Art Tomassetti
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Arthur Tomassetti (born 1964) is a retired
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
, combat veteran, and
test pilot A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testin ...
who is notable for his work on the
Joint Strike Fighter Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is a development and acquisition program intended to replace a wide range of existing fighter, strike, and ground attack aircraft for the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Australia, the Netherlan ...
(JSF) and
F35 Lightning II The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, supersonic stealth strike fighters. A multirole combat aircraft designed for both air superiority and strike missions, it also has electronic warf ...
. During twenty-one years on the programs, he worked in key roles developing pilot interfaces, testing aircraft capabilities, fielding aircraft to operational units, and establishing the F-35 training organization that certifies US and international pilots and maintainers. Tomassetti set multiple records and is the first Marine to have flown all three variants of the
Lockheed Martin X-35 The Lockheed Martin X-35 is a concept demonstrator aircraft (CDA) developed by Lockheed Martin for the Joint Strike Fighter program. The X-35 was declared the winner over the competing Boeing X-32 and a developed, armed version went on to enter ...
. He completed the final leg of the first
cross-country flight Cross-country flying ( XC flying) is a type of distance flying which is performed in a powered aircraft on legs over a given distance and in operations between two points using navigational techniques; and an unpowered aircraft (paraglider, hang g ...
of the X35C and is the only test pilot to have flown all three variants of the X35 in addition to the F-35. Tomassetti was the pilot of the first-ever mission to combine short takeoff, level supersonic dash, and vertical landing in a single flight. Tomassetti served in increasingly responsible positions in the aerospace industry and was president of the
Society of Experimental Test Pilots The Society of Experimental Test Pilots is an international organization that seeks to promote air safety and contributes to aeronautical advancement by promoting sound aeronautical design and development; interchanging ideas, thoughts and sugges ...
. He was also recognized as a fellow of the society and received its Tony LeVier Flight Test Safety Award.


Early life and education

Tomassetti was born in 1964 in
Port Chester, New York Port Chester is a administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the largest part of the town of Rye (town), New York, Rye in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County by populati ...
, a
village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
in the south-east part of the state on its border with
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
. He had childhood ambitions of becoming an
astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a List of human spaceflight programs, human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member of a spa ...
. NASA's early astronauts were selected from the ranks of military test pilots, and Tomassetti felt that following this path could increase his chances of success. Tomassetti went to St. Thomas Aquinas High School, a private,
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
,
college-preparatory A college-preparatory school (often shortened to prep school, preparatory school, college prep school or college prep academy) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily design ...
high school in Florida. He attended
Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...
in Illinois and was accepted into the
Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps The Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. Origins A pilot Naval Reserve unit was established in September 1924 ...
(NROTC). Tomassetti graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and a commission in the
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
(USMC). Tomassetti credited his instructors and mentors at these facilities with teaching him important lessons in teamwork, commitment, and doing one's best. During his military career, Tomassetti attended the Expeditionary Warfare School at
Marine Corps University Marine Corps University is a military education university system of the United States Marine Corps. It is part of the Naval University System and accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools t ...
in Quantico, Virginia, in 1994. He also earned a Master of Science degree in aviation systems from the
University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...
in 2001 and graduated from the USMC Command and Staff College in 2002.


Military career


AV-8B Harrier II

In 1986, Tomassetti entered
active duty Active duty, in contrast to reserve duty, is a full-time occupation as part of a military force. Indian The Indian Armed Forces are considered to be one of the largest active service forces in the world, with almost 1.42 million Active Standin ...
and attended
The Basic School The Basic School (TBS) is where all newly commissioned and appointed (for warrant officers) United States Marine Corps officers are taught the basics of being an "Officer of Marines." The Basic School is located in Stafford County, Virginia to ...
. In 1987, he was selected to attend flight training at
Naval Air Station Chase Field Naval Air Station Chase Field is a former naval air station located in unincorporated Bee County, Texas, near Beeville. It was named for Lieutenant Commander Nathan Brown Chase, Naval Aviator #37, who died in 1925 while developing carrier landi ...
in Beeville, Texas, and transitioned to training in the
AV-8B Harrier II The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft that constitutes the second generation of the Harrier family, capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL). The aircraft is primaril ...
in 1988 at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina. From 1989 to 1991, Tomassetti was assigned as a flight officer in the "Tigers" of
VMA-542 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 542 (VMFA-542) is a United States Marine Corps Aviation fighter attack squadron flying the F-35B Lightning II. VMFA-542 is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and falls under the comma ...
with whom he made deployments to the Western Pacific and
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
.


