F-35B test pilots start preparing for ship trials....

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – With flight envelope
expansion for ship trials completed, four F-35B test pilots started expeditionary airfield (EAF)
building up to field carrier landing practice (FCLP) Sept. 14.
EAF and FCLP testing is part of the pilot
certification process for landing aircraft on an
amphibious deck, to ensure pilots are
adequately prepared for the inherent danger in
operating aircraft in a maritime environment.
Four test pilots are scheduled to participate in
initial ship trials, all with significant short takeoff and vertical landing experience in the F-
35B.
“The initial ship trials will demonstrate our
ability to operate the F-35B as the Corps needs
it – in the expeditionary environment,” said
Marine Corps Col. Roger Cordell, military site
director for F-35 testing at Naval Air Station
Patuxent River. “We’re excited about the potential that the F-35B has shown to operate in the
demanding environment at sea.”
The first ship trial on board USS Wasp (LHD 1) for the F-35B is on track for this fall, and is
scheduled to test the first short take-offs, vertical landings, deck handling, landing systems as
well as provide an opportunity to collect deck environmental data.
The F-35B is the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter for the U.S. Marine Corps, capable of short
take-offs and vertical landings for use on amphibious ships or expeditionary airfields to provide
air power to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. The F-35B is undergoing test and evaluation at
NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet.