The 33rd Fighter Wing, the F-35 Lightning II training center at Eglin AFB, Florida, began basic aircraft familiarization courses on 19 March 2012. Approximately 100 maintenance students from the three branches of the US armed services that will fly the F-35 were in the first group that started classes. Courseware is built using a flexible modular design, making it possible to train maintainers on the three F-35 variants without creating multiple training suites of variant-specific hardware and software. When training is in full swing, approximately 2,100 maintainers and 100 pilot students can be processed through the training center annually, with 900 people at any given time on campus. Classes last from one to three months depending upon the course.
