Don Bacon said:
"@Spaz
Certainly such an important decision point as weather certification for the F-35, after twelve years in development, to actually fly in bad weather and in clouds is a matter of record, besides the sketchy "decision news" above.
Where is the evidence of the "decision?" Perhaps they decided to fly in clouds next year, only with pilots who have accumulated a hundred hours? Or what?"
Heheh. I thought you were going to come back with your hook conspiracy. Oh well - disappointment sets in - I'll go look for whatever you require but I'll guess it will not be good enough eh. As I mentioned the 'lightning' problem is being solved so the F-35s will have to remain clear of potential lightning (some 25 miles?)
AFAIK, especially on ground special precautions have to be made re lightning. And by the way where are these lists of 'matters of record'?
Flying in cloud and at night means flying in IMC Instrument Meterological Conditions using IFR Instrument Flight Rules when different pilots will have different experience/training which will perhaps limit their individual abilities to fly to certain minimum criteria - such as decision height and distance for landing - emerging from cloud/rain near the runway after a precision instrument approach for example. One day with JPALS things will get a lot easier for automatic precision instrument landings especially on aircraft carriers (precision similar to what we have seen with the recent X-47B tests onboard).