A Finnish Air Force pilot completed his maiden training flight in a Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation stealth fighter at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on April 15, 2026, marking a significant milestone in the Republic of Finland’s complete transition from Boeing F/A-18 Hornet fourth-generation fighters to an all-F-35A Lightning II fighter fleet scheduled for completion by 2030.
Finland Is All in on the F-35
Fighter pilots are a world apart from you and me. These guys and gals have the right stuff and are driven by talent, ambition, courage, selfless service, and a spirit of adventure, like no other military officers around the world. They are often defined by the kind of jet they fly, and sometimes folks assigned to older airframes yearn to fly the world’s most modern airplanes.
Lightning in a Bottle
F-35 Fun and Sun Lakeland 19FortyFive.com Photo Taken on 4/19/2026
That’s why it was so exciting for a Finnish pilot recently. He flew his first training mission in an F-35A Lightning II, and you could imagine his delight when operating such a great airplane.
He made his maiden F-35A flight on April 15 at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
He Was Used to His Trusty F/A-18
Finland, now a NATO ally, has long operated the F/A-18 fourth-generation fighter.
This is no airplane to sneeze at. While it is not updated to the E/F standard, the F/A-18 Hornet is a quality fighter with great speed, maneuverability, and dogfighting and surface-strike capabilities.
Getting Trained Up in America
The Finnish pilot has endured a long training period in the United States.
This included months of simulators and classroom instruction at Eglin Air Force Base near Valparaiso, Florida.
The Finns have big plans for their F-35 program. The Finnish air force has sent 150 personnel to the United States, including aviators and ground maintenance crews, to prepare to face down Russia and police the skies around their home country.
This training will continue until 2028.
F-35 fighters. Image Credit: 19FortyFive.com taken by Harry J. Kazianis. Original Photo.
Lots of Fun at the Stick
The Finnish pilot is an elite officer. He has been an F/A-18 test pilot and instructor. The F-35 wowed him from the very beginning of his first flight. When the stealth fighter took off, he was plenty jazzed.
“It was great to finally fly the F-35 after months of theory and simulator training. The aircraft’s performance was impressive right from the takeoff roll, as the afterburner accelerated the aircraft to take-off speed at full power. The controls felt easy and intuitive throughout the flight. This is a good feature, as it allows the pilot to focus primarily on completing the task at hand rather than just flying the aircraft. After the flight, it was great to see the Finnish and American sections working on the apron at the Ebbing base. This was a great reminder of the great work that many different personnel groups have put in leading up to this maiden flight, says the pilot who flew the aircraft,” the pilot said.
Flying the F-35 Is No Easy Feat
His training in America prepared him well for the F-35. The airplane has been described as a “flying computer,” and just getting familiar with the cockpit was a challenge.
But he was prepared for his duty and will be able to train his countrymen on flying the F-35, too.
F-35 fighter. Image Credit: 19FortyFive.com taken by Harry J. Kazianis. Original Photo.
“The training has progressed at a steady pace, and there is certainly still plenty to learn long after the initial training. At this stage, the training has covered not only type and emergency procedures training, but also tactical flight operations, where we have been able to delve deeper into the new capabilities that the F-35 has brought to the Finnish Air Defence. The US instructors have been experienced, knowledgeable, and clearly also used to working with foreign students,” he explained.
No-one Else On Board
The Finnish pilot was wondering what it would be like to operate the F-35 as a single-seat pilot. He has been an experienced aviator for years and wondered how he would do on a solo flight.
“As a test pilot, I am, of course, trained to fly new aircraft types without extensive type training, but the single-seat nature of the F-35 added a unique element of excitement to the first flight. Unlike when flying the Hornet for the first time, you cannot have an instructor with you in the F-35. This highlighted the importance of simulator training, and it was nice to see that training in the simulator prepared you well for the first flight,” he said.
More International Partners for the F-35
Eight F-35As will be at the Ebbing base, and more Finnish pilots will be able to fly them in the coming years. Since Finland is a member of NATO, interoperability with other allied countries that also fly the F-35 will be ensured.
This was just what the United States envisioned with its F-35 international sales program, which now includes 19 partners flying the Lightning II.
The first Finnish F-35s will join the air force this fall. By 2030, the Finnish air force will exclusively fly the F-35, and the F/A-18 will be phased out.
This is good news for the Nordic country. Finland has been a long-time rival of Russia, and the F-35 will be an important asset in the 2030s. We can only sense the enthusiasm that other Finnish pilots will have for the Lightning II.
It’s not every day people get to fly the fifth-generation fighter, and the aviators will be busy in the coming months learning the ins and outs of the F-35. Consider this another U.S. ally that will enjoy the F-35’s stealth capabilities, and this will have an outsized effect on NATO’s overall air strength.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood, PhD
Author of now over 3,500 articles on defense issues, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: A Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
