RAAF's first F-35A Lightning II display pilot ready to buzz Wings Over Illawarra air show

An F-35A taxis into RAAF Williamtown for the first time after ferrying from the US. (Supplied: RAAF)

The roar of jets from the Air Force base at Williamtown is nothing new across the Hunter and other parts of regional New South Wales.

But over the past few weeks the noise has also come with an air show.

Flight Lieutenant Ross Bowman has been flying an F-35A Lightning II, practising a 15-minute handling display ahead of the Wings Over Illawarra air show at the end of November.

He is a pilot with Williamtown's No.2 Operational Conversion Unit and is working on being the RAAF's first display pilot for the new stealth fighter jet.

"I get the jet up to about 540 knots – it's about 1,000 kilometres per hour," Flight Lieutenant Bowman said.

"I'm also flying down to 200 feet, so it's about 60 metres above the ground, and there are manoeuvres I get around 5,000 feet above the ground too."

Flight Lieutenant Ross Bowman with Lockheed Martin maintenance personnel in Arizona. (Supplied: RAAF)

He says a pilot must first learn about the machine.

"From there I spend a lot of time in the simulator, practising and trying to come up with a sequence that I think the crowd is going to like and shows off the F-35."

Once he is happy with the routine he can start practising in the jet.

"It does hopefully look good for the crowd, but I actually get a huge training benefit from it as well.

"If we go to war … we're going to be trying to get that fight down to the ground level.

"So being able to handle the jet close to the ground and operate safely, and obviously not hit the ground, is definitely a skill that we need to practice and be good at."

Squadron Leader David Bell (right) and Flight Lieutenant Ross Bowman prepare for a training mission. (Supplied: RAAF)

Flight Lieutenant Bowman said he continued to be impressed by the F-35's power.

He said he started out pretending the ground was at 5,000 feet so he could practice the manoeuvres.

"Once I'm happy with 5,000 feet, I progress down to 1,000 feet. 

"Now that my supervisors are all happy that it's safe, and I've got a good grasp of what I'm doing out there, I'm progressing down to 200 feet.

RAAF's No. 3 Squadron has conducted exercises in Alaska. (Supplied: RAAF)

"We do fly around at low level in parts of our training, but to do low-level aerobatics is a whole new ball game.

"That's why I'm spending a good month or two getting the [qualifications] so I can actually bring a nice, safe and good show to the public."