Recent F-35 article provides some interesting new details

Originally posted by AFewGoodWomen

They have no official markings, but I know that un-offically they are attached to the UN's strike fighter fleet- they do perform sorties and they can be seen plain as day-when they fly over, they are pretty low where I am-and ladies and gentlemen...they are FULLY WEAPONIZED- you can count the missiles on the damn things. The cover story for these things being at this airport to begin with is that Lockheed is still working out some bugs with the engines and our local GE plant works alongside lockheed in developing specific parts...blah...blah...blah.

Of course it's all a lie. The fact that they've only been flying for a few years means that they've had plenty of time to work the bugs out. And the fact that they have no markings only means that they are UN, and not an allied aircraft in the test program. The ONLY explanation is that they're UN strike force.

Originally posted by AFewGoodWomen
I see these fly almost every day, at least two with a harrier, they come to ILM. I am a former active duty Marine and I know my aircraft.

These things have been doing amazing maneuvers over the skies of Wilmington, NC for a couple of years now. They are beautiful...and stealthy indeed. You can see them come in for a landing (vertically!!!!!Like a harrier but better!) from the road along the backside of the airport. Damn, you can drive right up to the gates they sit behind... approx. 25yds away. I dare not take pictures as this airport is also home to a National Guard Armory.

They have no official markings, but I know that un-offically they are attached to the UN's strike fighter fleet- they do perform sorties and they can be seen plain as day-when they fly over, they are pretty low where I am-and ladies and gentlemen...they are FULLY WEAPONIZED- you can count the missiles on the damn things. The cover story for these things being at this airport to begin with is that Lockheed is still working out some bugs with the engines and our local GE plant works alongside lockheed in developing specific parts...blah...blah...blah.

How lucky I am to see these wonderful beasts give me a flyby practically over my apartment. I'll try to upload some pics of them flying, but I can't and won't go to the airport to get any.

Gorgeous beyond words. What a sight to behold.

sorry I see too many holes in your story. They've been doing things over the skies for a couple of years now? Nope, not in North Carolina. Hell Eglin just got the first B models this year. I've searched for proof that F-35's were in North Carolina and the only thing I get is that they are going to be stationed there starting in 2014. Do you have any cites that I can see to dispute this? Or perhaps pictures of these aircraft like your stating? Until I see some proof, I'm gonna call bs.

reply to post by boomer135


No Prob.

watchdogs.blogs.starnewsonline.com...

Hope this helps and I trust that you noticed that date of the article...right?
Never question a Marines integrity again...especially on Veterans day.

How hard did you search anyway?

Amateur.

reply to post by AFewGoodWomen


Hmm... Problem here.

The Navy – which oversees the Marine Corps – has announced it intends to base up to eight squadrons of the Marines new fighter jet, the expensive and problem-plagued F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.

It has been reported that earlier this week, Defense Secretary Gates came to a decision that the Marine Corps will have an extension of up to two years to further develop the Joint Strike Fighter. This will give the Marine Corps the necessary time to perfect this revolutionary aircraft.

From your source.

Keep in mind, the Marines planned on declaring IOC with their F-35Bs (and now Cs, too) with Block 2 software since the jet will still be a very potent fighter compared to many existing planes. The Corps’ IOC date has been bumped two to three years to 2014 or 2015.

defensetech.org...

Notice the date.

The INTENTION to base them there doesn't mean they are there. There are currently something like 5 B models flying in the test program, and they're at Pax River MD doing hover testing. The remainder of them (and it's not many) are at Eglin AFB in FL doing training for maintenance people, and transitioning pilots.

...The new and loud fighter planes would replace Harriers, which are common visitors to Wilmington International Airport, and F-18s at the Craven County base....

Did you see that part, or just conveniently skip over that.


Wow...I have no reason to lie about this at all. Why don't ya come on down on any given day of the week and I'll drive ya right up to the gate.
Kay?
Bye.

Originally posted by AFewGoodWomen
reply to post by boomer135

 

No Prob.

watchdogs.blogs.starnewsonline.com...

