Go Bold #23: USAF Colonel (Ret) Jon Wheeler on F-35 and next generation fighter training

We are joined by U.S. Air Force Colonel (Ret) Jon "Press" Wheeler, who we first featured in Episode #21.Colonel Wheeler is a highly decorated fighter pilot who flew the F-16 Falcon, and he was one of the initial cadre of pilots selected to fly the F-35 in the United States Air Force (USAF). Colonel Wheeler served as the Wing Commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, which was the first to train pilots for the F-35, so needless to say, he is a highly regarded subject matter expert.The release of this episode is timed between the Tailhook Association Hook '22 Symposium, and the upcoming Air Force Association 2022 Air, Space & Cyber Conference. This is important because our discussion will describe some of the differences between 4th and 5th Generation aircraft, and will specifically speak to some of the capabilities of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. We'll talk about the unique training challenges that come with operating 5th Generation fighters -- these issues face the U.S. Navy, the USAF, and all allied nations who have selected the F-35, let alone future next generation aircraft.You'll hear why it is important that Allied forces upgrade their training systems to best leverage the capabilities of 5th Generation aircraft, and why decision makers must understand the incredible value of blended training environments which incorporate Synthetic Inject To Live (SITL) and Live, Virtual and Constructive (LVC) elements so warfighters get the most realistic and efficient training possible to effectively employ the incredible capabilities of new and next generation aircraft.This is an important topic, so we hope you find this episode informative.Our thanks to Colonel Wheeler for sharing his insight with us.Go Bold!