This year on May 2, F-35s for the first time flew at the Mach Loop, the famous playground for fighter pilots. A group of U.S. Air Force F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah and and Air Force Reserve’s 466th Fighter Squadron, roared through network of deep valleys nestled between the towns of Dolgellau and Machynlleth in west-central Wales, United Kingdom.

This is the first F-35A fighter training deployment to the U.S. European Command area of responsibility or any overseas location as a flying training deployment. The fighters arrived in the United Kingdom on April 15 and they are part of an eight plane unit deployed to Europe. Six of them are located in the UK and two have flown on to tour Estonia and Bulgaria.