Gulf War

Less than a week after Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990, VMA-542 was ordered to deploy to the Persian Gulf in support of
Operation Desert Shield , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
. With the squadron of twenty AV-8Bs, Tomassetti flew from North Carolina to southern
Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
and arrived at Sheik Isa Air Base on August 21. He spent the next two months preparing for combat by flying training missions and "standing alerts" in which pilots took turns sitting in or near their armed aircraft, ready to
scramble Scramble, Scrambled, or Scrambling may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Scramble'' (film), a 1970 British children's sports drama * ''Scrambled'' (film), a 2023 American comedy-drama * ''Scrambled!'', a British children' ...
on short notice in the event of hostilities. The squadron moved closer to the expected area of conflict on November 4–5, repositioning to the King Abdul Aziz Naval Base and airfield complex in
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
near the Kuwaiti border. Tomassetti and the squadron continued to fly training sorties with a focus on
close air support Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires ...
missions intended to protect ground troops that would soon engage enemy forces. The combat phase of the
Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
, Operation Desert Storm, began on the morning of January 17, 1991. VMA-542's first combat missions began a few hours later and continued on every day of the conflict. Tomassetti's missions were split between close air support under the direction of a
forward air control Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...
ler and armed reconnaissance within a designated
kill box In weaponry, a kill box is a three-dimensional target area, defined to facilitate the integration of coordinated joint weapons fire.
where any identifiable targets could be attacked. Desert Storm ended on February 28; in the 43 days of combat throughout the Kuwaiti theatre of operations, Tomassetti completed 39 combat missions in the AV-8B. He returned home after the Gulf War and performed in various roles of increasing responsibility with a focus on weapons and the tactics to effectively employ them. In 1992, he attended the USMC Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course at
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma Marine Corps Air Station Yuma or MCAS Yuma is a United States Marine Corps air station in Arizona. It is the home of multiple squadrons of F-35B Lightning IIs of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 (MA ...
and conveyed these lessons to the pilots of VMA-542 and VMA-513.


Test pilot

Tomassetti continued to pursue his goal of becoming a test pilot. He applied to the highly competitive program but was turned down. Despite being discouraged, Tomassetti persisted and was accepted on his seventh request. He attended the
United States Naval Test Pilot School The United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS), located at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River in Patuxent River, Maryland, provides instruction to experienced United States Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, and foreign military experim ...
at Patuxent River, Maryland, and graduated with class 112 in December 1997. Tomassetti's next assignment was anticipated to be testing updates to legacy aircraft, but he unexpectedly received an offer to join the
Joint Strike Fighter Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is a development and acquisition program intended to replace a wide range of existing fighter, strike, and ground attack aircraft for the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Australia, the Netherlan ...
(JSF) effort. Although his role on the team was not defined, Tomassetti chose the rare opportunity to work on a new aircraft that had not yet left the
drawing board A drawing board (also drawing table, drafting table or architect's table) is, in its antique form, a kind of multipurpose desk which can be used for any kind of drawing, writing or impromptu sketching on a large sheet of paper or for reading a la ...
.


