The Future of Fighter Airplanes

The F-35 strike fighter is receiving positive reviews from one airman who has already trained in it for five months. The F-35 is “really an easy airplane to fly,” said Lt. Col. Lee Kloos, commander of the 58th Fighter Squadron at Eglin AFB, Fla., in a Sept. 11 release. He added, “It’s very stable and well balanced and it feels very light on its feet compared to how it appears.” Kloos is an experienced fighter pilot, coming to the F-35 with more than 2,100 hours flying F-16s. “The F-35 is here, it’s real, and for the Air Force, this jet is our future,” he said. “It will continue to provide air dominance for America and our allies, and most importantly, over our troops no matter where they are in the world,” he added, noting the aircraft’s enhanced survivability and lethality compared to the fighters that it will replace, like the F-16. The 58th FS, a part of Eglin’s F-35 schoolhouse, is the Pentagon’s first F-35A training unit. (Eglin report by SrA. Christina Brownlow)