On Thursday, April 16, 2026, the press service of the Finnish Air Force (Ilmavoimat) announced that, the day before, at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, the first Finnish pilot had carried out a training flight at the controls of a Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II multirole aircraft.
Photo: Ilmavoimat
The F-35A Block 4 TR3, bearing manufacturer serial number MF-2 and service serial number JF-502, took off at 2:17 p.m. local time.
“It was great finally to get to fly the F-35 after several months of theoretical and simulator training. The aircraft’s performance made an immediate impression during the takeoff roll, with the afterburner accelerating the jet to takeoff speed at full power. Handling felt easy and intuitive in all phases of flight. That is a valuable characteristic, because it allows the pilot to focus primarily on carrying out the task at hand instead of simply flying the aircraft. After the flight, it was fantastic to see the Finnish and American personnel working at Ebbing Base waiting on the apron. It was a powerful reminder of the tremendous effort by many different personnel groups that preceded this first flight,” said the pilot who flew the aircraft.
In February 2026, the First Instructor Division of the Finnish Air Force began the theoretical and simulator phase of initial F-35 training at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The pilot who became the first Finn to fly the F-35A describes this stage as demanding and intensive, but also rewarding.
“The training has progressed at a steady pace, and there will certainly be plenty to study even long after the initial training phase. At this stage, in addition to type training and emergency procedures training, the instruction has also covered tactical flight operations, where we have been able to take a deeper look at the new capabilities the F-35 brings to Finland’s air defense. The American instructors have been experienced, knowledgeable, and clearly also accustomed to working with foreign students,” he said.
A total of about 150 Finns, pilots and technical personnel, are undergoing initial F-35 training in the United States. Around 20 of them are instructors, and their group training in the United States will continue until early 2028.