X-35 demonstrators

The competition phase of the Joint Strike Fighter program was underway in 1997 while Tomassetti was a student at the test pilot school. The scope of the effort was considerable, intended to replace a wide range of existing fighter, strike and ground attack aircraft, including the Air Force's F16s and A-10s; the Marine Corps' AV-8Bs, F/A-18s, and EA-6Bs; and the Navy's F/A-18A/B/C/Ds. To reduce risk, two concept demonstrator aircraft prototypes were to be built by each contracting team. The Air Force conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) version would validate flight performance, the Marine
short take-off and vertical landing A short take-off and vertical landing aircraft (STOVL aircraft) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is able to take off from a short runway (or take off vertically if it does not have a heavy payload) and land vertically (i.e. with no runway). The ...
(STOVL) version (converted from the CTOL air frame) would demonstrate vertical flight characteristics needed to replace the AV-8B, and the Navy's Carrier Variant (CV) would establish the low-speed handling qualities required for carrier flight operations. In 1998, Tomassetti was assigned as a test pilot with the "Salty Dogs" of
VX-23 Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23) is an aviation unit of the United States Navy based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, United States. The squadron was established on 22 July 1995. Using the tail code ''SD'', the squadron ...
and started work with the
Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...
(LM) team that was building the X-35. Over the next three and a half years, Tomassetti worked with the Lockheed team to bring the X-35 from a concept to a functioning aircraft. He was one of only eight civilian and military pilots to fly the X35. He became the US government's lead test pilot and was their only pilot to fly all three variants of the X35. He became the first Marine to fly the X35A on November 10, 2000, at
Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in California. Most of the base sits in Kern County, California, Kern County, but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino County and a souther ...
(AFB) in California. On February 10, 2001, he flew the X35C from Fort Worth, Texas, to
Naval Air Station Patuxent River Naval Air Station Patuxent River , also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States naval air station in St. Mary’s County, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River. It is home to Headquarters, Naval Air Systems Comm ...
, Maryland, completing the second and final leg of the first cross-country flight of a JSF demonstrator. The Patuxent River facility, located at
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
, reproduced aircraft carrier conditions more closely than the high desert of Edwards AFB. After the X35A CTOL aircraft was modified into X35B STOVL form, Tomassetti became the first Marine to fly the aircraft on June 29, 2001, at Edwards AFB. Lockheed Martin's JSF vice president, Tom Burbage, described the flight as a milestone for the program, stating, "Getting a U.S. Marine in the X35B's cockpit represents a critical step forward in our flight test program, because this is the airplane Marine pilots will rely upon in the future".


X-35B Mission X "Hat Trick"

Drawing on experiences from the
F-22 The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is an American twin-engine, jet-powered, all-weather, supersonic stealth fighter aircraft. As a product of the United States Air Force's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, the aircraft was desi ...
program, Lockheed Martin sought a striking way to promote the X-35 over project competitor Boeing's X-32. Harry Blot, LM's deputy JSF program manager, conceived the "Mission X" demonstration to showcase several capabilities. The experimental flight consisted of a short takeoff, level supersonic flight, and a vertical landing, which had not been accomplished before in a single flight. Mission X was also known as the program's "
hat trick A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mechan ...
" which is a term for three goals scored by one
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
player (and other sports) in a single game. According to Tomassetti, "Hat Trick" was also used as the
call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...
of all X35 test pilots. To further increase attention, a colorful Hat Trick
logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name that it represents, as in ...
consisting of a magician's hat with three
ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or a club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the ...
s was painted on the vertical stabilizers during the two-month conversion of the X35A into the X35B. Mission X was successfully completed on July 20, 2001, at Edwards AFB with Tomassetti at the controls. He thus became the first pilot to fly an aircraft in three regimes of flight (short takeoff, supersonic dash, and vertical landing) in a single sortie. Tomassetti called Mission X the highlight of flying the X35. X35B testing continued through August 6, setting multiple records. Aviation author Erik Simonsen called the X-35B flight test program one of the shortest and most effective on record.


F-35 Lightning II

Lockheed Martin won the Joint Strike Fighter competition in October 2001, and the program transitioned from
X-planes The X-planes are a series of experimental United States aircraft and rockets, used to test and evaluate new technologies and aerodynamic concepts. They have an X designator within the United States Department of Defense aerospace vehicle desig ...
to building the F-35. As the US Marine representative, Tomassetti stayed with the program where he prepared flight test plans, improved cockpit controls and displays, and developed operating manuals. An area of special interest to Tomassetti was reducing the complexity of flying the F35. Having experienced the difficulties of flying the Harrier during the Gulf War, he looked for opportunities to ensure that F-35 pilots could spend more time focused on combat rather than routine flight actions. Methods to reduce complexity and pilot workload have been an active area of research across the industry. As stated by Tomassetti's fellow F-35 pilot, Jon Beesley, "The best fighting we do is with our minds, and we can do that more effectively if we are spending less time flying". In 2003, Tomassetti appeared on the
Discovery HD Discovery Channel, known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery, is an American cable channel that is best known for its ongoing reality television shows and promotion of pseudoscience. It initi ...
show, ''Secrets of Future Air Power'', and described the stealth, ground attack, and data networking capabilities of the F35. In June 2004, he left the Lockheed facility at Fort Worth and returned to NAS Patuxent River as chief test pilot of VX-23, where he continued to perform flight testing related to the F-35.


