F-35 night flights scheduled for today, Thursday

April 13, 2022 | By Maj. Meghan Smith | News Release

U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II pilot assigned to the 134th Fighter Squadron, Vermont Air National Guard, prepares for launch during routine flying operations at the Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, on March 30. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Michael Davis

SOUTH BURLINGTON - The Vermont Air National Guard will conduct night flying on Wednesday, April 13, and Thursday, April 14, with two takeoff and landing periods scheduled between 3 and 10 p.m.

There are no scheduled morning flights on these dates.

“Night flying is a critical component of our training and fulfilling our comprehensive readiness requirements,” said Col. David Shevchik, Jr., 158th Fighter Wing Commander. “We must ensure our team is ready to respond in any environment or situation, for our state and nation, and we also understand that we must balance this with the impact our training has on the community.”

Airmen of the 158th Fighter Wing conduct training in day and night time conditions to accomplish federal training requirements and sustain the skills necessary to accomplish the variety of missions assigned to the Air Force's cornerstone fighter, the F-35.

“Our ability to deploy in support of ongoing missions in Europe with NATO allies and partners is a direct result of our daily training," Shevchik said. “We are honored to answer our nation's call to deter aggression, provide stability, and promote peace in the region."

Information about the flying schedule, efforts to balance the impact on the communities, and additional information is available at vtguard.com/F35.

Maj. Meghan Smith is with the 158th Fighter Wing of the Vermont Air National Guard.