i saw them take off...maybe they were doing their own thing.....i went to the first part...apparently they dont like sending the same group for a
month of red flag...as far as my aircraft goes....
Red Flag is not a 24/7 event and Nellis has quite a large range it would not be unusual if Raptor pilots got some air time (outside of Red Flag) while
there waiting for Part Two. They might have even been Nellis tails operated by the various test and tactic squadrons there.
my home unit is the 97 IS...it in itself is not a flying squadron...it's one of the airforces largest squadrons at over 750 people.....it's
traditionally composed of the back end of the jet....who a long time ago were not official enlisted fliers....they were all ground people who happened
to fly when they werent working the ground...
Actually, you're both sort of right, and sort of wrong. There ARE F-22s at Nellis, but they were NOT for Red Flag at all. They're stationed there.
They have been since 2003. They're part of the Air Warfare Center, 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron. They took 8 aircraft for instructor pilot
training and testing. They received the first aircraft in January of 2003.
And as Westpoint and I have BOTH pointed out to you, they were there for Red Flag 07 Period 2. It ran from Jan-Feb, but the Raptors only flew during
the exercises in Feb.
and as i have told you, i was there jan 13-26, and i saw them flying...or maybe it was just a coincidence that it was taking off with the rest of the
fighters at the beginning of the exercise each day....