Military commands

In December 2005, Tomassetti was assigned as the commanding officer of VX-23, responsible for flight testing the F-35B, F-35C and other US Navy and USMC jet aircraft. From June 2007 to June 2009, he commanded the Marine Aviation Detachment at NAS Patuxent River, where he supported
Naval Air Systems Command The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) provides materiel support for aeronaval aircraft and airborne weapon systems for the United States Navy. It is one of the Echelon II Navy systems commands (SYSCOM), and was established in 1966 as the succe ...
with the acquisition, development, and support of naval aeronautical and related technology systems for service members. By late 2009, the F-35 program had progressed to a point where a facility to train F35 pilots and maintainers would soon be needed. The
33rd Fighter Wing The 33rd Fighter Wing, sometimes written 33d Fighter Wing, (33 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida where it is a tenant u ...
(FW) at
Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso, Florida, Valparaiso in Okaloosa County, Florida, Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test ...
in Florida was chosen to switch from its
Air Combat Command The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...
roots to
Air Education and Training Command The Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine List of major commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was esta ...
and tasked with creating the first F-35 training unit. Tomassetti was assigned as the vice commander of the wing. The initial step was to establish the
operations and maintenance The technical meaning of maintenance involves functional checks, servicing, repairing or replacing of necessary devices, equipment, machinery, building infrastructure and supporting utilities in industrial, business, and residential installat ...
groups needed before the pilots and aircraft began to arrive in another ten months. By late January 2010, the unit had more than one hundred personnel selected from civilian and military services. While his boss was away for training, Tomassetti was assigned as acting commander of the wing, providing him a unique perspective of commanding units from three different services—Navy, Marines, and Air Force. In April 2010, the "Warlords" of Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT-501) were reactivated at Eglin AFB as the first
fleet replacement squadron A Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), is a unit of the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps that trains United States Naval Aviator, Naval Aviators, Naval Flight Officers (NFOs) and enlisted Naval aircrewman, Naval Aircre ...
to train pilots and maintainers on the F-35B. At the Integrated Training Center, the 33rd FW team had the modern, all-electronic classrooms ready in June 2010 including the first F-35 mission rehearsal trainer—a replica of the F-35 cockpit that used the same software as the actual jet. The first production F-35 arrived on July 14, 2011, and was assigned to the 33rd FW training unit. By late February 2012, the wing had increased to over one thousand people including forty experienced pilots, but F-35 flight training was postponed for months due to delays in flight testing and newly discovered design flaws. The unit took advantage of this delay to institute additional training, using F-16s until the F35s were approved. Tomassetti summed up the situation when he stated, "The most-frustrated pilot is one who isn't flying at all". The first F-35 training mission took place at Eglin AFB on March 6, 2012, followed shortly after by the start of formal training on the logistics system. Tomassetti became the thirty-fifth pilot to fly the F-35 on April 3, 2012, and earned the nickname "Lightning 35" for his flight from NAS Patuxent River. He became the only pilot to fly all three variants of the X-35 and the F-35. On May 1, the 33rd FW welcomed
VFA-101 Strike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101), also known as the "Grim Reapers", was a United States Navy Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) based at Eglin AFB, Florida. After the West Coast FRS for the F-14 Tomcat, VF-124, was disestablished in the mi ...
to the training group as the US Navy's F-35C fleet replacement squadron. The first F-35B training sortie from Eglin occurred on May 22. At the end of 2012, the Integrated Training Facility passed an independent evaluation that allowed pilot training to start in 2013. In May 2013, VMFAT-501 celebrated the one-year anniversary operating the F-35B having completed over 800 training sorties—a large number that Tomassetti credited to the squadron's proficiency in techniques such as
air-to-air refueling Aerial refueling ( en-us), or aerial refuelling ( en-gb), also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to an ...
, ground hot refueling, and the ability to complete multi-aircraft missions.


