F-35A 11-5036 (AF-47) ‘LF’ of the 61st FS prepares to head out for a
mission. Although the Joint Strike Fighter programme has suffered
delays, most of the ‘bugs’ have now been worked out and development
of advanced systems, software and new weapons continues apace.52 // AUGUST 2018 #365 http://www.airforcesmonthly.comInternational F-35
We have more overall experience, composure
and calmness. When dealing with different
cultures, students are exposed to a variety
of different ways of seeing things. While the
younger guys are very valuable and come with
a lot of energy, if you couple that with the more
experienced guys, it is a win-win situation. The
same eight of us trained Israel, Japan and soon
we will start with South Korea. None of us has
left the unit, and we have found ways to break
through the cultural and language barriers
working with our FMS clients. The same eight
instructors have been able to build solid long-
term working relationships with other countries.
“Another cool thing about our squadron is
we are a conglomeration... we have active-
duty and reserve folks, we have both enlisted
personnel and officers, we have civilians
and contractors, and all of us fall under the
umbrella we call ‘Ninjas’. We don’t care if you
are under Lockheed Martin’s or the active
duty’s flags. We are a team and a family;
that goes a long way to explain how
well we have done as a squadron
over the past years.”Lightnings Down Under
Wg Cdr Darren ‘Clarey’ Clare is the
commanding officer of No 3 Squadron, Royal
Australian Air Force, under No 81 Wing at
RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales,
and an F-35 instructor pilot with the 61st
FS at Luke. He told AFM: “We have RAAF
squadron maintainers here learning the F-35
and the pilots and maintainers will make up
the cadre of the first Australian F-35 squadron
back home.” Wg Cdr Clare has a total of
3,600 flight hours, has had stints as a PC-9
and Hawk pilot instructor, served in Operation
Iraqi Freedom in 2003 originally flying ‘legacy’
Hornets, and later flew the Super Hornet as the
director of operations for the training squadron.
Wg Cdr Clare continued: “A couple of years
ago westarted with one engineering officer and two
pilots that came up with a plan by working with
the RAAF headquarters and the 56th FW. I
was the sixth RAAF pilot to arrive here. We just
received two more pilots and as of this summer
we’ll have a dozen. Then we will really start
opening up and the throughput will significantly
increase. The pilots are transitioning from
‘legacy’ Hornets to the F-35, and we have had
20 or so maintainers here that will become
subject matter experts after they return.
“We have a few air worthiness boxes that need
to be checked back at home, since our required
data is different from the USAF system. We
are smaller, and our regulatory requirements
and compliance needs are not the same. We
are operating under a USAF banner here, but‘Viper’ nest at Luke
Luke’s resident F-16C/D training squadrons
comprise the 21st FS ‘Gamblers’, 309th FS ‘Wild
Ducks’, 310th FS ‘Top Hats’ (F-16C 90-0768
‘LF/310 FS’, pictured here) and the 425th FS ‘Black
Widows’ (F-16D 96-5034, left, in Peace Carvin
II markings). It’s also home to AFRC’s 69th FS
‘Werewolves’ (F-16C 87-0360 ‘944 FW’, top left),
which operates as a tenant unit of the 944th FW.