The first F-35A Lightning II for the Royal Australian Air Force has made its first flight.
The aircraft, designated AU-1 by manufacturer Lockheed Martin and A35-001 by the RAAF, took off from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, adjacent to Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth production facilities, at approximately 14:45 local time on September 29.
Lockheed Martin chief test pilot Al Norman was at the controls for the flight – callsign Lightning 31, with the jet successfully landing back at JRB Fort Worth at 16:30.
