The Marine Corps’ F-35B demo is flown out of two squadrons: VMFAT-501 at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina — home to the first F-35B ever assigned to the Marine Corps, arriving in 2014 — and VMFAT-502 at MCAS Yuma, Arizona, covering the western airshow circuit.
Unlike the Air Force’s conventional-takeoff F-35A, the Marine Corps’ B-model is built for short takeoffs and vertical landings, and the demonstration highlights that capability with a hover pass alongside the standard high-speed aerobatics.