EL Centro

[bruiser]

Hi guys,
does anybody have any info regarding photography here. Can you get close to the runway for any shots, is it any good for landing shots.
Also, has anyone encountered any problems here with security. I will be in the area soon and was hoping to spend a day there.
Any info much appreciated.

Chad.

[Jason Grant]

Hi Chad, I have visited a few times over the last 12 months and the three points around the perimeter which are ideal for photography are below (google earth, copy and paste). These are all driveable dirt tracks and are the places where enthusiasts and photographers congregate. I have never had any problem with security here. It can be hit and miss but when its busy, its brilliant.

32°48'52.65"N 115°39'18.21W for runway 30 and a couple of examples.

FA-18C Hornets, Blue Angels by Sonic Images, on Flickr


157710 YT-06 Boeing Vertol CH-46E Sea Knight by Sonic Images, on Flickr

32°49'31.62"N 115°39'17.31"W for runway 26 and a couple of examples (a small 3 step ladder is preferred at this point for over the fence shots)

163460 AD-405 FA-18D Hornet by Sonic Images, on Flickr


168007 YX-007 MV-22B Osprey by Sonic Images, on Flickr

32°49'30.21"N 115°40'56.86"W for runway 08 and a couple of examples.

166454 AD-223 F/A-18F Super Hornet by Sonic Images, on Flickr


165214 AD-360 F/A-18C Hornet by Sonic Images, on Flickr

Hope that helps.

[bruiser]

Thats fantastic guys, thanks.
I will just have to try my luck and see if anything is there.
Cheers.

Chad.

[Thunder]

Is there not some kind of Lockheed works plant at Yuma as well, which may add to the overall security ?

[Jason Grant]

I with a couple of mates spent a day and a half outside Yuma back in September 2010 and was not approached by any authority. We sat under the approach for 03L and 03R but made sure that we sat on the other side of the road (not base perimeter side). We were watched for a while but not challenged. It was hot, 110 degrees so we sat in the car with the air con on until something approached then nipped out, shot it and got back in the car. It was quiet for a lot of the time, just pot luck I guess.

[richpittman]

Runway 21 is much better for pics Iceman
Especially late in the Day , good for the KFC lunch stop aswell.

Had the security visit us in 2004 around 17:15 just as we were packing up. We had been there since 08:30

[Jason Grant]

Runway 21 is much better for pics Iceman
Especially late in the Day , good for the KFC lunch stop aswell.

Had the security visit us in 2004 around 17:15 just as we were packing up. We had been there since 08:30

Cheers mate but the fairgrounds were closed and being dug up when we visited in 2010 so it was plan B. We didn't have a problem in 2011 nice place to visit.

[powerslave16v]

hello
I've been to El Centro quite afew times over the last 5/6 years.always been around September time,last year we were driving from Yuma to San Diego and was'nt going to bother with El Centro has it's a lonely place really in the middle of nowhere "anything can happen" my girlfriend said.
But soon has i saw some Hornets in the pattern we made a beeline for there again.
We was there for about 1 hour when a big US Navy humvee came upto us and asked what we was doing.
I explained to them, showed them id,he wanted me to delete a couple of shots with the base in the background.
But he said i would be best if i did'nt stay for that long and i think he really wanted me to move on,i asked if we could stay a bit longer waiting for the Hornets to come back,but then we would be on our way.
We moved on a bit further round the perimeter after that,to where they are just coming out of base leg for final approach.far better for photos here,no heat haze and well away from the fence.
Yuma,been there about three times,always parked on the fairgrounds and never had any problems,but last year the car park was being dug up,so i'm not sure what it's like for parking down there at the minute.
Also got moved on by the police at Luke AFB in Phoenix,but that was my fault has i parked right between the two runways for a while,but they was okay and we moved somewhere away from the road and got left alone.

Ian