Hope this helps and I trust that you noticed that date of the article...right?
Never question a Marines integrity again...especially on Veterans day.

How hard did you search anyway?

Amateur.

edit on 12-11-2012 by AFewGoodWomen because: Debunk my shiny white a$$

Um, yeah we all knew in 2010 that Cherry Point was getting the F-35's. But they haven't made it that far yet. They are still in Eglin AFB at the moment going through training until they get enough to start the Active squadrons.

Feb 17, 2012
goldsborodailynews.com...
Not there yet...


August 2nd, 2012
www.newsobserver.com...
Nope. still not there yet...

Sept, 2012
www.havenews.com...
nope still not there. but heres the kicker...

Duncan said Amos informed her that Cherry Point’s AV-8B Harrier squadrons, scheduled to be deactivated starting in 2019, would be extended to meet with the planned arrival of the first F-35B Joint Strike Fighter squadrons in as early as 2021 or 2022.

I would never question a marine's integrity. Especially on Veterans day. I myself am an Air Force veteran with over 200 combat sorties in Iraq and Afghanistan. So no need for name calling. However, in light of your calling me an amateur, I suggest you read this: www.abovetopsecret.com... I probably know more about that aircraft than 99% of the people in your platoon. So, like I said earlier...


And your shiney white a$$ is debunked.

Happy Veterans Day!

reply to post by AFewGoodWomen


No, I read the entire thing. Although with the tails the F-18 and the F-35 can be mistaken from certain angles. But the F-35 is far from operational in ANY form. The A is probably the closest, which goes to the Air Force, with the B being not far behind. The C is farthest from operational due to design changes.

Your article simply stated that they intend to base them there when they are operational. The initial operational date is at least 2014 as things stand now, which means they won't be based there until at least then.

F-18:
upload.wikimedia.org...

F-35:
files.air-attack.com...

Both have the same outward canted tails.

I never said you were lying about it, just that you are honestly mistaken. The F-35 doesn't, and won't belong to the UN, and it certainly wouldn't before the country that developed them had them. And the country that developed them won't have them in service for another two years or more the way the testing program is going.

Originally posted by AFewGoodWomen
...The new and loud fighter planes would replace Harriers, which are common visitors to Wilmington International Airport, and F-18s at the Craven County base....

Did you see that part, or just conveniently skip over that.


Wow...I have no reason to lie about this at all. Why don't ya come on down on any given day of the week and I'll drive ya right up to the gate.
Kay?
Bye.

edit on 12-11-2012 by AFewGoodWomen because: Wow, are there such things as UN shills?

Pretty sure they are talking about Harriers at Wilmington.

There is a difference between what you have been led to believe and what I witness to be true...
on a consistent basis.
I'll upload some pics and vids for you...I'll update them and post them to your private account ...every day if you'd like. Then, you can survey various people who live in and around my fair city, you can get their numbers off of Yellowpages.com, That is Wilmington, NC and Surrounding Beaches.

The point I was making was that the jets are based at the airport not any surrounded military bases as of yet...I know that...duh. My point was that they were here...at a small, little used municipal airport...and that they are weaponized, and that they fly sorties...how would I know that? Cause they are so damn loud, I know when they leave and come back, sometimes with 12 to 14 hours in between...hauling ass...somewhere...always two at a time.

Damn, you might even see them sitting at the airport on Google Earth? I don't know, I had no need to try...because I live 1/4 mile away from the airport.! They keep the jets here and the pilots somewhere near enough to be lifted over by a very fast Blackhawk. So many different aircrafts from so many different branches, don't you think? We have lots of Ospreys here, kind of wierd for a public airport. I found that a bit odd as well, but what do you care. What's even odder, is how low key it is and minimal physical security...I have no idea if I was being monitored while I was there trying to get a glimpse of one...I got way better than than, I got two...only 25-35 yds away and the only thing keeping me from walking right up to them was a Six foot chainlink fence.

