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Thunder and Lightning Over Arizona Come Not From Clouds, But This F-35

F-35A Lightning II at Thunder and Lightning Over Arizona 13 photos
Photo: USAF/Senior Airman Kaitlyn Ergish
F-35A Lightning II at Thunder and Lightning Over ArizonaF-35A Lightning II on vertical ascentF-35 Lightning buzzing the CN TowerF-35A Lighting IIF-35A Lightning IIF-35 LightningF-35A Lightning IIF-35A Lightning IIF-35A Lightning IIF-35A Lightning IIF-35 Lightning cruising subsonic into the sunsetF-35A Lightning II demo team schedule
As one of the largest air shows in the United States, the Thunder and Lightning Over Arizona draws some of the most spectacular aerial machines in the world  over to the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, where they are allowed to make a spectacle of themselves for the delight of the crowds.
Over the years, the great names of the U.S. Air Force and other military branches have been present in the air there, but also carmakers, who’ve always had the opportunity to show off their best products on the ground, in a specially designated area.

But this is an air show we’re talking about, after all, and the best spectacle takes place in the sky, where machines fielded by the USAF Thunderbirds or the F-35 Demo Team, among others, show their prowess.

It is from this year’s Thunder and Lightning Over Arizona event, held back in November, that the main pic of this piece comes from. It shows the perfectly sculpted silhouette of the F-35A Lightning II flown by the plane’s demo team commander, Maj. Kristin Wolfe, as the only spec of darkness in an otherwise perfectly blue sky.

We’ve seen this airplane-pilot duo several times before, performing all sorts if incredible stunts all across North America. This time, we’re getting a perfect view of the machine’s upper side, with everything perfectly visible and distinguishable, from the nose and canopy to the rear wings and afterburner.

As said, the F-35 demo team has had a pretty busy year, with outings at 17 events this year, and even more planned for the year ahead. In 2022, we’ll start seeing it in action from February, in Laredo, Texas, and we'll keep doing it on 20 more occasions, until the season comes to an end in November at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
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Editor's note: Gallery includes photos of other F-35s.

About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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