Token
Senior Airman
I have talked with many F35 drivers. They have had various levels of enthusiasm for the aircraft, from love to meh, but until today I never talked with one who actually bad mouthed it.
Most of the drivers I have talked with have been A and C folks, and in general, at least verbally, they have like it. Today I talked with an F35B pilot, a former F-18 guy, and he literally had nothing good to say about the B. Short legs, only one engine (that counts), too much extra weight (second engine you use less than 3% of the time, but carry around 100% of the time), too expensive, etc. I swear, it sounded like some of the posters online
I asked him what he thought of the A and C models, and he said the A was OK, because those pukes are over land and a one engine condition is not an automatic emergency.
However, of note, this opinion does appear to be the minority of people with first hand knowledge that I have had contact with.
T!
Most of the drivers I have talked with have been A and C folks, and in general, at least verbally, they have like it. Today I talked with an F35B pilot, a former F-18 guy, and he literally had nothing good to say about the B. Short legs, only one engine (that counts), too much extra weight (second engine you use less than 3% of the time, but carry around 100% of the time), too expensive, etc. I swear, it sounded like some of the posters online
I asked him what he thought of the A and C models, and he said the A was OK, because those pukes are over land and a one engine condition is not an automatic emergency.
However, of note, this opinion does appear to be the minority of people with first hand knowledge that I have had contact with.
T!