I would be pretty stupid to try to take pictures there,

I'll just get you guys the front row seat...as soon as the occurrence happens that I just happen to be sitting around and have a camera in my hands 24/7...but I'll try for you...just so no one thinks that I am a liar liar pants on fire.

reply to post by AFewGoodWomen


I took pictures all the time on a military base, sometimes with Security Police sitting there watching me. Sometimes on the flightline, other times overlooking the flightline. No one ever said a word to me.

Post your pictures, let's see them.

Oh, and another thing I find odd, they leave by themselves, just the two of them, very fast and very tight but, they always come back with at least one Harrier, which you know is based out of Cherry Pt. Right? And the Ospreys, where do you think those are from?

Another thing that's odd...they always head straight to the Atlantic, sometimes north, but they always return from the north...as ILM is south of Cherry Pt.

Hmmmm?

Why all the USMC and Navy Aircraft at small international airport that hosts a small National Guard Armory? Why no isignia on the F-35's?

Why all the doubt from you?

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by AFewGoodWomen

 

I took pictures all the time on a military base, sometimes with Security Police sitting there watching me. Sometimes on the flightline, other times overlooking the flightline. No one ever said a word to me.

Post your pictures, let's see them.

Ooh. peer pressure.
I'll just take the pics from my porch...when I take them...at my earliest convenience. Then...I'll post them. At my earliest convenience. Until then, I don't give a f@ck what you think.

reply to post by AFewGoodWomen


Good on you. And again, for the record, I never said you were lying. I said you were mistaken. But if you want to get all beligerant and accuse us of being shills, or whatever else, you go right ahead. I've already been accused of so much on here it doesn't bother me in the least.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Well, I don't know of any F-model that can land vertically and hover...I might be blonde, but..

Originally posted by AFewGoodWomen

Why all the USMC and Navy Aircraft at small international airport that hosts a small National Guard Armory?

Because 10% of the aircraft operations at ILM are military. They have over 4600 military flights a year for an average of 13 a day. There are a number of reasons for this. One of which is that to remain current pilots have to have a certain number of "foreign field" landings. These can take place at any airfield that isn't their home base. Having an airport so close, means they are much easier for the planes out of Cherry Point. The FBO at ILM also has a contract that allows military planes to refuel at the FBO. So they stop at the FBO for fuel. It saves on the base supplies, and it puts more money into the local economy.

The fact that there's an armory there is another reason for military planes to be there. They bring equipment into the armory for repairs, and pick up equipment from the armory and take back. The V-22 makes a good truck for things that a C-130 or bigger is too big to haul it, like small vehicles, and trailers.

Why no isignia on the F-35's?

Because if they are F-35s, then the US isn't the only one operating them in the test program. The UK, and the Netherlands also have aircraft in the test program, and they mark their aircraft differently than the US does.

Why all the doubt from you?

Because I've been following the test program for years. This program has been one of the ones that has done a beautiful job of destroying the US Air Force fighter fleet, and has become a joke. I've followed it very closely for the last four years or so, but have followed it from the beginning.

Originally posted by AFewGoodWomen
..and that they are weaponized, and that they fly sorties...how would I know that? Cause they are so damn loud, I know when they leave and come back, sometimes with 12 to 14 hours in between...hauling ass...somewhere...always two at a time.

The F-35 just had it's first "live" ammo drop just in the last couple months. So why are they flying so armed? Plus, if you can see the missiles and bombs, then they are using the "outside" rails, which makes them much more visable to radar. It was designed to carry all it's missiles and bombs internally to preserve stealth with the option to add more weapons on the outside after enemy defenses were knocked down.

Next you say 12-14 hour flights. I just spoke with a boom operator at the closest tanker base to there and he said that they haven't refueled any F-35's over the Atlantic ocean, only down off the gulf of mexico on training flights. So where are they going?

Damn, you might even see them sitting at the airport on Google Earth? I don't know, I had no need to try...because I live 1/4 mile away from the airport.! They keep the jets here and the pilots somewhere near enough to be lifted over by a very fast Blackhawk. So many different aircrafts from so many different branches, don't you think? We have lots of Ospreys here, kind of wierd for a public airport. I found that a bit odd as well, but what do you care.

