USA Trip - December 2017 *with airfield map positions*

[Jason Grant]

Hello everyone. back in December, Mark Forest and myself travelled to the USA for week of aviation photography. It was a very relaxed, enjoyable week in the winter sun and below are a small selection of my photographs, more can be seen on my Flickr page. I would just like to thank Mark for doing all the driving due to me coming down with the lurgy that's currently doing the rounds.

Day 1 - We landed in Las Vegas and headed down to Phoenix. A quick look around McCarran International Airport before the drive, the only aircraft of note (military) was a USCG Kodiak C-130 but as part of the airframe was behind a hangar and glare from the floodlights spoiled the side, it wasn't worth a picture.

Day 2 - Being a Sunday, we decided to head to Phoenix Mesa Gateway to see what military aircraft were about. We were in luck, 9 x T-38s from Sheppard AFB were just getting ready to depart for home. 2 x AV-8Bs from MCAS Yuma also departed and returned, they flew again later that day.
67-14942 T-38C Talon by Jason Grant, on Flickr

T-38C Talon by Jason Grant, on Flickr

67-14841 T-38C Talon by Jason Grant, on Flickr

66-8365 T-38C Talon by Jason Grant, on Flickr

164566 WL-01 AV-8B Harrier VMA-311 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

164566 WL-01 AV-8B VMA-311 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

165579 WL-06 AV-8B VMA-311 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

A driver around the airport, we came across these three new AH-64E Apache Guardians for the Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Darat waiting a delivery flight later in the week.
15-0710 TNI-AD AH-64E Indonesian Apache Guardian by Jason Grant, on Flickr

15-0711 and 15-0714 TNI-AD AH-64E Indonesian Apache Guardian by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Day 3 - Luke AFB. We planned to be on base but alas, it wasn't to be. Never mind, outside is epic, even if the better runway for photography was out of use.
310th FS Tophats 89-2159 & 88-0475 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

89-2056 LF F-16C 310th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

93-0721 21 FS F-16A by Jason Grant, on Flickr

93-0708 LF F-16A 21st FW Gamblers by Jason Grant, on Flickr

93-0721 F-16A 21st FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

And the based 425th FS "Black Widows" which provide advanced weapons and tactics continuation for the Republic of Singapore F-16 pilots and maintenance personnel. A shame that some high level cloud appeared during the early afternoon.
96-5034 F-16DJ RSAF 425th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

96-5035 F-16DJ RSAF 425th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

The 428th FS from Mountain Home had deployed for an exercise. The 428th provide advanced weapons and tactics continuation for the Republic of Singapore F-15 pilots, weapon systems officers and maintenance personnel.
05-0005 MO F-15SG RSAF 428th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

05-8373 MO F-15SG RSAF 428th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

05-8363 MO F-15SG RSAF 428th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

05-0007 MO F-15SG RSAF 428th FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

F-35s are now common place and over the next couple of years it will be even more so, the F-16 training is transferring to Holloman AFB. Plenty of different nations on show.
JSDAF are with 944th OG Det. 2 "Ninjas"
69-8702 JASDF F-35A 944th OG Det. 2 Ninjas by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Italian and Norwegian are assigned to the 62nd FS.

This Italian F-35A was the first F-35A assembled outside the USA, assembled in Cameri, Italy.
MM7333 32-02 Italian F-35A - 62nd FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

5147 Norwegian F-35A 62nd FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

We nearly missed this Australian jet returning. I hadn't departed on the morning, hence our surprise. Assigned to the 61st FS.
A35-001 Australian F-35A 61st FS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

And based USAF Lightnings.
13-5068 LF 62nd FS F-35A by Jason Grant, on Flickr

13-5078 LF F-35A by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Day 4 - AM, we headed to MCAS Yuma. As can happen, not much flew and again, if you know the base, the better runway for landing images was out of use. Still, we fired off a couple of shots.
761583 F-5N Tiger II by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Always nice to photograph a visiting herc
ZH866 C-130J 206 Squadron RAF by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Due to the slow morning, just before lunch we took the 60 minute drive to one of my favourite places to shoot jets in the USA, Naval Air Facility El Centro. This place can be hit and miss for aircraft at different times of the year but boy oh boy, on this day it was full. Canadian Hawks, US Navy Hornets, Super Hornets, Growlers, Turbo Mentors and Sea Hawks, Marine Corps Ospreys and Hercs. It's worth mentioning that Imperial County Airport was very busy with Ospreys and Super Stallions refuelling but we didn't have time to drive down to shoot them due to so much happening on base where we were. Aircraft flew through the afternoon and into the night. We bailed at dark to go eat at one of my favourite places - Famous Dave's.
1
160506 T-34C Turbo Mentor VFA-122 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

