F-35 completes 500th sortie
Flight operations for the F-35 began on Florida's Emerald Coast on 6 March with Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, USA marking the milestone 500th sortie last Friday.
There are currently 22 F-35s at Eglin as the fleet continues to grow, supporting the team as it trains instructor pilots and maintainers.
The team accomplished the 500 sorties in 238 days cutting the time between each milestone sortie:
- 100th sortie – 12 July - accomplished in 123 days
- 200th sortie – Aug. 24 - accomplished in 44 days
- 300th sortie – Sept. 21 - accomplished in 30 days