IMAGE GALLERY: 2019 Melbourne Air & Space Show Entertains Thousands On Florida’s Space Coast

By  //  April 1, 2019

debut of the U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II Demo Team

ABOVE VIDEO: Air & Space Show in Melbourne on Sunday.

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The 2019 Melbourne Air & Space Show featured the North American debut of the U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II Demo Team when they returned to Orlando-Melbourne International Airport over the weekend.

The F-35 Lightning II, also known as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, is the most advanced fighter aircraft flying in the world today.

2019 is the first year a full capabilities demo of the F-35 was flown by the U.S. military and Melbourne, Florida, which was the first place where the world can see it.

The F-35 is a fifth generation, single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth fighter flown by three branches of the U.S. Department of Defense. It is designed to perform ground attack, aerial intelligence and air defense missions.

There are three variants, the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing model used by the Air Force, the F-35B short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) model used by the Marine Corps and the F-35C carrier-based model used by the Navy.

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“We are honored that Melbourne has been chosen by the U.S. Air Force as the first place in the hemisphere to perform a full demonstration of the F-35,” said Bryan Lilley, Chairman of the National Air, Sea and Space Foundation, organizer of the show.

“We have had quite a run in just six years hosting the Thunderbirds, Blue Angels, two foreign military teams, the North American debut of the Airbus A400M and now the debut of the F-35 Demo Team.”

(Bryan Lober Image)
(Bryan Lober Image)
(Bryan Lober Image)
(Bryan Lober Image)
(Bryan Lober Image)
(Melbourne Air & Space Show Image)
(Melbourne Air & Space Show Image)
(Melbourne Air & Space Show Image)
(Melbourne Air & Space Show Image)
(Melbourne Air & Space Show Image)
(Melbourne Air & Space Show Image)
(Melbourne Air & Space Show Image)
(Melbourne Air & Space Show Image)
(Melbourne Air & Space Show Image)
(Melbourne Air & Space Show Image)
(Melbourne Air & Space Show Image)

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