The F-35 Lightning II flew for the first time Dec. 15, 2006, for the U.S. Air Force. The newly fifth-gen fighter soared into the skies without issue on this day, completing a successful inaugural flight and initiating the most comprehensive flight test program in military aviation history. 

The X-35 demonstrators, built and flown during the concept development phase of the program in 2000–2001, validated specific propulsion and design features incorporated on today’s F-35 Lightning II.

AA-1, the first prototype Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, took off at Fort Worth, Texas, flown by chief test pilot Jon S. Beesely. The F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant. This aircraft is intended to operate out of traditional airstrips and is the only version of the F-35 to come equipped with a 25mm internal cannon, allowing it to step in for both the F-16 multirole fighter and the flying cannon A-10 Thunderbolt II. 

Beesely took AA-1 to 15,000 feet at 225 knots (259 miles per hour) to test the aircraft in landing configuration prior to continuing with other tests. On that day, Beesely said that the F-35A "handled well, better than the simulator." He compared it to the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, and said that it handled like the Raptor, but in most cases, better.

By December 2006, the F-35 had embarked on a 12,000-hour flight-test program designed to validate tens of thousands of hours of testing already completed in F-35 laboratories.

Today, the F-35 is more than a strike fighter. Its ability to collect, analyze and share data is a powerful force multiplier enhancing all airborne, surface and ground-based assets in the battlespace and enabling military personnel to execute their mission and come home safely.