An F-35A Lightning II, assigned to the 61st Fighter Squadron, flies during a sortie Oct. 28, 2019, at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. The flight is the 35,000th F-35 sortie flown at Luke AFB since F-35 flight operations began in 2014. The F-35A is a fifth generation, multi-role fighter jet that can reach speeds up to Mach 1.6.
An F-35A Lightning II, assigned to the 61st Fighter Squadron, takes off during a sortie Oct. 28, 2019, at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. This sortie, flown by six F-35s, is celebrated as the 35,000th F-35 sortie flown at Luke AFB since its arrival in 2014. The F-35A has a wingspan of 35 feet and a length of 51 feet, and its engine produces more than 43,000 pounds of thrust.
An F-35A Lightning II, assigned to the 61st Fighter Squadron, flies over the base during a sortie Oct. 28, 2019, at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. Airmen at Luke AFB train 75 percent of the world’s F-35 pilots, certifying approximately 105 pilots annually.