USA Week 2

[Jason Grant]

Following on from my Week 1 post, we headed from Las Vegas to Phoenix, more precisely to Mesa Gateway airport. The airport is known for military aircraft stopping and refuelling so it is always worth checking if passing. As we arrived on the outskirts of Phoenix, we could see on our flight tracking app that multiple T-38s had taken off from the airport. Unfortunately, non of the dozen or so aircraft returned, the only military aircraft that did land was an army C-12V (grey scheme) so it was back to the hotel and into the bar to make up for dry January. Monday was to be a day of nonstop flying as we headed to Luke AFB.

The grey C-12 at Mesa Gateway airport.
95-0095 C-12V 6-52nd AVN US Army by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Luke AFB. I will try not to bore you with lots of LF battle penguins but it was nonstop action from dawn to dusk.
MM7337 32-13 F-35A TDY 62nd FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

5110 F-35A 62nd FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

F-35A 63rd FS Luke AFB by Jason Grant, on Flickr

14-5104 LF F-35A 63rd FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

L-016 F-35A 308th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

N635AX ATAC Mirage F1CR by Jason Grant, on Flickr

F-006 F-35A 308th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

N862TA F-16A Top Aces Aggressor by Jason Grant, on Flickr

N623X ATAC Mirage F1CR by Jason Grant, on Flickr

01-6023 LF F-16D 425th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

90-0796 HO F-16D 8th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

90-0777 LF F-16D 309th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

I think BAF FL008 was being delivered.
FL008 FL007 F-35A 312th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

670 F-16D 145 Sqn RSAF by Jason Grant, on Flickr

01-6024 LF F-16D 425th FS Peace Carvin II by Jason Grant, on Flickr

N630AX ATAC Mirage F1CR by Jason Grant, on Flickr

FL006 F-35A 312th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

01-6021 LF F-16D 425th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

N861TA F-16A Top Aces by Jason Grant, on Flickr

90-0777 LF F-16D 309th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

After a successful day at Luke AFB, it was time to head to MCAS Yuma to see what was on offer on the next day. Yuma can be hit or miss but again, we were lucky to have plenty of flying again on the day with a special forces exercise taking place.

There light was awesome first thing.
169794 DC-07 F-35B VMFA-122 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

165948 MV-02 MV-22B VMX-1 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

170048 CE-09 F-35B VMFA-225 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

169921 CE-03 F-35B VMFA-225 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

169439 32 CMV-22B VRM-30 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Then a visit from Navy CID and NCIS who were very pleasant, but we were asked to move. It was a shame we had to move because the light was against us after that until later in the day. Just after we moved and AC-130J took off and we didn't get a picture, as we drove around the base, a spooky army gulfstream also taxied and departed, which again, I have no picture of. We went and got some food and drink and headed to the fairgrounds to watch the action and waited for the light to come around.

The AC-130J returned.
16-5846 AC-130J 4th SOS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Then it got really busy with plenty of takeoffs and landings. Please remember, the images you are seeing is a selection of images and not the complete record of the day, many other images can be seen on my Flickr page.
168703 YW-03 MV-22V VMM-165 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

170062 WE-08 F-35B VMFA-214 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

170055 WE-03 F-35B VMFA-214 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

2703 C-27J Esc 902 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

166689 MV-22B VMM-161 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

168707 YR-17 MV-22B VMM-161 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

177702 CC-177 429 sqn by Jason Grant, on Flickr

04-0688 U-28A USAF 319th SOS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

166689 02 MV-22B VMM-161 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

761527 LS-02 F-5N VMFT-401 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

170048 CE-09 F-35B VMFA-225 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

761556 LS-05 F-5N VMFT-401 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

We were to complete the week and the trip back at NAF El Centro. Having seen all the AV-8Bs the week before, I was itching to get back and take a few more pictures. This is a selection of images from NAF El Centro and Imperial County Airport over the next two and a half days.
164552 CG-05 AV-8B VMA-231 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

