Second Lockheed Martin T-50A takes flight over South Carolina

Lockheed Martin reports two T-50A aircraft have successfully flown through the skies above South Carolina. 
"The inaugural Feb. 20 flight of the second production-ready T-50A from Lockheed Martin's Advanced Pilot Training (APT) operations center in Greenville further demonstrates the company's established, lowest-risk offering in the U.S. Air Force's T-X competition," a recent press release from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company.
The first T-50A Aircraft took flight in August 2016. 
"The T-50A is ready on Day One of contract award and is purpose-built around fifth-generation thinking," the press release said. "It will train the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II pilots of tomorrow, as well as pilots for frontline fourth-generation aircraft."
The T-50A Aircraft is a unique aircraft that is produced with more flying hours than normal. In fact, "200,000 flight hours and counting – and more than 1,800 pilots who have trained in this aircraft," Lockheed reported. 
Lockheed also designed a Ground-Based Training System for the T-50A that features innovative technologies that deliver an immersive, synchronized ground-based training platform.