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Flying the F-35B simulator

Hovering slowly and precisely along the taxiway I couldn’t help but be reminded of the time I flew a Harrier T.Mk10. I’d thought that the Harrier was an incredible flying machine, but the F-35 is something else!

In fact, as soon as I sat down onto the Martin-Baker Mk16 ejection seat it was immediately apparent that the F-35’s cockpit is unlike that of any other fighter I’ve flown. Of course, I should qualify that observation by making it clear that although I’ve been lucky enough to fly about a dozen different fighters and fighter trainers, powered by piston, turboprop and jet-engines, I am not a fighter pilot.