165574 CG-06 AV-8B VMFA-231 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

165567 CG-00 AV-8B VMA-231 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

168408 SM-01 UH-1Y HMLA-USA by Jason Grant, on Flickr

164122 WP-35 TAV-8B VMA-223 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Blue Angels by Jason Grant, on Flickr

165576 CG-01 AV-8B VMA-231 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

At night, we spent many hours at Imperial waiting for aircraft to drop in for fuel. The two nights were non-stop at times, the busiest I have ever seen it. On the Wednesday night, Devil 82 made a very steep (and silent approach) into Imperial, landing on the shorter cross runway and running off the runway. As the length of the runway is shorter than the required length to take off for an F-18 and landing with arrestor hook down, I guess it suffered an in flight emergency and the pilot landed the jet down where they could. It was near pitch black as it landed it was difficult to see so I drove out the airport to the far side and set my tripod up, the image below is before any emergency services turned up and shows the pilot exiting the jet. As two new engines were delivered late in the night on the back of a low loader on the following night, I still think catastrophic engine failure as the most likely cause of the incident.
165408 WT-03 F/A-18C VMFA-232 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

We left just after this believing the airport would close whilst runway checks and recovery of the aircraft took place. We went to Walmart and heard more aircraft overhead. We were wrong, the airport remained open as the hornet was clear of both runways. We returned to the airport and setup again.
169516 UV-54 AH-1Z HMLA-267 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Then at around 23:15hrs, a blackhawk and chinook dropped in for fuel. Just to remind people, there's no additional light where refuelling takes place due to NVG being worn. The chinook stopped at the very far end of the airport. As two RAF chinooks are flying out of NAF El Centro, I thought it was one of these, I took my usual 30 second exposure photograph with my 70-200L and zoomed in to see the code on the front. To my surprise it wasn't RAF but a 160th SOAR Night Stalker. I had missed these when they were in the UK a few months earlier due to being stateside. The only other Night Stalker chinook I had seen was in December 2017 flying into Nellis and it was a distant shot, I quickly grabbed my R5 with 100-500L and set it to 30 seconds to get a shot. I managed two shots before it departed, this is the shot that is sharp. This is one of my rarest photographs as it is a black SOAR chinook at night, I wouldn't even dare look at the picture until I got home because of the distance I was shooting across, perched on the roof of a pickup, the slightest movement and it would have been blurred. I am ver pleased with it (faces blurred out for obvious reasons). 500mm for 30 seconds at f10, ISO 400.
20-02926 MH-47G Chinook 160th SOAR by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Back to El Centro for another day of action.
Blue Angels by Jason Grant, on Flickr

164908 WS-408 F/A-18C VMFA-323 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

164878 WS-222 F/A-18D VMFA-323 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

165587 CG-04 AV-8B VMA-231 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

165587 CG-04 AV-8B VMA-231 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

164551 WP-02 AV-8B VMA-223 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

165585 WP-17 AV-8B VMA-223 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

164122 WP-35 TAV-8B VMA-223 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Blue Angels by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Quickly nipped to Imperial for these.
168635 PF-02 MV-22B VMM-364 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

168710 PF-06 MV-22B VMM-364 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

164783 YJ-783 CH-53E HMH-West by Jason Grant, on Flickr

165245 YN-245 CH-53E HMH-West by Jason Grant, on Flickr

And back to El Centro
AV-8B VMA-223 Bulldogs by Jason Grant, on Flickr

164551 WP-02 AV-8B VMA-223 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Then another night at Imperial.
169812 VT-44 AH-1Z HMLA-367 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

168796 UV-02 UH-1Y HMLA-267 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

169812 VT-44 AH-1Z HMLA-367 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

169812 VT-44 AH-1Z HMLA-367 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

At 23:15hrs, the 160th SOAR dropped in again, this time as a four ship (3 x Blackhawks and 1 x chinook). On this occasion, the chinook came further down towards where I was, but I prefer the other angle of it from the night before.
10-20247 MH-60M Black Hawk 160th SOAR by Jason Grant, on Flickr

20-02926 MH-47G Chinook 160th SOAR by Jason Grant, on Flickr

The final day at El Centro before flying home later that evening.
168694 YL-08 MV-22B VMM-362 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

