Lockheed Martin, Honeywell offer simulated ride on F-35 fighter jet
May 28, 2015, 7:51 PM | Updated: 7:55 pm
PHOENIX — Lockheed Martin and Honeywell Aerospace offered a first-hand look inside the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet on Thursday.
Lockheed Martin, which designed and constructs the F-35, set up a simulator at the headquarters of Honeywell Aerospace near Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix to give some of Honeywell’s workers and other guests a chance to take the jet on a simulated flight.
“(Honeywell workers) build bits and pieces and parts of the airplane and they don’t necessarily ever see the end product,” said Robert Rubino, the director of the U.S. Navy F-35 Program for Lockheed Martin. “So we have the ability to bring the cockpit in here, let them fly it and it gets them motivated to say, ‘Hey, what I’m doing makes a difference to the guys and girls that are actually going to fly this airplane.'”
U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) was in attendance and tried his hand at the flying the jet. He said it was an impressive experience.
