Tagged: F/A-18s

September 12, 2015

VMFAT-101 Visiting Long Beach Airport

The sound of military jets could be heard all over the city of Long Beach, California during the Labor Day weekend. The source of that sound was Marine Flight Attack Training Squadron VMFAT-101 know as “The Sharpshooters” based at...

fighters / Marines / military

April 22, 2015

VMFAT-101 SHARPSHOOTERS – “Fighter Attack starts here”

Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 (VMFAT-101) was established at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California on January 3rd 1969. The squadron trained naval aviators and naval flight officers for the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. The Squadron...

assignments / fighters / military / navy / photocalls

December 7, 2014

Naval Air Facility El Centro Photocall – Fall 2014

On November 20, approximately 100 photographers arrived outside the main gates of Naval Air Facility El Centro (NAFEC). They were there for one of two annual photocalls held at one of the most active airfield in the country.Naval Air...

Airshow / fighters / navy

October 28, 2014

NAS Oceana Air Show 2014

With no military air shows last year, fans were anxiously awaiting 2014. Absence seems to make the heart grow fonder. NAS Oceana, VA is not just a weekend air show but rather a week-long event drawing aviation enthusiasts from...

air force / Exercises / fighters / military

February 26, 2014

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...

fighters / military / navy

January 3, 2014

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...

fighters / military / navy

December 20, 2013

Topgun in the Mid-1980s: Building on the Legacy – Part Four

(Sporty F-5E joins on his flight lead seconds after takeoff from NAS Miramar.) PART 4: The Only Constant Is Change All organizations either evolve or expire, and NFWS is no exception. In the years and decades after I left,...

air force / military / photocalls

December 7, 2013

Green Flag 14-2

When you think of Nellis Air Force base, you may think of ‘Las Vegas’, ‘the home of the Thunderbirds’, or even the well known air exercise ‘Red Flag’. However there is another very important training mission conducted here throughout...

fighters / Marines / military / navy

November 3, 2012

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...

air force / demo teams / Marines / military / navy

October 10, 2012

Hawaii’s 2012 Kaneohe Bay Air Show

The 2012 Kaneohe Bay Air Show was presented aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Oahu. The Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) offered a great stage to present an air show to tens of thousands of spectators. Brooding volcanic mountains...

fighters / friends / military / navy / post

August 22, 2010

New Hampshire ANG KC-135 refueling flight – “Passing Gas” to the Navy’s Blue Angels Demo Team.

Flying with the Blues As a prelude to the Boston-Portsmouth Air Show held on the last weekend of August, the New Hampshire Air National Guard assisted in an important mission: to refuel the Navy’s Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets en...