165834 834 C-40A VR-61 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

169789 NG-313 F-35C VMFA-314 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

169634 NG-301 F-35C VMFA-314 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

165383 WP-08 AV-8B VMA-223 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

168031 YL-02 MV-22B VMM-362 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

169789 NG-313 F-35C VMFA-314 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

165383 WP-08 AV-8B VMA-223 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

165585 WP-17 AV-8B VMA-223 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

I have a lucky silver dollar coin from the bicentennial in 1976, which I found in the Arizona desert a few years ago, I take it stateside on every trip. On this trip, I gave it a lucky rub on several occasions, I think it worked. If you have stayed with it this far, thanks for looking. These and many more military aircraft pictures can be seen on my Flickr page

[Blue fox]

Wow what a fantastic set of pictures,thanks for sharing.

[Weazel69]

BOTH SET'S = "LUVVLY JUBBLY"

[Mustang531]

Another great selection of shots and plenty of variety, many thanks for sharing these with us.

[Seacat192]

Superb follow up post to your earlier offering.

Thanks for sharing your photos.

[sjoerd]

Amazing sets Jason! Really liking those Harriers and night shots at Imperial, but every single one is a winner. Let me know when you plan you next trip, and I'll be glad to tag along (not supersticious at all )...

[B58Hustler]

Thanks for sharing.
Interesting how the Harriers still manage to create fluff from the LERXes in that dry climate.

[Jazz]

Then a visit from Navy CID and NCIS who were very pleasant, but we were asked to move. It was a shame we had to move because the light was against us after that until later in the day. Just after we moved and AC-130J took off and we didn't get a picture, as we drove around the base, a spooky army gulfstream also taxied and departed, which again, I have no picture of. We went and got some food and drink and headed to the fairgrounds to watch the action and waited for the light to come around.


Cool shots, did you at least get the id of the 'spooky army gulfstream'?

And likewise, my last visit at Yuma had an encounter with the NCIS. Again, very polite, but they respected my first and fourth amendment rights, which of course they took an oath to uphold.

[Richie B]

Great shots Jason, I guess the 100-500 was a good buy!

[markranger]

Fantastic Jason

What is not to like,

[teeonefixer]

Looks long long hours, but very well worth it!!

[Phantomwolf]

Another excellent post with some great images. As previously commented, the Harrier shots are my favourites but well done for making even the F-35 airframes appear relatively photogenic .

[XWP29]

In a word, outstanding.
Thanks for the time and effort to post these.

[binbrook87]

Wow! Another superb jaw dropping post. So many hightlights... but the F-5's, F-35C's and Harriers are fabulous. Also nice to see that the Belgian F-35s haven't resorted to type and gone grey with their markings. Will make them easier to pick out on the fence line when they eventually make it to the UK

[Worldnis]

Great set, with lots to admire and a big thank you for making the effort to post a very enjoyable post. AV-8s are top show, also like the MV-22s. With all those nights at Imperial probably no problems getting some sleep on the way home :-)

[Worldnis]

Great set, with lots to admire and a big thank you for making the effort to post a very enjoyable post. AV-8s are top show, also like the MV-22s. With all those nights at Imperial probably no problems getting some sleep on the way home

[marcosommacal]

Then a visit from Navy CID and NCIS who were very pleasant, but we were asked to move. It was a shame we had to move because the light was against us after that until later in the day. Just after we moved and AC-130J took off and we didn't get a picture, as we drove around the base, a spooky army gulfstream also taxied and departed, which again, I have no picture of. We went and got some food and drink and headed to the fairgrounds to watch the action and waited for the light to come around.

Hi,

Amazing set of pictures!

May I ask you where were you standing while the NCIS paid you a visit. It seems you were on the north side of the base just opposite to the fairgrounds. I thought that that area was ok.

Many thanks in advance,

Best regards
Marco Sommacal

[stef.ebos]

Great!

[Stratocruiser]

Another selection of gems.
Many thanks for creating a great post for us to enjoy (and envy)