I did see ospreys on google earth, but no F-35's.

What's even odder, is how low key it is and minimal physical security...I have no idea if I was being monitored while I was there trying to get a glimpse of one...I got way better than than, I got two...only 25-35 yds away and the only thing keeping me from walking right up to them was a Six foot chainlink fence.

This statement right here pretty much tells me it wasn't an F-35 your seeing. One of our most technically advanced aircraft ever built is being held at an airport with minimal security, allowing someone to get 25-35 yards away, with only a six foot chainlink fence standing in the way? Oh wait, maybe that's how China got the plans for the jet!

I would be pretty stupid to try to take pictures there,

I'll just get you guys the front row seat...as soon as the occurrence happens that I just happen to be sitting around and have a camera in my hands 24/7...but I'll try for you...just so no one thinks that I am a liar liar pants on fire.

No rush, I'm sure it will be a few years until we see them.


Look, bottom line is we've been following this program for years. I got to work on one of the first air to air refueling's with the X-35's, back during the competition. We're not saying your a liar, just that you might be mistaking it for another jet. This is something that I know myself and Zaphod know alot about. The only thing I could find on an F-35 was an air show at Wilmington earlier this year, however, I cant confirm that an F-35 was there and it most certainly wouldn't be unmarked.

If you can send us pics of them at Wilmington I will personally apologize to you in a separate thread and also make you famous for discovering a huge secret with this program!

AFewGoodWomen, Zaphod and Boomer are almost certainly correct.

You are seeing something besides the F-35.

Please post a pic of what you are seeing when you can, if you are correct you have the aviation scoop of the year.

Happy Veterans day to all.

Originally posted by Drunkenparrot
AFewGoodWomen, Zaphod and Boomer are almost certainly correct.

You are seeing something besides the F-35.

Please post a pic of what you are seeing when you can, if you are correct you have the aviation scoop of the year.

Happy Veterans day to all.

I'll make it happen soon then, because I have been defending this topic for about a year and a half now...it is very odd that I pretty much walked right up to the damn things. I can get a clear shot of the vertical landings as well if I catch them in time enough to get to that road by the time I hear them. I'm pulling my hair out on this guys...they are here, just ...for the time being...please just give me the benefit of the doubt on this one. I have nothing to gain from this except that even you guys, as well into the program as you might be...aren't being told everything. I don't know where they are going...as they head out to sea...all I know is that is that's where they are head at least 75% of the time. I don't know about how they stock their weopons either, but maybe they are not trying to be stealthy at the time, maybe they are just testing payload and various weopons delivery systems upon landing and taking off.

It's weird...it's unbelievable...doesn't mean it's BS though. Just means it's supposed to be on the downlow.

reply to post by AFewGoodWomen


I know we aren't being told everything, but there are so many plane watchers all over this country that would be drooling over seeing an F-35 in just about any area, that by now I would expect someone to have posted pictures if they have been there as long as you say. When something as odd, and as rare as an F-35 shows up somewhere, it's an avnerd's wet dream, and they would have people coming from all over the area to get pictures of them. And those pictures would hit the web, and the stories of them being in the area would hit the aviation sites that I and others following the program visit daily. That's one reason why it's so hard to believe that these are F-35s.

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by AFewGoodWomen

 

I know we aren't being told everything, but there are so many plane watchers all over this country that would be drooling over seeing an F-35 in just about any area, that by now I would expect someone to have posted pictures if they have been there as long as you say. When something as odd, and as rare as an F-35 shows up somewhere, it's an avnerd's wet dream, and they would have people coming from all over the area to get pictures of them. And those pictures would hit the web, and the stories of them being in the area would hit the aviation sites that I and others following the program visit daily. That's one reason why it's so hard to believe that these are F-35s.

Well, that's the strange thing about it...everyone is just used to seeing them here and know they are here for the "testing in conjunction with Lockhheed and GE manufacturing" BS cover story., Most people don't even bat an eye. They think nothing of it...the ones who do question it will say the same things I am. I'll get your proof...sooner rather than later. Not a problem.