MATSG-22 Marines learn capabilities of the F-35

Story and photo by 1st Lt. Benjamin Yoder Marine Aviation Training Support Group 22

Marine student aviators with Marine Aviation Training Support Group (MATSG) 22 recently toured the Lockheed-Martin production facility and the Bell Helicopter Training Academy in Fort Worth, Texas.

The trip provided the Marines an opportunity for professional military education while furthering their knowledge of the aviation industry and community.

The visit to Lockheed-Martin included a detailed brief on the capabilities of the F-35 Lightning II, Joint Strike Fighter, fifth- generation aircraft.

The Marines toured the final production line and had the opportunity to fly an F-35 cockpit demonstration simulator. Many of whom were on the tour are currently in primary flight training aboard Naval Air Station Corpus Christi with the potential to one day fly the F-35.

“The [Lockheed-Martin] brief was highly informative, explaining how the F-35 will actually function in its mission set,” said Capt. Carolyn Wells, a Marine naval flight officer and the officer-in-charge of the student officer pool at MATSG-22. “Knowing the capabilities of not just us as the American forces, but how we as combined forces (should it be necessary to bring our full force to bear on another country), makes me feel better knowing what’s out there and what we could potentially be facing.”

Wells believes that the trip was a valuable experience for the future aviators as there is a bit of a mystery behind the F-35’s capabilities and how the aircraft will be used in the future.

“Simply having a greater understanding of what exactly it is going to do and why it is taking over for the Marine Corps’ F-18 and the Harrier is a big eye-opener for students,” said Wells. “No matter what aircraft they end up flying, they have to know what everybody else does and they have to know how everybody fights together.”

The Marines then toured the Bell Training Academy with staff and instructors demonstrating the similarities and differences between civilian and military flight training. Several of the instructors served in the Marine Corps as helicopter pilots, instructor pilots and squadron commanders and were able to share from their combined flying and leadership experience. The visit also included a tour of the maintenance training facility and the advanced maintenance software used in Bell’s civilian pilot and maintainer training programs.

The student aviator’s ability to ask questions directly to engineers provided some insight on how the aircraft are built as well as how they are flown.

“At Bell, I got to see inside the cockpit of a helicopter for the first time and it helped me make a more informed decision on exactly what I want to fly for the Marine Corps,” said 1st Lt. Rocco Hipolito. “The trip was a great experience and there should definitely be more like it in the future. It was nothing but beneficial.”