4 articles found
![The 33rd FW’s first F-35 departs Eglin AFB [Image 8 of 9]](https://d1ldvf68ux039x.cloudfront.net/thumbs/photos/2510/9361669/250w_q95.jpg)
U.S. Air Force 33rd Fighter Wing F-35A Lightning II, tail number 08-0747, sits on the flight line during the preflight check at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Sept. 25, 2025. Aircraft 747 was the 33rd FW’s first F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air Force photo by U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Reagan Hardy)
![The 33rd FW’s first F-35 departs Eglin AFB [Image 9 of 9]](https://d1ldvf68ux039x.cloudfront.net/thumbs/photos/2510/9361680/250w_q95.jpg)
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class John Kelvin de Ocampo, 60th Aircraft Maintenance Unit crew chief, walks around an F-35A Lightning II, tail number 08-0747, during a preflight check at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Sept. 25, 2025. The preflight check is important to ensure the aircraft is safe and prepared to fly. (U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Reagan Hardy)
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II, tail number 08-0747, takes off from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, September 25, 2025. Due to the climate of the Florida panhandle, older jets like aircraft 747 that are not lightning-modified are less suitable for pilot training here. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Reagan Hardy)
Nomad heritage runs deep at the 33rd Fighter Wing and July 14, 2011 marked a turning point in the wing’s evolution. On this day, the wing’s first F-35A Lightning II, tail number 08-0747, arrived at Eglin Air Force Base.