Denmark's F-35 takes first flight
Another milestone has been reached in the upcoming delivery of Denmark’s first F-35 Lightning II. On Tuesday March 8, L-001, went on its maiden flight. The inaugural flight took place at the Lockheed Martin facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Lockheed Martin test pilot Joseph “Hooch” Hutcheson was at the controls during the flight.
“Hooch” took the aircraft through a series of functional flight checks that lasted around 90 minutes. Following its maiden flight, the aircraft will complete a series of checkout flights prior to its acceptance by Denmark. The first F-35 is scheduled to be delivered to the Royal Danish Air Force on April 7, 2021 during a ceremony in Forth Worth, Texas.
Later this year, the aircraft will be flown to Luke AFB, Arizona, for Danish Air Force pilot and maintainer training. F-35s will arrive in Denmark in 2023 and will be based at Royal Danish Air Force’s Wing in Skrydstrup, Denmark.