Interesting aircraft type things to see in California.

a reply to: Imagewerx

Well that just figures. See anything interesting up there?

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Imagewerx

Well that just figures. See anything interesting up there?

Most of it was photographable over the fence anyway,so not completely a wasted journey. Chino was better though,I got there just in time to get in the boneyard,now that was cool! Photos later when I've recovered from the trauma of sitting in my first ever LA traffic jam.

a reply to: Imagewerx

Yeah, that tends to lead to heavy drinking.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Oh yes,I stopped at the Boron rest area north of Edwards for a while and watched a B52 flying overhead. Spent an hour or so at Nellis today. Nothing landed but a couple of A10s,about half a dozen F16s and a couple of F35s took off and vanished into thin air.

a reply to: Imagewerx

The second one is an aggressor.

a reply to: Imagewerx

Nice! Did you get any shots of the other airborne jets? How often would you say jets took off and landed?
Just getting a feel for their schedule when I show up there next week.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Imagewerx

The second one is an aggressor.

Rubbish,it seemed really friendly to me (LOL)! (Yes I know what an agressor is!!).

a reply to: Imagewerx

Actually getting a better look, the first two are. That's a 2v2.

a reply to: Zaphod58

How can you tell? What should I be looking at to differentiate which is the aggressor?

a reply to: BASSPLYR

Standard F-16s are painted what amounts to solid Grey. Aggressors are painted various camouflage schemes. The first aircraft is painted in the Russian blue scheme, the second in Arctic.

originally posted by: Sammamishman
a reply to: Imagewerx

Nice! Did you get any shots of the other airborne jets? How often would you say jets took off and landed?
Just getting a feel for their schedule when I show up there next week.

Thanks and no,that was the best I could do with just a 200mm lens. It would have been better if I could have bought my 50-500mm,but as it weighs more than a Cadillac I had to leave it at home.

I got there at about 3PM and it was dead with nothing moving or even any distant engine sounds,so I said I'd give it up to 4Pm and if nothing had happened by then I'd call it a day. Luckily at about 3.58PM the first of the F16s taxied out to the end of the runway,so it seemed rude to go until they'd all gone.

There is this one as well,it wouldn't have been any better with a longer lens because of the heat haze,it was 115 deg according to my car's guessometer. I bet Zaph can even tell us the pilot's name!


There is a much better view over the base,but it's a lot futher away. You have to take the road that takes you from Vegas up through Sunrise mountain to lake Mead and the Hoover dam. It looks down on the base,so less heat haze than from ground level,but about twice (or more) as far away.

Went up on the mountain above Nellis yesterday. Too far away to see anything worthwhile,a couple of F35s landed while I was there and it was like watching a small insect land on the hood of my car.