• Credit: Rockwell Collins
    Credit: Rockwell Collins
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The US 56th Fighter Wing to which Australian F-35As are attached will resume local F-35A Lightning II flight operations on Wednesday June 21, 2017, according to a statement released by the Wing's public affairs unit. 

The return to ops follows an 11-day pause after five physiological events occurred during flights from May 2-June 8 2017.

The statement continued:

“No specific root cause for the physiological events was identified during recent visits from experts and engineers from the Joint Program Office, Lockheed Martin, the Air Force Research Laboratory and other organizations. However, specific concerns were eliminated as possible causes including maintenance and aircrew flight equipment procedures. 

Five criteria are temporarily applied to local flights as technical and human performance data continues to be gathered: 

  1. Avoid the altitudes in which all five physiological events occurred. 
  2. Modify ground procedures to mitigate physiological risks to pilots.
  3. Expand physiological training to increase understanding between pilot and medical communities.
  4. Increase minimum levels for backup oxygen systems for each flight.
  5. Offer pilots the option of wearing sensors during flight to collect airborne human performance data. 


The 56th Fighter Wing commander USAF Brigadier General Brook Leonard said an active duty, reserve, and international team have worked tirelessly to better understand the physiological events.

“This is a complex challenge that necessitates multi-dimensional solutions across a series of steps to get back to a full operating capability. We are confident that this initial step with the criteria our team developed will allow us to return to flying F-35s safely and to continue building the future of airpower.”

Australian pilots, currently training within the international pool at Luke Air Force Base, were not affected by the incidents. The first two Australian F-35As currently form part of the aircraft pool.

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