First Female F-35 Pilot Takes Flight

Daily Mail: Trailblazing female Air Force pilot makes history as first woman to fly new F-35 fighter jet

* Lt. Col. Christine Mau got inside the cockpit of the new F-35 Lightning II on Tuesday for her first flight
* Mau is the first woman to fly the new fighter jet, which will replace the older F-16s and A-10s starting next year
* Mau is a decorated Airwoman, having also served in the first all-female air mission in Afghanistan in 2011

Air Force Lt. Col. Christine Mau became the first woman to fly the military's new state-of-the-art fighter jet at Florida's Elgin base on Tuesday.

The Air Force is currently testing out the F-35 Lightning II - a fighter jet that can fly at speeds over 1,200 mph - ahead of its planned replacement of the older F-16 and A-10 planes starting next year.

Before Mau's flight on Tuesday, only 87 male pilots had taken the high-powered plane for test flights and she prepared for her first go in the jet by conducting 14 virtual training missions on a flight simulator.

More News On The First Female F-35 Pilot

This Air Force pilot just became the first woman to fly Lockheed's F-35 fighter jet -- Business Insider/Reuters
Christine Mau Becomes First U.S. Female Pilot to Fly F-35 Lightning II Jet -- NBC
Air Force has its first female F-35 pilot: ‘You just have to perform’ -- Washington Times
Air Force announces first female F-35 pilot -- The Hill
Air Force Announces First Ever Female F-35 Fighter Jet Pilot, Lt. Col. Christine Mau -- Huffington Post
First Woman in US Military History to Fly F-35 Jet -- Sputnik
Who is Christine Mau? First US Female Pilot To Fly Lightning II Fighter Jet -- IBTimes