AirForce Times648557<div class="images-v2-count-1"><div class="content-picture image-v2-number-1" id="image-38815"> <div class="social_icons social-buttons-on-image">
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<a class="fancybox" rel="1ca2b433037d30e425c87148e809a608" href="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/038/815/for_gallery_v2/635665230439570894-first-female-F-35-pilot.jpg"><img src="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/038/815/large_v3/635665230439570894-first-female-F-35-pilot.jpg" alt="635665230439570894 first female f 35 pilot" /></a></div></div>From: Air Force Times<br /><br />The first female F-35 pilot has taken flight.<br /><br />Air Force Lt. Col. Christine Mau, deputy commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing Operations group, flew her first flight in an F-35A on May 5 at the pilot training school at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.<br /><br />Mau, previously an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot, completed 14 simulator flights before taking to the skies.<br /><br />"It wasn't until I was taxiing to the runway that it really struck me that I was on my own in the jet," Mau said in an Eglin news release. "I had a chase aircraft, but there was no weapons system officer or instructor pilot sitting behind me, and no one in my ear like in simulators."<br /><br />Mau is the first female pilot in the F-35 program, which includes the Navy, Marine Corps and allied nations.<br /><br />"Flying is a great equalizer," Mau said in the release. "The plane doesn't know or care about your gender as a pilot, nor do the ground troops who need your support. You just have to perform. That's all anyone cares about when you're up there – that you can do your job, and that you do it exceptionally well."<br /><br />Mau has extensive combat experience in other aircraft, including being a part of the Air Force's first all-female combat sortie. In 2011 in Afghanistan, Mau worked with an all-female team of pilots, weapons systems officers, maintainers and mission planners on a close air support mission to help coalition and Afghan forces in Kunar Valley, Afghanistan.<br /><br />Mau is the latest of 87 Air Force pilots trained on the F-35 at Eglin. The jet is slated for initial operating capability next year, with pilots also training at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/05/06/first-air-force-female-f35-pilot/70894940/">http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/05/06/first-air-force-female-f35-pilot/70894940/</a>First female F-35 pilot completes initial flight2015-05-07T10:22:11-04:00AirForce Times648557<div class="images-v2-count-1"><div class="content-picture image-v2-number-1" id="image-38815"> <div class="social_icons social-buttons-on-image">
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<a class="fancybox" rel="e9cee2db7e61ea4a14d91dbf76c682ba" href="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/038/815/for_gallery_v2/635665230439570894-first-female-F-35-pilot.jpg"><img src="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/038/815/large_v3/635665230439570894-first-female-F-35-pilot.jpg" alt="635665230439570894 first female f 35 pilot" /></a></div></div>From: Air Force Times<br /><br />The first female F-35 pilot has taken flight.<br /><br />Air Force Lt. Col. Christine Mau, deputy commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing Operations group, flew her first flight in an F-35A on May 5 at the pilot training school at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.<br /><br />Mau, previously an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot, completed 14 simulator flights before taking to the skies.<br /><br />"It wasn't until I was taxiing to the runway that it really struck me that I was on my own in the jet," Mau said in an Eglin news release. "I had a chase aircraft, but there was no weapons system officer or instructor pilot sitting behind me, and no one in my ear like in simulators."<br /><br />Mau is the first female pilot in the F-35 program, which includes the Navy, Marine Corps and allied nations.<br /><br />"Flying is a great equalizer," Mau said in the release. "The plane doesn't know or care about your gender as a pilot, nor do the ground troops who need your support. You just have to perform. That's all anyone cares about when you're up there – that you can do your job, and that you do it exceptionally well."<br /><br />Mau has extensive combat experience in other aircraft, including being a part of the Air Force's first all-female combat sortie. In 2011 in Afghanistan, Mau worked with an all-female team of pilots, weapons systems officers, maintainers and mission planners on a close air support mission to help coalition and Afghan forces in Kunar Valley, Afghanistan.<br /><br />Mau is the latest of 87 Air Force pilots trained on the F-35 at Eglin. The jet is slated for initial operating capability next year, with pilots also training at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/05/06/first-air-force-female-f35-pilot/70894940/">http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/05/06/first-air-force-female-f35-pilot/70894940/</a>First female F-35 pilot completes initial flight2015-05-07T10:22:11-04:002015-05-07T10:22:11-04:00GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad648782<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Congrats to Lt. Col. Mau ... well done!!!Response by GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad made May 7 at 2015 11:34 AM2015-05-07T11:34:35-04:002015-05-07T11:34:35-04:00SGT Marc Liebhold4045814<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>As a former ground pounder, all I have to say to LTC Christine Mau is, Thank You and Congratulations!Response by SGT Marc Liebhold made Oct 14 at 2018 6:59 PM2018-10-14T18:59:39-04:002018-10-14T18:59:39-04:00SrA Ronald Moore6201446<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Congratulations for the Achievement Lt Col Christine May, Expert job done !Response by SrA Ronald Moore made Aug 13 at 2020 4:20 AM2020-08-13T04:20:50-04:002020-08-13T04:20:50-04:00SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D6616665<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Remember one thing, you are never alone for God is always with you and will be+Response by SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D made Dec 29 at 2020 4:31 PM2020-12-29T16:31:17-05:002020-12-29T16:31:17-05:00SFC Randy Hellenbrand7294848<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Women do have faster reflexes than men. Fly high Sir.Response by SFC Randy Hellenbrand made Sep 24 at 2021 4:05 PM2021-09-24T16:05:05-04:002021-09-24T16:05:05-04:002015-05-07T10:22:11-04:00