F-35 marks 6 years in Utah skies

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — This week marks six years since the F-35 landed in Utah, making its home at Hill Air Force Base.

“It’s a mind-blowing experience, and you’re told that, but it’s hard to comprehend until you can get in,” said Capt. “Psycho” Habluetzel, whose combat call sign doesn’t match the calm demeanor.

Habluetzel has a job few others can even imagine: flying the most advanced fighter jet the world has ever seen.

That is, if they can see it. While we do hear the engines roaring across the Wasatch front, these fighters are designed to be undetectable.

The stealth technology on the F-35 isn’t the only thing that sets it apart from previous generations like the F-16.

“In the F-35, I look at the screens, and I’m looking at so much information that I can make the right choice most of the time based on that information,” Habluetzel said.

Stepping into the simulator, I got the chance to digest just some of the data flying fast at the pilots working to complete critical missions. The jet is always sniffing, smelling, sensing.It’s pulling a lot of data and a lot of information in all the time.

Above the simulated skies of southern Nevada, I engaged targets on the distant horizon.

Far from just a realistic diversion for guests, lawmakers and dignitaries, this simulator shows the unclassified abilities to keep the edge over the enemy. It tracks every movement from every angle. Six cameras capture high-definition images for review, and the data is stored and analyzed in real time.

It saves lives, too. Ten pilots survived what would have been fatal crashes had it not been for the “automatic lane assist,” in car terms, that keeps the jet from crashing into the ground.

So when you see the flyovers and hear those engines tear across the skies at 700 miles per hour, you’ll know Utah plays a big part in preparing pilots for the risks around the world.

“It truly is an amazing feat,” Habluetzel said. “I personally still look up when I see them and take pictures and videos, and I’ve been doing this for a long time.”