Photo By Martin Zager | Gen. Mike Holmes, the commander of Air Combat Command, congratulates Capt. Kristin...... read more read more
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On October 29, 2023, United States Air Force Major Kristin "Beo" Wolfe completed her final flight as the first female commander of the U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team at Orlando Sanford International Airport, Florida, concluding a notable four years demonstrating the capabilities of the F-35A at over 20 airshows annually around the world.
In honor of Women's History Month, we recognize her contributions in aviation, and explore her role with the F-35 Demo Team.
In 2011, Maj. Wolfe followed in her father’s footsteps by choosing a pilot’s career in the U.S. Air Force after receiving her commission from the University of Alabama’s Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. Before she transitioned to the world of the F-35A, Wolfe flew a wide variety of aircraft, including the T-6 Texan, T-38C Talon and the F-22 Raptor. In total, she has accumulated more than 1,000+ hours of flight time.
The commander of Air Combat Command, General Mike Holmes, certified Major Wolfe as the new pilot and commander of the F-35A Demonstration Team on February 29, 2020, at the Heritage Flight Conference at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. Wolfe was selected based on her leadership abilities and her flight experience.
As the commander of the F-35 Demo Team, Wolfe oversaw a crew of 14 maintainers and supporting personnel that traveled the world with a unique purpose of demonstrating the F-35A's combat capabilities and providing an experience to recruit, retain and inspire thousands of viewers at each airshow.
In 2022, Maj. Wolfe was selected to participate in the U.S. Air Force 75th Anniversary Flyover during Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles, California, and said this about the experience:
"I think everybody in that formation felt really humbled and lucky to be able to do it. We showed up and had one practice flight – they let us fly one time over the stadium the day prior. It was probably only the second flyover I’ve ever done in my whole life, so it was a challenge for sure. Anytime you get with five different airplanes and everyone’s running with different timing methods in their heads, we had to talk about ways to do it and who would control it. It was pretty unique, and when it’s happening you don’t have time to be able to savor the moment, but it’s awesome to have that memory with four of some of my best friends out there."
On March 1, 2024, the F-35 Demo Team announced that U.S. Air Force Capt. Melanie “Mach” Kluesner, an F-35A pilot assigned to the 421st Fighter Squadron, was named the new commander of the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team.
As the F-35 Demo Team transitions to their new commander, the Joint Program Office extends our gratitude to Maj. Kristin “Beo” Wolfe for her dedicated service, both on the ground and in the air, as well as her accomplishments with the F-35 fighter aircraft. She is an inspiration to many and her legacy as a trailblazer for women in aviation will go on for years to come.
| Date Taken: | 03.11.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.11.2024 14:10 |
| Story ID: | 465884 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 1,617 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Maj. Kristin Wolfe: A Trailblazing Legacy in the Skies, by Martin Zager, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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