160205-O-ZZ999-927 NAS Patuxent River (February 5, 2016) Italian F-35 pilot Major Gian Marco D., made aviation history as he piloted an Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) F-35A Lightning II aircraft on the very first trans-Atlantic Ocean crossing of an F-35 aircraft, arriving at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., from Cameri Air Base, Italy, on Feb. 5 at 2:24 p.m. EST. He completed training at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., last November and had 50 hours of flight time on the F-35 Lightning II prior to the 11-hour oceanic flight. F-35 aircraft AL-1 will join the F-35 international pilot training fleet at Luke Air Force Base in May 2016, the first of five F-35s Italy has committed to the international training fleet there. The next group of Italian pilots will start training at Luke in March with U.S. and other foreign students in the multi-national training program. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy Andy Wolfe/Released)
US Navy / Andy Wolfe
2016-02-05
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