2
163482 AD-401 F/A-18D VFA-106 Gladiators by Jason Grant, on Flickr

3
168904 NJ-545 E/A-18G Growler VAQ-129 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

4
155211 CT-155 Hawk Canadian AF by Jason Grant, on Flickr

5
168346 EG-01 MV-22B Osprey VMM-263 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

6
166939 NJ-530 E/A-18G Growler VAQ-129 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

7
155211 CT-155 Canadian AF by Jason Grant, on Flickr

8
169145 NJ-600 E/A-18G Growler VAQ-129 Vikings by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Day 5 - We decided to stay a few more hours at El Centro. Flying began at 07:30hrs in some of the best desert light I have ever had the pleasure of shooting in.
9
160475 T-34C Turbo Mentor Strike Fighter Wing Pacific by Jason Grant, on Flickr

10
168074 KC-130J VMGR-152 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

11
169118 AD-153 F/A-18E Super Hornet VFA-106 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

12
163700 AD-415 F/A-18D Hornet VFA-106 Gladiators by Jason Grant, on Flickr

13
MV-22B VMM-263 168346 & 168019 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

14
166894 NJ-556 E/A-18G Growler VAQ-129 Vikings by Jason Grant, on Flickr

15
166939 NJ-530 E/A-18G Growler VAQ-129 Vikings by Jason Grant, on Flickr

16
163482 AD-401 F/A-18D Hornet VFA-106 by Jason Grant, on Flickr

17
155217 KB799 CT-155 Canadian AF by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Early afternoon, we left and began the long drive to Nellis AFB. We had planned to spend day 6 in Death Valley doing a bit of low level photography but due to me coming down with a sore throat and a dry cough, I felt to under the weather. Never mind, upon arrival at Nellis AFB, the base was full of aircraft for the Weapons School Integration Phase exercise that was in full swing.

Day 6, 7 and 8 - Nellis AFB. What we didn't know was that the exercise was currently taking place at night and the mass launches only took place after dark however, as slow as it was, Las Vegas has many other delights other than aircraft. Below are a few of the images I took over the three days (without base access granted, i would not attend this exercise again).
89-1052 AC-130U Hercules by Jason Grant, on Flickr

168268 AC-500 EA-18G VAQ-130 Zappers by Jason Grant, on Flickr

87-26006 FT HH-60G Pave Hawk 66th RQS by Jason Grant, on Flickr

85-1418 WA 57 ATG F-16C by Jason Grant, on Flickr

12-5057 WA F-35A Lightning II 57 Wing by Jason Grant, on Flickr

87-0267 WA F-16C by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Well if you've scrolled this far, thanks for looking. Have a great 2018 everyone

[Neilg2173]

Looks like it was an amazing trip. Brilliant shots....

[Reaper02]

Nice report, always nice to see photo's from the western part of the US, thanks for sharing

Regards, Edwin
www.final-approach.nl

[timb]

Awesome aircraft and A1 quality photography, its such a shame you didn,t bring the blue sky back with you !

[slogen51]

Brilliant post

You had a good hit at Williams-gateway - those Indonesians

[Chris Procter]

some top drawer images Jason

[Grass73]

Excellent post mate. Got me thinking for next year.

Niall

[Stroudy]

Brilliant shots and a welcome bit of background perspective. Thanks.

[paddyboy]

Hi Jason

Stunning selection there

As for the 1st three

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

[FalconFlare]

That's a cracking selection of top shots sir!

[anthony martin]

Absolutely stunning some of us can only dream

[Rotörhead]

Very nice set of shots there!

[markranger]

Lovely variety and Quality,

[sschofield11]

Excellent set

thanks

Steven

[warferry]

Thanks JASON, Great shots and comments reminds me of my trips to SW States .
Noted the T2V Seastar in photo 7 rare type.

[quid21]

Great photos!

Is that Gladiators two seater Hornet an F as in your photo description? It doesn't have the square intakes? Not meaning to nitpick, as I do not know the answer, but I thought from F/A-18E onwards they had the big square intakes and big wings?

Love all the foreign Lightnings, I doubt I'll see any other than RAF and USAF in my lifetime.

