{"id":31058,"date":"2019-03-22T04:21:18","date_gmt":"2019-03-22T04:21:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/03\/22\/hot-crew-swaps-f-35s-are-the-first-single-engine-fighters-to-fly-on-repeat\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:56:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:56:39","slug":"hot-crew-swaps-f-35s-are-the-first-single-engine-fighters-to-fly-on-repeat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2019\/03\/22\/hot-crew-swaps-f-35s-are-the-first-single-engine-fighters-to-fly-on-repeat\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Hot crew swaps\u2019: F-35s are the first single engine fighters to fly on repeat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

F-35A Lightning IIs <\/a>are the first single engine fighters capable of performing rapid crew swaps, in which a pilot takes off, flies a mission and lands to refuel while another pilot takes over the cockpit of the same jet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During wartime, crew swaps allow a steady stream of rested and capable fighter pilots <\/a>to rotate into the fight. And while the crew swaps could help cut down on maintenance work, problems with the F-35\u2032s next-generation maintenance software<\/a> reportedly linger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aircrew with the 388th Fighter Wing out of Hill Air Force Base, Utah,<\/a> performed what they call \u201chot crew swaps\u201d for the first time, Air Combat Command announced <\/a>Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOther aircraft like bombers, tankers, helicopters, and twin engine fighters have been doing \u2018hot crew swaps\u2019 for some time. Until now, it hasn\u2019t been safe to do with a single engine fighter, but the F-35\u2019s maintenance-friendly design provided Airmen here an opportunity to develop this capability,\u201d Col. Michael Miles, 388th Maintenance Group commander, said in an ACC news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFlying more sorties with less down-time proves the capability of the F-35 to fly sustained combat operations,\u201d Maj. Caleb Guthmann, the 388th Fighter Wing\u2019s director of staff and an F-35 pilot, said in the release. \u201cIt gives us more time in the air to target bad guys and protect friendlies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rapid crew swaps will potentially reduce the time it takes to generate a new sortie by up to two hours, according to 1st Lt. Ryan Naluai, assistant officer in charge of the 421st Aircraft Maintenance Unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe jet\u2019s systems report on the health of the aircraft as it is flying and after it lands. So, under these conditions, we can confidently put it back up in the air again immediately without doing a full post-operation inspection,\u201d Naluai said in the release. \u201cIt\u2019s a testament to the reliability of the F-35 and the proficiency of our maintainers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t