Riverside Airport is packed into the middle of suburban Riverside, surrounded by houses on all sides.  While the main runway is just large enough to accommodate a C-17, the traffic pattern still seems more like driving directions than flying.  There is something nice about the smaller, local, airshows; there is a certain down to Earth quality about them which just is not a part of the large military airshows. The ... Read More

The smell of jet fuel still lingers in the air at NAS El Centro following the conclusion of the first major air show of 2012. The first show brought delight to many after what had been a difficult off season that focused more on teams cutting back rather than building up budgets. The air show austerity forced the shutdown of most of the Air Force singe ship demo teams ... Read More

Weapons and Tactics Instructor In October 2011, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma was once again home for the Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course or as it’s more commonly known as “WTI.” I was fortunate enough to be invited to WTI (class 1-12) and experience the world-class training of Marine Corps aviators first hand. Over the course of several weeks, I would make three trips to MCAS Yuma. During these visits ... Read More

The Scottsdale Air Fair returned Nov. 5th and 6th after an almost 11 year hiatus, due to the events of September 11 2001. I remember this Air Fair as one of the best in the valley, fast jets and good people. The 2011 Scottsdale Air Fair lived up to this. On hand were many local aircraft including the Deer Valley Warbirds, flying the Nanchang CJ-6 aircraft. They performed a flawless ... Read More

  On October 8, 2011, Photorecon had the opportunity to attend the 2011 Holloman AFB open house, the Legacy of Liberty air show.  Any air show at Holloman AFB holds a special place in my heart.  As a young man growing up in central New Mexico, Holloman AFB was the first air show I attended; the early trips out to the Base fostered a lifelong interest in aviation that developed ... Read More

  Weather Grounds Much of NAS Oceana's 2011 Air Show   The 2011 NAS Oceana air show was a roller coaster full of ups and downs... though no fault of the organizers and participants.  Tropical moisture invaded the Virginia Beach area, and remained a major impediment to flying for the entire weekend.  During Friday afternoon's practice show, dark and foreboding thunderstorms raced just north of Apollo Soucek Field.  The storms crept closer, ... Read More

Hawthorne, Nevada is home to the Hawthorne Army Depot, an ammunition staging area during World War II and the largest ammunition storage site in the world. On September 15, 1930, the Secretary of the Navy commissioned the U.S. Navy Ammunition Depot at Hawthorne, Nevada. This did not happen by accident, but an accident caused it to happen. Four years earlier, July 1926, during the same week that a fire destroyed ... Read More

Before HMLAT-303 was established in April 1982, Marine Corps helicopter pilots received advanced aircraft training at their fleet squadron after completing basic flight training. Overtime, the Marine Corps realized that this method of training was a drain on squadron operational effectiveness. It recognized the need for a dedicated training squadron that would operate from a high tempo training syllabus to train their young helicopter pilots and enlisted aircrews. The ... Read More

Vacations are to unwind and relax; nothing can relax me more than being in the company of great people and historic aircraft. This is why I always perform an online search for any museums and airfields in the area I will be visiting. With a family vacation to Florida planned for the last week of June 2011. I started my search and soon found the Valiant Air Command in ... Read More

Genesseo bills it’s self as the “Greatest Show on Turf” and is located in upstate New  York just south of Rochester.  I’ve made enough trips to the show to say it’s a good one.  When you talk to the locals, they simply don’t understand that their airshow is one of the biggest and oldest warbird shows in the country.  This show is the annual fundraiser for the 1941 Historical ... Read More

At precisely 0830 hours I was ushered into the office of the Commanding General of the Third Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), Tom “Stash” Conant. Major General Conant, dressed in a tan flight suit, took a minute to finish up some last minute business with his aide (Captain Aaron Bohl). I took this time to stand in awe of his office that was a wealth of USMC aviation memorabilia and ... Read More

The Joint Services Open House (JSOH) at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland is held every May around Armed Forces Day. The event showcases the personnel, aircraft, and other hardware from seven major American military operators, including the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Homeland Defense/Customs and Border Patrol, and the Civil Air Patrol. The show on the whole is outstanding, but there are always a few ... Read More

Yuma Arizona's main airport is a joint-use facility that's home to a busy Marine Corps base and an interesting mix of civilian operators.  In fact, the Marines say that MCAS Yuma (on the south side of the main runways) is their busiest flying base, in part due to excellent training airspace and air-to-ground ranges nearby.  Yuma International Airport encompasses the north side of the airport, containing general aviation hangars, ... Read More

On March 18, 2011, a ceremonial event was held at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton to celebrate the final flight of the Marine Corps’ workhorse for the last 40 years – The UH-1N Huey. The UH-1N entered service with the USMC in 1971 as a replacement for the UH-1E, which the Marine Corps had been flying since in 1964. Among the improvements of the UH-1N was a twin ... Read More