Air Force Maintainers Learning On Navy, Marine Corps
Models
U.S. Air Force maintainers are getting hands-on experience with
the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter at Naval Air Station
Patuxent River in Maryland. Seven airmen from the Air Force's 33rd
Fighter Wing are at Naval Air Station Patuxent River for 75 days to
gain first-hand experience maintaining the F-35B and F-35C
variants, while those aircraft continue flight test and evaluation.
They are the second group from the Wing to visit the F-35 test
facility at Pax River. The crew arrived April 19 and another group
is expected to follow this summer.
Lockheed Martin is scheduled to deliver the F-35A aircraft AF-8
to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and the first joint training
squadron later this year. "It is beneficial working around the
F-35B and F35-C variants," said Master Sgt. Timothy Weaver, crew
chief, and member of 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 demanding carrier take-off and landing environment. However,
the three variants are similar enough that maintainers benefit from
performing basic maintenance, such as refueling, launch and
recovery and tire changing, all functions the Navy considers
day-to-day maintenance, Weaver said.
"The C and A variants have a lot of the same systems, but some
of the parts are in different locations," said Weaver. He serves as
the lead Air Force maintainer and production supervisor over the
day-to-day activities on a flight line. He was also instrumental in
the stand-up of the training wing at Eglin.
F-35C
Eager to know what to expect before AF-8 arrives at Eglin, the
maintainers volunteered for the assignment. Tech. Sgt. Miguel
Aguirre, armament specialist and a quality assurance specialist, is
participating to gain knowledge of how the Lockheed Martin team
performs maintenance. He will be responsible for overseeing the
contractor-performed maintenance for AF-8 at Eglin. While there are
no weapons being tested yet, Aguirre is the only armament
specialist in the Air Force to work directly on the F-35. "We are
the eyes and ears for the group," said Aguirre. And from what he
has seen so far, "from a maintenance perspective, the JSF is
user-friendly."
"Procedures require that we start small," said Tech. Sgt. Lucas
Delk, crew chief, who performs similar duties to the Navy's plane
captain rate. "It is real exciting to see the F-35, and get
hands-on experience." Delk noted minor differences between the Air
Force and Navy's carrier variants, but said "the meat and the
potatoes are the same."
The AF-8 test asset is currently in Fort Worth, Texas,
undergoing airworthiness testing prior to transfer to Eglin. The
F-35A conventional take-off and landing model is undergoing testing
at Edwards Air Force Base, CA.
F-35B
The 33rd is the Defense Department's first joint graduate flying
and maintenance training wing for the three F-35 variants organized
under Air Education and Training Command's 19th Air Force. It is an
associate unit at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. Its mission is to train
Air Force, Marine, Navy and international partner operators and
maintainers of the F-35.