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Burner Friday: VFA-101 F-35C Lightning II

December 18, 2015 Burner Friday: VFA-101 F-35C Lightning II
Scott Wolff No Comments Photos

It’s that time again, FighterSweep Fans! Welcome back to our weekly homage to all things afterburner. It still is our favorite day of the week, as we get to set our gaze upon glorious Mach diamonds and soak up the world-shaking crescendo as only the Sound of Freedom can provide! This week, our thanks go out to the “Grim Reapers” of VFA-101.

This week’s offering is brought to you by Scott Dworkin, and features the badassery of the most powerful single-engine fighter aircraft ever designed, the Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lighting II. This particular jet is a C-Model, the carrier variant under development for the U.S. Navy. This particular aircraft is assigned to VFA-101–the unit designated as the Navy’s Fleet Replacement Squadron for the F-35.

As we mentioned a while back, VFA-101 made a trip out to NAS Fallon, Nevada, to spend time at the U.S. Navy’s Strike and Air Warfare Center. It was the first time the F-35 integrated with the instructor cadre at Top Gun, and proved to be a very valuable training evolution for both sides.

Without getting into too much detail, suffice it to say the F-35C performed beautifully when flying with the Hornets and Super Hornets at Fallon. The sensors worked beautifully, as did the jet’s other design features. While the Grim Reapers have a ways to go until they hit their stride, the unit is well on its way. So enjoy this little bit of Lightning Love as you make your way into what will hopefully be a spectacular weekend!

About the Author

Scott Wolff is an accomplished writer and renowned aviation photojournalist. He has held the position of Managing Editor for a print flying lifestyle magazine, and is the Host and Editor for FighterSweep. Scott's area of expertise is military flight operations, drawing on ten years of experience working extensively with all branches of the armed forces. He holds an FAA pilot certificate, the culmination of a life-long passion for flying airplanes. Scott has received military altitude chamber training, emergency egress training, and has logged time in a variety of civilian and military aircraft. He is also a member of the International Society of Aviation Photographers and Nikon Professional Services.

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