Rollout Ceremony and First Flight of Raptor 01: The Spirit of America

The first EMD F-22A was almost completed by March 6,1997, when it was moved from the
final assembly area in Lockheed Martin Aeronautical System's B-l building to the newly
constructed B-22 engine noise attenuation facility, called a "hush house," where it underwent
fueling operations and engine runs.
Little more than a month later, on April 9, sporting its patriotic Spirit of America nose art,
the premier F-22A—marked "Raptor 01" on the outer sides of its two vertical tails, the first
of nine EMD aircraft (91-0001)—was publicly unveiled in ceremonies at Lockheed Martin
Aeronautical Systems facility in Marietta, Georgia. During the ceremony, the new fighter
was christened with its official name: Raptor. (Raptors are birds of prey.)
As originally planned, the first of nine EMD F-22A Raptors was scheduled to take place
on or before May 29, 1997. However, a number of minor yet significant gremlins attacked
Raptor 01. Among these problems were aircraft braking and landing gear retraction/extension
difficulties. It took about 3J/2 months to address and correct the difficulties. Finally, in
late August, the aircraft was cleared for ground tests leading up to its first flight.
Earlier, on June 10, the Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engine was granted its initial flight
release. Before Raptor 01 could make its maiden flight, however, it had to complete the
ground tests that included low-, medium-, and high-speed taxi tests. This series of taxi tests
evaluated its nose landing gear wheel steering system, the braking system, and the operation
of the arresting gear at 30, 60, and 110 knots. The instrumentation system on the aircraft
was likewise thoroughly examined during these ground tests.
The long-awaited first flight of the first Raptor occurred on Sunday, September 7,1997 at
Dobbins Air Reserve Base (ARE) in Marietta, Georgia, with F-22A chief test pilot A. Paul
Metz under its cockpit canopy. Liftoff came at 10:18 A.M. local time. Flying chase on the first
flight was fellow contractor pilot Jon Beesley in an F-16 Fighting Falcon and Lt. Col. Steve
Rainey, the first USAF pilot to fly an F-22A, in a second F-16 chase aircraft.
In preparation for the first takeoff, all three aircraft taxied onto the runway. The two
F-16s took off first and started a slow 360° turn back toward the runway. Metz remained
on the runway, making final instrumentation checks with the mission control room
team.