Flight Path to 3,000: Shaping the Future of Air Dominance

In June, the 3,000th F-35 pilot graduated through the F-35 training system, marking another milestone in the growth of the F-35 global enterprise.

Let's see how we got here:

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• 2012: The first F-35 schoolhouse, also known as the F-35 Integrated Training Center, opened at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. This marked the beginning of formal F-35 pilot training, and it has since become a key location for training F-35 pilots from the US and international partner nations.
  
  
• 2014: The F-35 schoolhouse at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona opened and began training the first F-35 pilot later that year. The first F-35A arrived at the base in 2014 and the first international pilot from the Royal Norwegian Air Force began training in 2015.
  
  
• 2014: The F-35B pilot training facility opened at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina, shortly before the United States Marine Corps declared Initial Operational Capability for their F-35s.
  
  
• 2020: The 1,000th F-35 pilot, Capt. Craig “Chuckles” Turner, graduated at Luke Air Force Base just as the 9,000th F-35 maintainer did at Eglin Air Force Base.
  
  
• 2023: The 2,000th F-35 pilot, Maj. Chris “Blade” Jeffers, graduated through the training system at Luke Air Force Base just after the 15,000th F-35 maintainer.
  
  
• 2024: F-35 Foreign Military Sales customers began training at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas.

• 2025: The 3,000th F-35 pilot, LT Austin “Brawndo” Haynie, completed training at Naval Air Station Lemoore to fly the F-35C.

In June, LT Austin “Brawndo” Haynie graduated the F-35 training program at NAS Lemoore, making him the 3,000th F-35 pilot to do so.

While qualifying pilots to fly the fifth-gen aircraft is a top priority, the F-35 training supports the process of plan, prepare, execute and assess in mission rehearsal to ensure readiness in any scenario.

“Pilots are not only learning to fly their aircraft. They are learning how to win in the future battlespace and come home safely after every mission,” shared Ken Garrett, F-35 training sustainment director. “I am proud of the F-35 training team for their unwavering commitment to developing ready-now pilots and keeping pace with the growing F-35 enterprise.”

The F-35 training team has supported the graduation of over 3,000 pilots and 18,510 maintainers through the training and is operating from 32 customer training bases. As more customers join the program, the team will continue driving global readiness and advancing the capabilities of our customers around the world.