Marine flies F-35 for first time

FORT WORTH, Texas - An F-35 Joint Strike Fighter took off Thursday for the first time with a Marine at the controls. Maj. Joseph Bachmann, a test pilot, flew an F-35A for an hour and 20 minutes at a Lockheed Martin facility. According to Bachman, the flight “was badass.” The F-35 he flew is not the vertical landing version the Marines will use. Bachmann will be a government test pilot with the Harrier-type version. (Source: Wired, 03/19/09) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., will be home of the Joint Strike Fighter Training Center.