Lockheed Martin F-35 Flight Test Progress Report. Several flight test and production key milestones were accomplished since the last report

FORT WORTH, Texas, September 20th, 2011 -- Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] F-35 flight test program moves closer to reaching year-end milestones since the last update issued July 26. Since then, the F-35 Lightning II 5TH Generation multirole fighter conducted 124 test flights, bringing the total number of flights for the year to 642.

Overall, the F-35 system development and demonstration (SDD) flight test remains on or ahead of plan for 2011, despite 15 days of testing lost due to fleet stand-down after a ground mishap involving the Integrated Power Package (IPP). Flight testing was also interrupted at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Md., because of an Aug. 23 earthquake and severe weather associated with Hurricane Irene. During this period of down time, the flight test teams at all locations continued working through planned modifications and maintenance.

As of Aug. 31, the fleet remained 8 percent ahead of plan in year-to-date (YTD) flights.

Several flight test and production key milestones were accomplished since the last report:

BF-1 performed a 40 foot hover in calm winds and two vertical landings (VL) for the 150th VL to date on Aug. 31.
AF-10 and AF-11 were delivered to Eglin AFB, Fla., Aug. 31. They join AF-8 and AF-9 assigned to the 33d Fighter Wing.
Static testing was completed on the F-35C Lightning II carrier variant (CV) ground article CG-1 at Lockheed Martin Fort Worth, Texas, Aug. 29. With this achievement, the F-35 Program has accomplished its static structural testing milestone for 2011.
Jet Blast Deflector (JBD) testing was completed by F-35 CV aircraft CF-2 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. from June 25-August 13. CF-2 successfully completed this portion of JBD tests required to ensure the F-35C is compatible aboard an aircraft carrier.
AF-7 completed its last flight of currently required conventional take off and landing (CTOL) maturity flights on Aug. 31.
Cumulative flight test activity totals for 2011 are provided below:

F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) jets have flown 314 times.
F-35B short takeoff/ vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft have completed 226 flights.
F-35C carrier variant (CV) jets have flown 102 times.
From the start of flight testing in December 2006 through September 16, 2011, F-35s flew 1,202 times, including the production-model flights and AA-1, the original flight test aircraft.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5TH Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 126,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

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Boeing-led Team Delivers 1st Peace Eye AEW&C Aircraft to Republic of Korea Air Force

ROKAF BASE GIMHAE, South Korea, Sept. 21, 2011 -- A team led by Boeing [NYSE: BA] today delivered the first Peace Eye 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF).

The aircraft was delivered during a ceremony attended by officials from the ROKAF, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the South Korean and U.S. governments, industry partners and Boeing at ROKAF Base Gimhae, the main operating base for the Peace Eye fleet.
"Peace Eye increases South Korea's self-defense capacity with powerful airborne-surveillance and battle-management capabilities that will help enhance the security of the Korean peninsula," said Randy Price, Peace Eye program manager for Boeing. "Working closely with the ROKAF, DAPA, the U.S. government and our Korean industry partners was key to making today's milestone a reality."

Three additional Peace Eye aircraft are being modified by Korean Aerospace Industries in Sacheon, Korea, and will be delivered to the ROKAF in 2012.

The Peace Eye program includes four 737 AEW&C aircraft plus ground support segments for mission crew training, mission support and system maintenance. 737 AEW&C aircraft also are in production for the governments of Australia and Turkey.

Based on the Boeing Next-Generation 737-700 commercial airplane, the 737 AEW&C aircraft is designed to provide airborne battle-management capability with an advanced multirole electronically scanned radar and 10 state-of-the-art mission crew consoles that are able to track airborne and maritime targets simultaneously. The mission crew can direct offensive and defensive forces while maintaining continuous surveillance of the operational area.

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Boeing Promotes New Approach for Future Aviation Training

New methods help meet demand for flight instructors and aviation personnel
BANGKOK, Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) today called upon the aviation industry for a revised approach to training that includes the use of online and mobile devices to meet the demand for aviation personnel over the next 20 years. Speaking at the Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium in Bangkok, Roei Ganzarski, chief customer officer, Boeing Flight Services, said the industry must focus on adopting newer methods of instruction that have proven successful in other fields.

Boeing forecasts the need for tens of thousands of flight instructors over the next 20 years to meet demands for new capable and well-qualified airline pilots worldwide.
"We must advance the training profession in order to attract and retain the passionate and competent talent needed to train the vast numbers of aviation personnel required," said Ganzarski.  "We need to train them in a way that is adaptable to a generation steeped in mobile and on-line technology."

Boeing research into pilot training around the world highlights the critical role an instructor plays in the learning and performance of pilots.

"It should no longer be about an instructor's number of flying hours. The next wave of professional instructors should place greater emphasis on student aptitude to ensure students reach their fullest potential," Ganzarski said.

The 2011 Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook indicates that by 2030 the global aviation industry will require 460,000 new commercial airline pilots and 650,000 new commercial airline maintenance technicians. To meet the demand for new pilots, Boeing estimates that the training industry will need a minimum of 1,200 new pilot instructors every year for the next twenty years.

Boeing Flight Services, a business unit of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services, is aligned with customer's flight operations function and offers integrated products and services to drive optimized performance, efficiency and safety, ranging from advanced training to improved airspace efficiency and infrastructure, airline operations, flight planning, navigation and scheduling.

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