Maj Kristin Wolfe - Down on the F-35A - 300 feet off the ground - there's nothing like flying at an air show.
For Maj. Kristin "Beau" Wolf — who became the US Air Force's (USAF) first female F-35A demonstration team commander in 2020 — the "eye-for-an-eye" maneuver is one of her favorite things to do.
Maj Kristin Wolfe
The primary mission of the same aerospace demonstration team is to demonstrate the invincibility of fighter aircraft and to instill in the American people a passion for aviation.
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Lockheed Martin F-35As are used for full-scale combat-capable demonstrations and are on loan from military units at Hill AFB in Utah. At any given time, two or three species are moving with the display group.
Wolff is the only pilot on the F-35A demonstration team qualified to perform aerobatic demonstrations of the Lightning II. The 18-minute aerobatic routine is tightly scripted; It was conducted by the head of the demonstration team, a Lockheed test pilot, and signed by the Star Commander of the USAF.
"There's a lot of behind-the-scenes work to create high altitudes, wind speeds and safe routes, but it's really fun," Wolf says. "We're really happy with how it looks right now."
Accusations that the F-35 is incapable of dogfighting are slowly eroding air opinion. Crowd-pleasing displays of combative style like slow running passes certainly help.
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For that part of the procedure, Wolf flies the plane 500 feet off the ground with a 35° angle-of-attack - as slow as 90kt (167km/h).
"That's not all a jet can do. That's all we're allowed to do very close to the ground," he says. "It depends on how stable the plane is, to the point of dogfighting."
The F-35's light weight, advanced flight computer and wired flight controls help the aircraft achieve "peak performance," says Wolff, who is best qualified on the Lockheed F-22 Raptor.
Certainly, the F-35 was designed as an all-out joint strike fighter, while the F-22 was aimed more at air control missions.
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The F-35 has "similar handling, but with the F-22 you can feel more [nose] authority and thrust", he says. "The Raptor was designed to attack dogs. It was made more maneuverable. It can pull a different angle of attack. It has more nose strength and thrust vectoring."
As commander of the F-35A demonstration team, Wolf is not only responsible for flying the aircraft, but also oversees a 15-person team of aircraft designers, support staff and media officers. In 2022, the team will support 22 aerobatic displays at air shows and other public events in the USA.
"The team's job is to go to air shows and interact with people — Zoom calls, school visits, hospital visits, those things — to spread the word about aviation, get people excited about it, especially the F-35," says. Wolves.
He is accustomed to the constant travel and traveling that characterizes military life, as his father was also a USAF pilot.
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"Travelling in the military a few years ago, being in Air Force facilities, being up close to the planes, understanding what life is like as a fighter pilot, I was very familiar with the environment."
Wolf entered the service in 2011 after receiving a commission from the USAF Reserve Officer Training Program at the University of Alabama. Since then, the service has improved "leaps and bounds" to make women more welcoming, she says.
“I think the Air Force does a great job of not caring who you are or what you look like; It's about getting the job done,” Wolf says. “That part hasn't changed much in my mind. It's really about how well you can fly the plane. "
However, changes in women's grooming practices — the service allowed women to wear their hair in braids, ponytails or bangs [fringes] starting in 2021, for example — helped the USAF make "some progress," he says.
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Such changes mean "we're getting a higher quality of people in the Air Force", says Wolf.
Ultimately, the F-35A demonstration team is an application tool for the USAF, he says, aiming not only to attract future pilots but also to demonstrate support functions such as air defense operations.
When it comes to advice for women who want to become pilots, Wolfe says being visible on the plane is key.
"You can fly with the Civil Air Patrol or go and take flying lessons. See if you like it," he says. “Try to get a foot in the door with the airline community. [That] is probably the best start.” Capt. Kristin "BO" Wolf of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, was recently named the new wing commander for the 2020-2021 air show season. A second-generation pilot and transitioning from the F-22 Raptor to flying the F-35A Lightning II in 2017, he has logged more than 800 combat hours in both aircraft.
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Before going to college, Kristin never thought about the military, however, during her sophomore year, she realized she didn't want a regular desk job. To the surprise of his family, he decided to join the Air Force and realized it was the experience he didn't know he was looking for.
After his deployment, Wolf went on to pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. He was then selected to fly fighter jets, eventually graduating to the F-22 as his first operational aircraft.
In 2017, after three years flying the F-22 at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, he transitioned to the F-35A Lightning II and then to the 388th Fighter Wing, the Air Force's first F-35 fighter.
The F-35 team will fly in 20 Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation shows across the country, featuring heritage aircraft from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
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As pilot and demonstration team leader, Wolff would fly the demonstration route for two years, serving as a role model and inspiration to those interested in military or aviation careers. Part of his and his team's mission is to help young men and women see the opportunities available to them.
"The jet doesn't discriminate. It doesn't know who's flying the jet and it always looks the same," Wolf emphasized. “Community of Soldiers is a performance-oriented profession based on values and skills. I don't consider myself a female pilot, but the pilot is a woman. I'm here to do a job, and I'm here to make this team better, to inspire people to be better, and to fly the F-35 as hard as I can. " Two crossed lines form an 'X'. It shows how to close the interaction or dismiss the notification.
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Usaf F 35 Lightning Ii Demo Team, Display By Kristin 'beo' Wolfe ! |
Capt. Kristin "BEO" Wolff, an F-35A Lightning II demonstration team pilot, prepares for takeoff before a training flight at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Feb. 6, 2020. US Air Force/Capt. Kip Sumner
US Air Force Capt. Kristin "BO" Wolf has been named the new F-35A Demo Team pilot for the 2020 and 2021 air show seasons. Captain Wolf is the first female F-35A Demo Team pilot and only the second USAF F-35A Demo Team pilot in history.
"Having the opportunity to demonstrate the F-35A in so many different environments is very humbling and rewarding," Capt. Wolves said in an official statement. "It's been a privilege to work with the best Airmen at Hill Air Force Base and give the public a glimpse of what this jet can do."
According to Air Force sources, Capt. Wolfe has been flying the F-35A since transitioning from the F-22A Raptor in 2017. He has nearly 800 combat hours in all 5th service aircraft.
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Wolves was announced as Captain Major's successor. Andrew "Dojo" Olson, first pilot of the F-35A Demo Team, during a presentation today at the Heritage Flight Conference at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona. The identity of the new driver was kept secret until today.
Capt. Kristin "BEO" Wolff, an F-35A Lightning II demonstration team pilot, after a training flight at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, Feb. 2, 2020. US Air Force/Capt. Kip Sumner
"We are very proud to have Captain Wolf leading the new F-35A demonstration team," said Col. Steven Behmer, commander of the 388th Fighter Wing. "He's an incredibly skilled pilot and we can't wait to see him and the teams demonstrate the capabilities of our wing and the F-35 on the ground."
Heritage Flight Meeting at Davis-Monthan AFB, there was an announcement
Capt. Kristin \
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