Wednesday, September 19, 2012

A first: F-35, F-22 share sky

F-35 and F-22. U.S. Air Force photo
Two of the most lethal combat aircraft in the world, the F-35 Lightning and F-22 Raptor, flew together for the first time Wednesday in a 90-minute sortie over Northwest Florida. One took off from Eglin Air Force Base near Fort Walton Beach, the other from Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City. The two planes, tailed by an F-16, flew within 35 feet of one another. Eglin has 19 F-35s of 59 it will eventually get. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 09/19/12) Northwest Florida is where pilots for both fifth-generation jets train. Eglin is home of the F-35 training center and Tyndall is where pilots learn to fly the F-22.