De nye norske kampflyene lander på norsk jord høsten 2017. Jeg har blitt intervjuet av nettsiden Airheadsfly.com om hvordan vi forbereder oss til å bringe flyene hjem.

Det blir en stor begivenhet når vi flyr maskinene over Atlanterhavet og lander i Norge for første gang. Luftforsvaret planlegger mottaksseremonien, men detaljene vil komme etter hvert.

I intervjuet med Airheadsfly forteller jeg om hvordan treningen av flygere er lagt opp på Luke Air Force Base. Jeg forteller også om hvordan vi har tenkt å gå fram når vi endelig får flyene hjem og skal begynne trening og testing på Ørland.

Her er et lite utdrag fra intervjuet:

AHF: So you guys will bring the F-35 to Norway later this year. How are you preparing for the ferry flight and subsequent operations in Norway?

Hanche: “We are on track, in terms of both educating technicians and pilots and preparing for the first aircraft arrival. The Norwegian Air Force prepares to bring its first three F-35s to Norwegian soil in November 2017. As usual, we will buy tanker support for the transit leg across the Atlantic.”

AHF: In what way will the Norwegian public be introduced to the F-35?

Hanche: “There will be a reception ceremony at Ørland Main Air Station in south-central Norway, near Trondheim, in November. The planning is however still in the initial phase so we will release more details later.”

AHF: In what way does training in Luke prepare pilots for the Norwegian theater? What adaptations are needed?

Hanche: “The basic course at Luke will prepare our Norwegian students for the role as a wingman – a pilot who is qualified to fly the entire width of the tactical spectrum in the F-35. However, we will have to add on some aspects when we get our young pilots back home to Norway. One perspective is that the perpetual summer conditions found here in Arizona do not lay the foundation for solid instrument flying procedures. Therefore, we will put significant emphasis on brushing up this basic skill, combined with flying in adverse weather conditions. We do not foresee a checkout requirement for the drag chute, but it still has to be done. Lastly, we will focus on training our young pilots on more specific procedures, like executing NATO Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) missions.”

Hele intervjuet kan leses her. Hvordan mener du vi bør motta de norske kampflyene? Del med oss på Twitter!