Red Flag 14-1
Las Vegas, NV- The 414th Combat Training Squadron of Nellis Air Force Base (NAFB) hosted the first of its 2014 series of Red Flag training exercises from January 27th -February 14th. Red Flag is a series of high intensity...
Tagged: F/A-18
Topgun in the Mid-1980s: Building on the Legacy – Part Five
PART 5: Supplemental Notes Further Reading: Donald E. Auten’s Roger Ball! The Odyssey of John Monroe “Hawk” Smith, Navy Fighter Pilot, tells the story of an influential figure in Topgun and the Navy fighter community and provide additional information...
Topgun in the Mid-1980s: Building on the Legacy – Part Three
PART 3: Critical Decisions and Events of the Mid-1980s. I was an F-14 RIO who joined my first Fleet fighter squadron in 1981. In 1982 I attended the Topgun class as a student (by then it was five weeks), and in 1984 I was selected to return as an instructor. The following events and decisions occurred during my time as an instructor and contributed to Topgun’s evolution and continued validity.
Topgun in the Mid-1980s: Building on the Legacy – Part Two
PART 2: Topgun’s Early Years: the Foundation (Navy Fighter Weapons School F-5E Tiger II gets close for a photo.) When considering why Topgun flourished, much credit must go to the enduring culture established by the earliest instructors and handed...
NAF El Centro Photocall- October 2013
What is a Photocall? A Photocall is generally when a location such as a military base or an airport, which is normally closed to the public is opened for a day for photographers to come and visit the location...
Meet the C.O.
This is the first in a series, where we informally sit down and speak with the Commanding Officer of various military units. Simply called the C.O. he/she is responsible for everything, and I do mean everything that happens within...
1st Marine F-35B to land at MCAS Miramar
It was around noon on July 30, 2013, and several F/A-18’s from Marine squadrons, VMFA 314 “The Black Knights” and VMFA(AW) 225 “The Vikings” were taking off from the runways at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, just northeast of...
Photorecon attends Red Flag 13-2
Out in the Nevada desert, just outside of Las Vegas sits Nellis Air Force base and its different live fire training areas, called the Nellis Range Complex. The Nellis Range complex is located northwest of Las Vegas and covers...
F-35B’s Delivered to MCAS Yuma
Tuesday, November 20th, 2012 and it’s a beautiful day in Yuma, AZ. A large crowd of hundreds is gathering at MCAS Yuma, and the crowds included dignitaries such as General James Amos, the 37th Commandant of the Marine Corps,...
The Medal of Honor(s) Marine F/A 18
A few weeks ago, I was photographing the U.S. Marines VMFAT-101 “The Sharp-shooters” squadron at a civilian airport outside of San Diego, when I noticed an all white F/A-18 with no markings on the plane. VMFAT-101 is a Fighter...
Miramar Air Show 2012
Every year for 3 days in October, an estimated crowd of over 700,000 make the journey to MCAS Miramar near San Diego, CA. It was no different this year, and the 2012 Miramar Air Show continued to bring smiles...
A Main(e) Event in Vacationland
The Great State of Maine Air Show went off without a hitch in 2012, a far cry from the 2011 event that was severely impacted by Hurricane Irene as she churned up the East Coast. Fair skies and comfortable...
