Among the estimated 50,000-plus people expected to attend the Cold Lake Airshow last weekend was an exhibition of a future fighter jet, one which caught the eye of any Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) aficionado.
The United States Air Force provided two state-of-the-art F-35 fighters for a planned demonstration of its capabilities. The RCAF is expected to receive the first of these jets in 2026 at either 3 Wing Bagotville, QC, or 4-Wing Cold Lake, Alta. The Government of Canada has paid for 16 of the 88 jets ordered out of this year's federal budget.
The Meridian Source caught up with both maintenance workers and the pilot of the demonstration team to learn what our pilots could expect in the near future from these brand-new additions to the force.
"If you're coming from a fighter background, a lot of the stuff is going to be intuitive to you, you already know how to think quickly, but I think a lot of time in the F-35 is going to be critical," said Demonstration Pilot, Captain Melanie "Mach" Kluesner. "Knowing there's a lot of buttons on the stick and throttle, so 'HOTAS' (Hands On Throttle And Stick) that's going to take a while for that to become intuitive to you."
From a maintenance point of view the hours per flight are going to drop significantly according to Staff Sergeant Jefferey Williams. Williams is the crew chief for the team. He says the '35 doesn't have as many issues as people think. When there is an issue, the "flying supercomputer" as he refers to it, prints out a health report, giving workers a good place to start.
Without losing as much liquid as previous jets, the post-flight inspection is pretty simple.
"So, once the aircraft comes down, you'll do a quick walk around of the aircraft, basically to check all the systems, make sure nothing's frayed, wires burnt and things like that," said Williams. "Checking the tires, checking the oils and fluids and we're good to go again."
We asked a current CF-18 pilot and former demonstration pilot if he wants to fly the F-35 when it ends up in our fleet.
"I'm definitely hoping to see that coming in the next few years here," said Captain Jesse "Modem" Haggert-Smith. "If they choose me, I'd be happy to put that on."
Read More: City making case for new air service
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