Aviators from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT-501) at Eglin AFB, Florida, completed four sorties in F-16s in mid-March, marking the first time a pilot from the squadron flew from the unit’s new base. VMFAT-501, known as the Warlords, is the F-35B training squadron at the all-service Lightning II schoolhouse at Eglin. The F-16s are on loan from the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, Arizona. These familiarization sorties are doubly beneficial to the Marines. Not only do they experience flying a single-engine aircraft somewhat similar to the F-35, but they also gain experience operating from the Eglin flightline, runway, and airspace.
