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This provides a basis of knowledge in the fleet and assists in the introduction of the air-
craft.

It’s amazing the difference between a Lieutenant or Lieutenant Commander test pilot
traveling from Pax River to an operational air station and talking to people about the F-
35 as opposed to even that same Lieutenant or Lieutenant Commander who is now a
part of an operational squadron talking about flying the F-35.

To many young pilots who have not reached the end of their first operational tour, that
operational Lieutenant or Lieutenant Commander has a lot more credibility as a
squadron pilot than he did six months earlier when he came down from Pax River, even
though it is the same person.

The Emergence of the F-35C and Its Impact

In a visit to Pax River on January 8, 2015, we had a chance to talk with members of the
Integrated Test Team at Pax River, which includes Marines, Navy, Brits and civilians as
well as contractors.

This team is wringing out the F-35C from the standpoint of its ability to operate on the
carrier. The team looks at flying characteristics not the mission systems, which are test-
ed at Edwards AFB.

Because the Navy pilots involved in the testing rotate from operational combat
squadrons, discussions with them highlight the coming impact of the F-35C on the air
wing as well. They can discuss with expert authority the culture gap between the F-35C
and the Hornet, the 4th Gen fighter/strike aircraft currently operational in all USN Car-
rier Air Wings.

As test pilots, having gone through very vigorous school and fleet operational experi-
ences, they are uniquely qualified to understand the dynamics of change associated
with the coming of the USN F-35 Lighting II into the fleet.

On this visit, we engaged with USN Test Pilots. Our last visit was to engage with the

USMC Test Pilots flying the F-35B. It should be noted that both Navy and Marine avia-

Second Line of Defense Lessons Learned at Pax River
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