USMC retirement

In Tomassetti's four years as 33rd Fighter Wing vice commander, 50 pilots and 722 maintainers graduated from the F-35 training center while the team grew to 1,900 personnel drawn from three US military services, multiple contractors, and a number of international partners. In addition to overseeing training activities, he continued to participate in the development of the F-35 and introduced improvements into the training syllabus such as taxi familiarization. In June 2013, after twenty-seven years of service including 15 years with the F-35 program, Tomassetti retired from the Marine Corps as a command pilot with more than 3,200 flying hours in over 35 types of
fixed-wing A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using Lift (force), aerodynamic lift. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotorcraft, rotary-wing aircraft (in which a Helicopter rotor, r ...
and
rotary-wing A rotary-wing aircraft, rotorwing aircraft or rotorcraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft with rotor wing, rotary wings that spin around a vertical mast to generate lift (force), lift. Part 1 (Definitions and Abbreviations) of Subchapter A of Chapt ...
aircraft including the T34C, T2C, TA4, AV8B,
T38 T38 or T-38 may refer to: Aviation * Allison T38, an American turboprop aircraft engine * Northrop T-38 Talon, an American jet trainer aircraft * Slingsby T.38 Grasshopper, a British training glider Other uses * T38 (classification), a disa ...
, F16, F/A18AF, Vectored-thrust Aircraft Advanced-flight Control (VAAC) Harrier, EA6B,
Learjet 24 The Learjet 24 is an American six-to-eight-seat (two crew and four to six passengers) twin-engine, high-speed business jet, which was manufactured by Learjet as the successor to the Learjet 23. History The Learjet 24 was designed as an improve ...
, T45, X35A/B/C,
Tornado GR1 The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multi-role combat aircraft, jointly developed and manufactured by Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany. There are three primary Tornado variants: the Tornado IDS (interdi ...
, F4G, F15, T7, MiG21, U21F, P3C, NU1B, U6A, AT6, C12A, DHC2, KC130J, B25, TH6B, OH58, and
Gazelle A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . There are also seven species included in two further genera; '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third former subgenus, ' ...
.


Civilian career


Lockheed Martin

After retiring from the military in 2013, Tomassetti accepted a position at Lockheed Martin as the F-35 Marine Corps
program manager Program Manager is the shell of Windows 3.x and Windows NT 3.x operating systems. This shell exposed a task-oriented graphical user interface (GUI), consisting of ''icons'' ( shortcuts for programs) arranged into ''program groups''. It replaced ...
. His primary tasks were to deliver the F-35B to the fleet and ensure the F-35B reached
Initial Operational Capability Initial operating capability or initial operational capability (IOC) is the state achieved when a capability is available in its minimum usefully deployable form. The term is often used in government or military procurement. The United States D ...
(IOC) on time without undue risk. Adding to the challenge, the F-35B was the first of the three aircraft variants planned to reach the IOC milestone. The program was under considerable scrutiny by supporters and critics alike due to its large cost, and deviations from the plan could threaten the effort. Despite the price tag, Tomassetti felt the aircraft's capabilities, such as improved
data fusion Data fusion is the process of integrating multiple data sources to produce more consistent, accurate, and useful information than that provided by any individual data source. Data fusion processes are often categorized as low, intermediate, or hi ...
and
airborne networking {{No footnotes, section, date=February 2013 An Airborne Network (AN) is the infrastructure owned by the United States Air Force that provides communication transport services through at least one node that is on a platform capable of flight. Backg ...
, increased pilot effectiveness and were required to win future battles. He sought ways to mitigate challenges to achieve the 2015 milestone. Reducing mistakes, Tomassetti reasoned, was key to completing the remaining tasks of finishing hardware modifications, updating to the combat-capable "2B" software, completing flight test, and finalizing the logistics and maintenance software. Tomassetti traveled to different sites throughout the United States to help solve problems and ensure progress was being made. MCAS Yuma was crucial due to its upcoming role in operational testing on board ship. MCAS Patuxent River was finishing its remaining tasks needed to complete the current phase of the program. VMFAT-501, which had moved back to
MCAS Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort or MCAS Beaufort is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) air base located northwest of the central business district of Beaufort, a city in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. About 4,700 personn ...
, North Carolina, in July 2014, continued to train pilots. Tomassetti was focused on meeting the Marine Corps' requirements for IOC. From his perspective as a military aviator, updates were necessary throughout any aircraft's
service life A product's service life is its period of use in service. Several related terms describe more precisely a product's life, from the point of manufacture, storage, and distribution, and eventual use. Service life has been defined as "a product' ...
. And his experience as a combat pilot showed that well-trained service members would adapt and succeed even if the aircraft was not ideally suited to the mission. Tomassetti noted that "It is not about tests; it is about mission success", and predicted "They are going to find out ways to do things with this airplane that we haven’t even thought of." To show the F-35 was sufficiently mature to deploy on a mission, known as initial operational capability to the US government, the F35B needed to perform well on an exercise known as Operational Test 1 (OT-1). From Tomassetti's perspective, the task was to "figure out how best to operate the airplane on the ship" which would likely be much different than with legacy aircraft. OT-1 began on May 18, 2015, aboard the , operating off the east coast of the United States, and lasted two weeks. The exercise made use of six F35Bs from three different USMC units, evaluated the ability to operate the aircraft at sea, and included 24-hour flight operations, interaction between ship and aircraft electronics, and use of maintenance tools. OT-1 concluded and two months later, on July 31, 2015, the USMC declared the F-35B operationally capable rejecting issues raised by critics. Tomassetti continued to work on the F-35B program through a number of key milestones including the first permanent basing of a fifth generation fighter squadron outside the United States in 2017, the first F-35B operational deployment aboard a Navy
ship A ship is a large watercraft, vessel that travels the world's oceans and other Waterway, navigable waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research and fishing. Ships are generally disti ...
in 2018, and the first F35B combat deployment in 2019. Tomassetti retired from Lockheed Martin in 2019 as a director and F-35 Marine Corps program manager. In April 2020, Lockheed announced that more than one thousand pilots and nine thousand maintainers had been certified by the F35 training system.


