F-35Cs to operate at Miss. OLF

Navy and Marine Corps F-35C Joint Strike Fighter pilots in training at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., are expected to start two weeks of practice carrier-landing training Aug. 6 at Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss.’ Joe Williams Outlying Field in Kemper County. The F-35C pilots will be conducting the practices during daylight hours. Residents surrounding the field should expect a significant increase in noise levels. “The sailors and civilians at NAS Meridian are proud to support (Strike Fighter [VFA] Squadron 101’s] mission to train and qualify F-35C aircrew to operate safely and effectively as part of a Carrier Strike Group at sea,” said NAS Meridian Commanding Officer Capt. Scott Bunnay. The F-35C is a long-range stealth strike fighter designed and built with larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear explicitly for aircraft carrier operations. (Source: Meridian Star 08/03/16)