AA-1, the first F-35 test aircraft arrived April 21, 2009, at Eglin AFB, Fla., to give base officials and residents of the local community a chance to experience the aircraft up close and personal. The scheduled beddown of F-35s at Eglin in March 2010 for the F-35 joint schoolhouse has divided local communities. Those opposed to the F-35 plan have concerns over the aircraft’s noise levels. Here, AA-1 performs a touch-and-go maneuver from the Eglin runway, April 23, 2009.
Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.