Air Force dogfight exercise accidentally formed 'sky penis,' officials say
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Six pilots flying F-35 Joint Strike Fighters were engaged in a training exercise on Tuesday when they accidentally created contrails resembling male genitalia, officials said.
The 56th Fighter Wing pilots out of Luke Air Force Base in Arizona were simulating a dogfight when the phallic symbol was created, a base spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News.
“We’ve seen the photos that have been circulating online from Tuesday afternoon. 56th Fighter Wing senior leadership reviewed the training tapes from the flight and confirmed that F-35s conducting standard fighter training maneuvers Tuesday afternoon in the Gladden and Bagdad military operating airspace resulted in the creation of the contrails, the statement said. "There was no nefarious or inappropriate behavior during the training flight.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CALIFORNIA MARINE CORPS PILOTS WHO DREW PENIS SHAPE IN SKY ARE STILL FLYING
A F-35 fighter plane takes flight. (Luke Air Force Base / Senior Airman Alex Cook)
The exercise pitted a four-ship “red air” aggressor team against a two-ship "blue" team, Maj. Rebecca. Heyse told Fox News in an email. When the red team pulled back, the blue team circled around before reengaging, she said.
“The contrails were made by the 2-ship as they were beginning the fight with the 4-ship and then told to hold off causing them to hook to reposition before then beginning the fight again causing them to hook once more,” Heyse said. “ What is not seen in the photos is a 3rd vertical contrail parallel to the 2 in the photo.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Senior leadership reviewed the flight audio, which confirmed statements made by the pilots, she said.
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There have been a series of incidents in recent years where military personnel have executed phallic flight patterns. Two Marines were punished last year after a pair of flight patterns circulated on social media depicted a giant penis over the Salton Sea in Southern California.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Navy investigation recently concluded that two junior officers coordinated a similar incident in 2017. One of the officers suggested drawing “a giant penis, that would be awesome.”