FighterControl

After spending a weekend at Barksdale Luisiana, for their Defenders of liberty airshow, it was time to get on the road to Lakeland Florida! We night stopped in Pensacola with the idea originally to visit the Navy museum there but unfortunately due to US rules we couldn't go unless we were taken on by a US citizen. hopefully we can go another time. we did manage to find some interesting Museums on the way down including the Airforce Armament museum, Alabama Battleship air park and we also managed to get on to Barksdale AirPower museum! (ill post museum photos separately later....

Sun and fun was an incredible show, they also have a night show and the most amazing night show I've ever seen with drones, fireworks, fire, planes with fireworks!! the night show was in my opinion the most amazing spectacle I've ever witnessed!

they even had a gaggle of AV-8Bs and A-10s! the Harriers are due to be retired in just a few weeks so we were very lucky to catch them!

enjoy!.....

1
_MG_7983 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

2_DX21903 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

3_DX28668 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

4_DX29309 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

5_DX29370 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

6_DX29410 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

7_DX29657 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

8_DX29933 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

9_MG_7883 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

10_DX21090 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

11_DX21190 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

12_DX21099 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

13_DX21119 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

14_DX21685 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

15_DX22043 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

16_DX21559 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

17_DX21566 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

18_DX21622 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

19_MG_7753 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

20_MG_7734 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

21_MG_7739 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

22_MG_7755 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

23_MG_7731 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

24_MG_7738 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

25_MG_7746 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

26_MG_7747 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

27_DX20421 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr

28_DX20707 by Jonathan Warner, on Flickr



if you made it this far, thanks for looking!

Damn! You certainly nailed those night-shots. What a great trip & opportunity to catch aircraft before they get canned. Those Heritage flybys are superb!
I don't really care you got to see the Retro-F-16 prototype scheme.... well, not too much?

I made it this far twice - fantastic!!

A lovely selection of pictures there. Thanks for posting. Is there any particular reason that the Blue Angels have two aircraft coded 2?

daggerfan wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 09, 2025 6:18 pm

A lovely selection of pictures there. Thanks for posting. Is there any particular reason that the Blue Angels have two aircraft coded 2?

No idea, we did wonder that ourselves

Nice pics. Was there a 2nd VFA-125 F-35C there please (as well as NJ452)? If so, which one?
Thanks
Mark

Thanks for sharing these with us, an impressive selection of shots and plenty of variety.

raameagle wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 09, 2025 10:34 pm

Nice pics. Was there a 2nd VFA-125 F-35C there please (as well as NJ452)? If so, which one?
Thanks
Mark

I think there was but I think I only shot the flying one so will have to check…

Thanks. They usually come in pairs.
Regards
Mark

Jonathan Warner wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 10, 2025 8:39 am

raameagle wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 09, 2025 10:34 pm

Nice pics. Was there a 2nd VFA-125 F-35C there please (as well as NJ452)? If so, which one?
Thanks
Mark

I think there was but I think I only shot the flying one so will have to check…

Any luck Jonathan please?

Jonathan Warner wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 10, 2025 8:39 am

raameagle wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 09, 2025 10:34 pm

Nice pics. Was there a 2nd VFA-125 F-35C there please (as well as NJ452)? If so, which one?
Thanks
Mark

I think there was but I think I only shot the flying one so will have to check…

raameagle wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 8:15 am

Any luck Jonathan please?

Jonathan Warner wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 10, 2025 8:39 am

raameagle wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 09, 2025 10:34 pm

Nice pics. Was there a 2nd VFA-125 F-35C there please (as well as NJ452)? If so, which one?
Thanks
Mark

I think there was but I think I only shot the flying one so will have to check…

I never shot them both it seems but I have found a couple of photos that show the second one was up on the Saturday show and it was NJ456

Thanks. Can you read the BuNo? 170549 perhaps?

Regards

Mark

Jonathan Warner wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 11:29 am

raameagle wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 8:15 am

Any luck Jonathan please?

Jonathan Warner wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 10, 2025 8:39 am

I think there was but I think I only shot the flying one so will have to check…

I never shot them both it seems but I have found a couple of photos that show the second one was up on the Saturday show and it was NJ456

raameagle wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 2:26 pm

Thanks. Can you read the BuNo? 170549 perhaps?

Regards

Mark

Jonathan Warner wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 11:29 am

raameagle wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 8:15 am

Any luck Jonathan please?

I never shot them both it seems but I have found a couple of photos that show the second one was up on the Saturday show and it was NJ456

That’s the one!

Many thanks.

Jonathan Warner wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 3:40 pm

raameagle wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 2:26 pm

Thanks. Can you read the BuNo? 170549 perhaps?

Regards

Mark

Jonathan Warner wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 11:29 am

I never shot them both it seems but I have found a couple of photos that show the second one was up on the Saturday show and it was NJ456

That’s the one!

Haven't seen the retro coloured F.16 but saw the original at Le Bourget eons ago. Never got to the Lakeland show , only to the museum. Jealous!.

Great set of photos. No.7 is my fav.

Can anyone tell me what the sensor (?) is on the rear end of the F-35C? It isn't seen on the F-35A. Or is it a vent relocated from the underside?

Hi Jonathan......I was there as well, on the Wednesday and Friday! Came back with some decent shots.
I used to go to Pensacola and the Naval Museum, but it seems, if you're not a US ciitzen....you''re not welcome anymore.

Alternative 4 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 18, 2025 9:51 am

Great set of photos. No.7 is my fav.

Can anyone tell me what the sensor (?) is on the rear end of the F-35C? It isn't seen on the F-35A. Or is it a vent relocated from the underside?

I think it is the APU exhaust relocated from the underside looking at the sooty trail behind it