The German Air Force’s first F-35A Lightning II conducted its maiden flight from Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facilities, ahead of the official rollout later this month.
Germany’s F-35 Lightning II program achieved a new milestone with the maiden flight of the country’s first F-35A on Sept. 8, 2026. The aircraft flew from Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facilities, days after being rolled out of the assembly line and receiving its final livery.
Local aviation photographer Eric Kilpatrick captured photos and videos of the historic first flight and kindly shared them with us.