[Jason Grant]

Cheers everyone for your comments

Is that Gladiators two seater Hornet an F as in your photo description? It doesn't have the square intakes? Not meaning to nitpick, as I do not know the answer, but I thought from F/A-18E onwards they had the big square intakes and big wings

Good spot and thanks. I appreciate people pointing these things out. It’s just a typo on my behalf, trying to get things labelled up quickly. I don’t spot serials but I spend nearly all my time chasing each serial for my picture, the type is the easy bit (epic fail on my behalf )

[Droptank]

Hi Jason, some great shots, photography in the US always throws up some great opportunities and good looking aircraft still abound if you know where to go, even civilian airfields have little gems sometimes as you discovered.

I am off to the US soon and wondered if you could confirm the shots at El Centro were taken from along the irrigation channel end, on approach?..and through the fence in the case of the taxi shots of the C130 and F18's?

Also, although you were disappointed by Nellis were your shots from Cheyenne Avenue?...what focal length lens/camera did you use?..I'm going for Red Flag 2018-2 and would appreciate your feedback (unless there is a different reason for not wanting to go again?).

Any help would be appreciated, I visited Nellis when a Red Flag was on in 1990, it was very different then, you could stand very close to the end of the two runways looking over a very rickety picket fence!

Thanks in advance.

Droptank.

[XWP29]

Great set with such a wide variety of aircraft thanks for sharing them.

[Jason Grant]

I am off to the US soon and wondered if you could confirm the shots at El Centro were taken from along the irrigation channel end, on approach?..and through the fence in the case of the taxi shots of the C130 and F18's?

Also, although you were disappointed by Nellis were your shots from Cheyenne Avenue?...what focal length lens/camera did you use?..I'm going for Red Flag 2018-2 and would appreciate your feedback (unless there is a different reason for not wanting to go again?).

Droptank.

Hello Droptank, I have visited El Centro on many occasions and on this occasion, all shots were taken taken on approach to 26 / 30 end of the runway. I have numbered all my El Centro shots (1 to 17) as it will help you identify at what location each image was taken at. I have uploaded a quick map to assist you (see below). The first thing you need to know is base security can be fussy if you approach the fence to shoot through it. I always purchase a three step ladder to shoot over the top of fence. As positions 1 and 2 are elevated the ladder gives enough clearance to shoot down at the passing aircraft. The second bit of advice I will give is if it's wet or raining, keep off the dirt tracks (position 1 and 2) because the dust becomes clag and you get stuck due to the clag sticking to the wheels and wheel arches preventing any wheels rotating (we found to our peril in 2015). All these images were taken with my Canon 7d mk2 and Canon 100-400mm mk2 lens.

Position 1 - Brilliant for shooting the Blue Angels (January/February), helicopters or formation arrival break shots. The T-34C Turbo Mentor is used to spot and grade bomb drops by jets on exercise, it usually signifies the start of the exercise and uses this runway. On this occasion, the Canadian Hawks used this runway to depart runway 30 but arrived back on runway 26. Average focal length 200mm. Pictures 1, 4, 9 and 15 were taken from this location.

Position 2 - Best all round location. Here you will shoot the best taxi shots and landing shots. This is the most popular position. Focal length 200mm - 400mm. Pictures 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 16 were taken from this location.

Position 3 - (parked on the side of the road so be careful) This position can be hit and miss for the turning on to finals for 26 but you always get the side on shot if they go long. This location is best from lunchtime and gets better as the afternoon progresses due to the position of the sun. Focal length 400mm. Pictures 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 17 were all taken from this location.

El Centro by Jason Grant, on Flickr

Nellis AFB - Red Flag is fantastic and I would recommend it to everyone. On this occasion, these images were taken from the Motor Speedway end of the base (North Las Vegas Boulevard Road). You will see all the cars/spotters parked on the speedway side of the road. You will not get any hassle parked there but if you cross the road to get closer to the base perimeter fence, you will be stopped and questioned. For returning aircraft, the general location is Entry Gate 3 for turning in shots although it can be hit or miss (US Navy tend to turn sharp and Entry 2 is better). Aggressors are Entry 3. For departure shots, Entry Gate 8 is best as some of the the aircraft "flex" upon departure. The more focal length the better here, I shoot at 400mm but wish I had more.

On this trip, we noted that all the vegetation has been cut back at Cheyenne Avenue making it a lot easier to spot aircraft. On this occasion we did not shoot any aircraft from that end.

I hope this helps.