Red Flag 14-1 Tanker flight

Well the 3rd time is the charm. At the last two Red Flags in 2013, I was scheduled to fly with the US Air Force in their KC-135 Tanker plane, but due to some major miscommunications, the mission failed, and it was two long angry trips back  to San Diego from Las Vegas.

Here it is, Feb.10, I found myself back at the Nellis Air Force base's parking lot, and getting in a van to go on base and get on a plane. There was 5 of us, one was my editor from Combat Aircraft Magazine, Jaime Hunter, my new friend Ivan Voukadinov, who is one of the best Aviation photographers that I know, and two others.

Ivan and I got on our Boeing KC-135, while Jaime jumped on another. Our plane was being piloted by Captain Alex Duke, Co Pilot Robbi Bethancourt, and Boom Operator Airman Ryan Kemp. They were all attached to the 92nd Air Refueling Wing, out of Fairchild AFB, Washington.

We settled into our seats after the safety briefing, and soon we were in the air and climbing high into the sunny blue skies with huge billowy white clouds. We headed north, and I believe we were over Southern Utah, when the first of the fighters started to show up for refueling.

In 3 hours, were refueled fighters from:

The 1st Fighter Wing, 27th Fighter Squadron, F-22As, from Langley AFB, Virginia.
The 20th Fighter Wing, 55th Fighter Squadron, F-16CMs, from Shaw AFB, South Carolina
The 140th Fighter Wing, 120th Fighter Squadron, F-16C, from Buckley AFB, Colorado.

This was my first Air2Air with modern military aircraft, and what a blast it was. I shot through the side windows of the aircraft, and then down though the windows in the tail of the plane where the boom operator is located while refueling is taking place.

After landing, I drove back to San Diego. I was just so happy, that the 5 hour drive felt like only a few. I want to thank the US Air Force, the Base PAO's, and the crew of our tanker flight. Some of the best moments of my life.

Red Flag 14-1

While the Armed Forces sequestration is still in effect, the US Air Force's Red Flag exercise was back on after cancelling the last one in 2013. I drove from San Diego to Nellis Air Force Base, just north of Las Vegas for my 3rd Red Flag. I was especially interested in getting images of the Royal Australian Air Forces F/A-18's that would be participating in the exercise.

I was very lucky to attend, as I was late in getting my paperwork in for registering, but the Air Force took pity on me, due to them changing the way they registered the media and having a very shorten time to do so.

I along with approximately another 30-40 photographers were bused out the middle of the runway, where waves of planes started taking off, one after the another. First it was the big guys, tankers and electronic warfare planes, and then the bombers, followed by the fighters. Not only was their several US units flying, but British Typhoons and Tornados.

Wings of Gold

Well, I haven't written anything for awhile as things have been really slow. I've got several request into the different Military Public Affairs Officers throughout the region, and am waiting on the word that the request have been approved.

The US Air Force Red Flag exercises at Nellis AFB, are back on for 2014 after shutting down in 2013 after two cancelling two of the four planned exercises due to the sequestration. I have already been approved by the US Air Force to attend the exercises in February and March, so that's something at least.

I was very fortunate to have my WTI story published again, first by "Vertical Magazine", but now by "Wings of Gold", a magazine published by Association of Naval Aviation.

 

I recently started a Non Profit Organization called the California Dolphin Project www.caldolphin.org, and have been spending at sea, which has given me a lot of opportunities to shoot several US Navy ships while they are out to sea off of San Diego.

 

I hopefully will have to write about in the near future. Take care my friends and be safe.

Vertical Magazine

My story on the US Marines and their WTI 1-14 training got more coverage as "Vertical" Magazine picked up the story for their website. "Vertical" is the #1 Magazine for any and everything Helicopters. I have been very fortunate in my short career as a freelance photojournalist, and I truly appreciate all of those people who have and are helping me along the way.

"Wings of Gold", a quarterly magazine for Naval and Marine aviators is also running the WTI story in their next issue. Again, thank you to all, including the US Military for all of their access and kindness that they have shown to me.

 

 

 

 

WTI 1-14

Well, with the sequestration still in place for the US military, the Airshows have all been cancelled, if there was any military involved, and this has led to a really slow year for most of the aviation photographers this year.

As for myself, I've been fairly busy. I wrote an article about the 358th going to the gunnery range and it is being published by Combat Aircraft Monthly for November 2013. (The North American version may have a B-1 on the cover).

On October 2, 2013 I was very fortunate to attend the Fall Weapons and Tactics Instructors course for the U.S. Marines at MCAS Yuma, in Yuma, Arizona. I was assigned to fly in a Huey UH-1Y helicopter ( a gunship). We flew into the Chocolate Mountains of southern California. It was really exciting as we would be flying through the canyons and then pop up over a mountain and then descend quickly blasting the targets with rockets, and machine guns. What an experience! Now, I've flown in most of the Marine's Helicopter inventory. The CH-53 and 46 as a Marine and the MV-22 and now the UH-1W as a photojournalist.

 

 

The Invite

I receive an invite from the USAF's 358th Fighter Squadron to come out to the Barry Goldwater Aerial Gunnery/Bombing Ranges just south of Gila Bend, AZ. This is a desolate and unforgiving land right in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. The Squadron wanted me to come out and shoot their pilots during a bombing and gunnery practice.

I arrived at Gila Bend Aux. Air Force base and then drove 20 miles south to the range. They had a control tower available for me to shoot from. This gave me some elevation. I really can't write much here as I have sent the story to Combat Aircraft Magazine and I believe they are going to use it after I read their last e-mail.

It was exciting as the A-10 Warthogs flew very close to my location, when firing their 30 mm Gaitling guns. The temp were approx. 106-110 by the time I left around noon. I made several new friends and have already been invited to come back out for a larger exercise in a few months.

It;s been a long summer so far.

Hello everyone,

The month of June was so busy with the Marines and the navy during the Dawn Blitz Exercise, but then with sequestration really settling in, times have gotten a little rough. I just haven't felt like going to the few air shows still flying, due to a lack of military aircraft, and you only shoot the Warbirds from the ground so may times. I also don't want the label as so many aviation photographers are become to be know, you know "Air Show" Photographers.

I was fortunate enough to cover the first US Marine F-35B landing at MCAS Miramar. I was also present earlier to cover the first F-35B to land and be given to the Marine Corps at MCAS Yuma, the year before.

So, mostly on weekends, I've been relying on the various Marine air units training on the weekends, and speaking with the pilots an shooting them as they fly their training missions. I also have been shooting the different US Naval vessels coming and going from San Diego Bay, and any Navy aircraft flying out of NAS North Island.

In July, I entered a photo contest in Vertical Magazine without realizing I had, and ended up winning the darn thing. YEAH!

In early August, I became a member of the White House Press Pool, when President Obama came to Camp Pendleton. I showed up so I could shoot the Marine One helicopter.

Last week, I had the great pleasure of interviewing the new Commanding Officer of VMFAT-101, Lt. Col Chris Hagen.

I am getting fairly excited about an opportunity coming up in early September with the US Air Force, but I can't say anything until after the event. Pcs will also be shown, afterwards