F-35B heading to the UK

Two F-35A aircraft are at Mcguire AFB in New Jersey. They depart tomorrow heading to Fairford.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Oh they are performing at the air show?? Now I am jealous. All we ever get at Macdill is the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds and performances by the propeller planes. The JSOC jump team can be entertaining as well, but I would really like to see the new birds perform at our show.

At least we get an annual international special forces demonstration downtown, thats fun to watch as well. It typically accompanies an industry expo there as well.

a reply to: AmericanRealist

The A models are supposed to do a heritage flight at RIAT, they said they're coming back after that, but the B models will do a full display, including a vertical landing, and in flight refueling from a KC-130J that went with them.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Are they doing this as a way to kind of demonstrate capabilities for potential contracts with our overseas allies? If so that would likely explain why they don't fly at shows at home. we own them, no need to market them to ourselves I guess. It'd be nice if they think of the fans of the show though.

a reply to: AmericanRealist

They couldn't fly shows until they reached IOC, which is a big reason the A model is only there for the heritage flight. At this point only the B model has, and they've been trying to deal with post IOC commitments and training, so they haven't been to many shows. But now they're trying to show others what they're capable of, so they're doing flyovers of the Queen Elizabeths in the shipyards, and other places, and performing at RIAT and Farnborough.

Three F-35A models landed at Fairford at approximately 8pm local time today, joining the three B models that arrived yesterday. They will depart heading back to the US on July 13th.

pretty sure mrs saw these in formation on friday 4pmish 1st july, Although strangley seemed to be flying pretty much due south traveling from dorchester over Weymouth in Dorset England. (is that possible? ) maybe a suprise visit for RNAS Yeovils show yesterday?
(any ATS'rs attend?)

or possibly a flypast over RN NAVY Shipping off coast as plenty of that off Dorset coast?

a reply to: urbanfox

They were planning a number of fly pasts leading up to RIAT. They were scheduled to do one past the Queen Elizabeth in the shipyard, but I'm not sure about the others.