First Lt. Catherine Stark To Begin Up To 12 Months Of Training For The 'Charlie' Variant

The USMC Corps has selected its first female candidate for F-35C training.

The woman selected for F-35C training is 1st Lt. Catherine Stark. She completed flight school and was awarded her wings on August 2 at Naval Air Station Kingsville, TX. Lt. Stark is set to begin nine to 12 months of F-35C training at the Navy’s F-35C Fleet Replacement Squadron in Lemoore, CA.

Stark told GoErie.com in a recent telephone interview that the Marine Corps only recently began picking pilots right out of flight school for training in the F-35. "Up until now, they were only taking F-18 pilots that were already out in the fleet, someone with a lot of experience.

"I've been blessed to get picked up for the F-35 Charlie," she said. "I don't want to downplay it, but I don't think it's that big of a deal."

The first woman to fly an F-35 was then-ir-Force-Lt. Col Christine Mau, who flew the airplane in 2015. In 2018, Air Force Maj. Rachel Winiecki was tapped as the first woman test pilot to fly an F-35, according to the Air Force Times.

(US Navy Image)

FMI: Source report