Vermont Air Guard to train with F-35s at night in March

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - The Vermont Air National Guard will be doing night flight training with the new F-35 fighter jets next month.

The flights will take place from Tuesday, March 3, through Thursday, March 12.

Area residents may see and hear the F-35s taking off from and landing at Burlington International Airport, the Guard said. The operations are scheduled to end at 8 p.m.

The Vermont air guard is the first in the country to receive the stealthy F-35 fighters. The first two planes arrived at the Burlington International Airport in September.

The Air Guard flies at night “to maintain night tactical proficiency,” said Lt. Col. Anthony Marek, commander of the 134th Fighter Squadron. “This is especially important during this time of F-35 transition - we must learn how to employ tactical advantages gained from the F-35 during both day and night operations.”