Eglin AFB - Possible upcoming F-35 training

[KE5TLF]

Seems that maybe your newly arrived F-35B's will be conducting training with Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 (VMFT-401) in the coming days.
Published Feb. 2, 2012:
Snipers prepare to take aim at F-35

Heard them on their previously documented freq. of 268.300 MHz today. Only discovered this as it actually set off a Close Call hit, so they were right over me I guess. No mistaking it was them because one pilot said, "We're the only Marines flying F-5s". Plus Eglin was mentioned also.

Some other freqs. used by them in the past can be found here as well:
VMFT-401 « KF4LMT's Monitoring Post and Blog

And some other things found while researching:
First Production Model F-35B Delivered to the Marine Corps - YouTube
Team Eglin | Facebook

 

[BMT]

Possible upcoming F-35 training

I monitored an F-35 a couple weeks ago, probably out over the Gulf.
The F-35 radio is something else, it will get your attention!!!

BMT

 

[Bolt21]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.3.3; en-us; Sprint APA9292KT Build/GRI40) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

Don't tease us. Details, please!

 

[BMT]

I screwed up it was a F-22!! ;-((((
Will dig the freq out of my logs later

BMT

 

[Bolt21]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.3.3; en-us; Sprint APA9292KT Build/GRI40) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

What I meant was, how does it "get your attention?"

 

[BMT]

The quality of the sound.

 

[ki4wbn]

The F-35's are here, but are not flying missions as of yet (will happen soon though). For right now all they are doing is taxiing around Eglin on the taxiways going through "ground tests". Edwards AFB is currently doing the "air tests". The plan is for Eglin to begin F-35 flights 'soon' but a finite date has not yet been set.

 

[KE5TLF]

If (big IF) indeed the SNIPERS were headed to Eglin yesterday for training with the F-35 squadron, I'd imagine there is a HUGE amount of of planning and what not that would require them to be involved in too. Seen any USMC F-5s around? Soon may be only a few days away.

 

[CORN]

They must be going to fly chase or just passing thru using Eglin as a fuel stop on the way to Key West because it's way too early for any dogfighting training (the Snipers are aggressors) since the pilots have to actually learn how to fly the thing first. And "soon" with the govt and Dept of Defense could be anywhere from now to a year away. Just my 2%.

 

[KE5TLF]

Yep, after giving it some more thought, you're likely right on the dogfighting part, for the 2 B's for sure. They have had 6 A models there since last summer though too. Given the Snipers role I imagine it will require them to be involved in many phases of the overall training process too, both on the ground in additon to in the air.

It was pretty cool catching the comms of such a unique squadron regardless.

 

[CORN]

Yes I love the F-5s. Don't here many SNIPER call signs up my way hardly. I've always wondered though without two seat training versions (all variants of F-35's are single seaters as well as the F-22) how do the pilots get the feel for the real thing? Do they do a tremendous amount of simulator time, use other types for initial training and then let the pilots have at it in the actual aircraft? I was always wondering these things.