F-35 To Make Civil Airshow Debut at EAA AirVenture

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II will make its first civilian airshow appearance in the United States at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., this summer, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) announced.

The single-engine F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variant, based with the U.S. Air Force’s 33r^d Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is scheduled to arrive midway through the event, which will be held from July 20 to 26.

The fifth-generation fighter will join the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor twin-engine fighter and Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bomber among featured military aircraft at the event. The B-52 will also be making its first appearance as a ground display.

“EAA AirVenture attendees have often seen the latest military aircraft make appearances at Oshkosh over the past 30 years,” said Rick Larsen, EAA vice president of communities and member services. “The addition of the F-35 as a highlight further fortifies AirVenture as an unmatched event to see a group of aircraft in one place that you can see nowhere else in the world.”