots will have in a single-engine fighter transitions from the F-16 into the F-35.
The Marines, who'd only flown in Marine and Naval fighters, they discovered vast similarities to the Air Force F-16 and their AV-8B Harriers, F/A-18 Hornets and EA-6B Prowlers.
"In many ways there was no difference," Colonel Wellons said. "It was very similar to how it feels to fly any tactical aircraft."
The differences they did notice were the Air Force language and methods used to communicate about and inside the aircraft. For example, Marine aviators use hand gestures to communicate aircraft movement, while Air Force aircrews may tip or tilt the wings of the aircraft to indicate a procedure.
This familiarization is doubly beneficial to the Marines, not just to understand an aircraft style similar to the F-35, but to also experience Eglin's runway and flightline operations, maintenance procedures and airspace.
"This training allows us to eliminate the added variables of learning all new flight operations with a completely unfamiliar aircraft all at the same time," said Capt. Mark Noble, the aviator safety officer for VMFAT-501. "If we already understand flightline procedures and guidelines and know what to expect from a similar aircraft, we can focus primarily on F-35B training."
Looking back on their first flight in months, both Marines admitted to a bit of aviator "rust," but were glad to be back in the seat and flying.
"This is a major milestone for VMFAT-501," Colonel Wellons said. "Every time a Marine flies an aircraft here, it's one step closer to putting F-35s in the air."
The Marine variant of joint strike fighter, the F-35B, contains a short take-off and vertical landing engine. The STOVL variant will replace the Marine Corps inventory of F/A-18s and AV-8s. The Italian air force is the only international partner scheduled to fly the STOVL variant. The F-35B will be the world's first operational supersonic STOVL aircraft.
Comments
3/24/2011 4:27:39 PM ET We should have purchased the FA-18 not the F-18 I don't know what that is except oh wait it lost the competition as the YF-17 to the YF-16. Nice try Arctic Warrior.
Desert Warrior, Phoenix AZ
3/24/2011 2:43:35 PM ET There are very few if any areas other than a slight advantage in maneuverability where the Lawn dart has the edge on the Hornet. That advantage is gone as soon as you load anything on the F-16. Maintenance and durability definitely favor the FA-18. Just look at the historical loss rates especially F-16s due to engine related issues. We used to lose a squadron a year - 18 aircraft. Fortunately that has improved partly due to fewer F-16s in the inventory, partly improvements and partly procedural changes. Unfortunately the F-35 isn't much more than an updated more complicated more expensive F-16. Expect the learning curve to be steep and expensive.
Kent Johnson, Idaho
3/24/2011 1:57:54 PM ET That would have been the YF-17.
Pepe', Keesler
3/24/2011 10:33:52 AM ET F-16 out performs the F-18 is most aspects, especially when it comes to costs and fixing it. The F-16 may have one engine but I'm not sure if you have ever seen or heard a GE engine in one of those bad boys.
CJ, North Carolina
3/22/2011 3:04:59 PM ET The AF should have purchased the F-18 instead of the F-16.
