U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Kirsten Eissman, 58th Fighter Squadron F-35A student pilot, and Col. Byron Pompa, 33rd Operations Group commander, perform a preflight check on an F-35A Lightning II prior to takeoff at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, March 15, 2021. The current student pilots in the initial qualification training spent months in preparation, including realistic simulation flights and classwork. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Colleen Coulthard)