For Major Craig Turner, manning the cockpit of an F-35B fighter jet is just one more way he has taken his family legacy to the next level.
Coming from a long line of pilots, Maj. Turner says his first time behind the yoke was when he was under a year old, and he’s got the pictures to prove it.
“I remember growing up and going to my grandparents' apartment and looking at the pictures of my Granddad flying the P-51 Mustang in World War II,” Turner said. “Unfortunately, my father is not with us anymore, but I know he’d be proud of where I am today.”
Hailing from Oakland, California, Turner went to flight school in 2008 and began flying F-35s 11 years later.
“The freedom [flying] provides, being able to go anywhere I want, is just completely awe-inspiring to me,” he said.
Now, when he’s not doing airshows, he focuses on training the next generation of aviators in the Marine Corps, a branch he chose because of his older brother’s service in the same branch.
“I find the job and role so rewarding, training the next generation of F-35 pilots to be the most capable pilots they can be,” Turner said.