Time2Climb

An enthusiastic speaker, Tomassetti presented aviation topics to many diverse groups including veterans,
Civil Air Patrol Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a Congressional charter, congressionally chartered, federally supported Nonprofit corporation, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliaries, auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CA ...
, and NASA. In 2016, he formed Time2Climb Consulting to assist other companies improve team performance.


Personal life


Society of Experimental Test Pilots

In 2000, Tomassetti began a long association with the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP), initially to improve his work proficiency. He enjoyed working with the organization where he presented papers and attended workshops. In 2011, he chaired the SETP 55th annual awards banquet and organized the evening's entertainment, dubbed "TURBOtainment". Tomassetti's showmanship was so well-liked that he was invited to chair the annual banquet and organize the entertainment for an additional four years. In 2013, he was inducted as a Fellow in the society and was awarded the society's Tony LeVier Flight Test Safety Award. In 2017, Tomassetti was elected president of the society for the 2017–2018 term. His goal for the organization was to ask members to commit to a task that would make a difference—present a paper, write an article, volunteer to support an event, recruit a new member, or recover a former member. In 2018, Tomassetti was elected to the board of directors of the Flight Test Safety Committee, an organization that promotes flight test safety and improves communication among flight test professionals. , he has flown more than forty types of aircraft. Tomassetti is married and has two children.


Awards and decorations

Tomassetti was awarded the following decorations for his military service.


Effective dates of promotion

Tomassetti's USMC promotion dates are shown in the following table.


See also

*
Boeing X-32 The Boeing X-32 is a concept demonstrator aircraft that was designed for the Joint Strike Fighter program, Joint Strike Fighter competition. It lost to the Lockheed Martin X-35 demonstrator, which was further developed into the Lockheed Martin ...
*
List of United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons This is a list of all of the active squadrons that exist in the United States Marine Corps, sorted by type. Most squadrons have changed names and designations many times over the years, so they are listed by their current designation. :''To se ...
* List of United States Marines *
United States Marine Corps Aviation The United States Marine Corps Aviation (USMCA) is the aircraft arm of the United States Marine Corps. Aviation units within the Marine Corps are assigned to support the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, as the aviation combat element, by providi ...


References


Attribution

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tomassetti, Art 1964 births United States Marine Corps personnel of the Gulf War American test pilots Aviators from New York (state) Living people Military personnel from New York (state) Northwestern University alumni People from Port Chester, New York Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States) United States Naval Test Pilot School alumni University of Tennessee alumni United States Marine Corps officers