New warbirds coming to Lemoore Naval Air Station
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Florida (KFSN) -- Lemoore will soon be home to the world's most technologically advanced military fighting machine.
The U.S. Navy is basing 100 of its new F-35 Strike Fighters at Lemoore Naval Air Station. Training on these jets is already underway at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
The high tech helmets the pilots wear may be as important as the planes themselves.
At first glance, these helmets don't look too impressive. But with two visors and made of carbon fiber, there's nothing ordinary about them.
"For this airplane you cannot fly without the helmet display," said Cmdr. Rick Crecelius, commanding officer of VFA-101.
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F-35 Strike Fighters require a high tech helmet for pilots. One of the visors is actually a screen where critical flight information is projected. Images from cameras mounted around the plane are also projected onto that screen. Sensors in the helmet know exactly what camera to show the pilot.
Cmdr. Rick Crecelius said, "You can physically look down and see the floor of the aircraft but you'll also be able to see a projected image of what the camera sees straight underneath the aircraft."
Lt. William Snead added, "It's kind of like wearing a Lamborghini on your head."
The cost is close to the cost of a Lamborghini too - each custom-made helmet cost $500,000. The military says you can't have the plane without the helmet.
"The pilot sits in the jet and you become part of it you're seamless part of it and the helmet's part of that," said Lt. William Snead.
The military says the F-35s are basically flying computers, which is why these helmets are required. Each pilot has his or her head measured and the visors are laser cut to fit perfectly. It's designed for both day and night vision. Bringing critical information closer than your fingertips.
Lemoore Naval Air Station will start building infrastructure for the F-35 Strike Fighters at the end of November, and the first jets should arrive at the base in 2016.
