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Thread: Nellis Air Force Base-Red Flag 12-4

  1. #1
    Senior Member NickPeterman's Avatar
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    Nellis Air Force Base-Red Flag 12-4

    Hello All, and greetings from Las Vegas, home of the Air Force's largest aerial exercise, Red Flag. I am in town for a full week, partaking in the excitement that is dozens of combat jets roaring into the hot July sky. And of course, I will do my best to share what I can with y'all. Suffice it to say that this thread will be image heavy and photobombed by this time Friday, and I ask for some leeway in advance, as I am editing on a new laptop, and cannot vouch for its lack of color cast.

    Anyhow, today alone I shot 5 new aircraft types, so there is much new for me to find here. I hope you enjoy installment 1, which provides a good sampling of what was seen today.


    I hope you enjoy, and leave me some feedback, as I need to get comfortable with editing on this laptop!



    Cheers!


    Nick


    A VAQ-209 Prowler





    A banking Bone





    And a Big Bad BUFF





    AWACS on recovery





    The new Splinter Eagle





    And a Pave Hawk Too!


  2. #2
    Senior Member NickPeterman's Avatar
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    An Agressor Viper





    Homeward bound Bone





    And a Lakenheath Eagle





    An Arctic Aggressor





    And a Test Bird





    A new dark Viper





    And a Hog on the Hunt

    Last edited by NickPeterman; 2012-07-22 at 12:43 PM.

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    Kfir is an awesome looking aircraft. Nice shots!

  4. #4
    Senior Member NickPeterman's Avatar
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    Thank you TJK!

    That Kfir sounds just as good as she looks with that J79 engine.

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    Senior Member moose135's Avatar
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    Great work, Nick! I've always thought the Kfir was a neat airplane, glad you were able to catch it. What's that thing under the forward fuselage of the B-1? Some sort of sensor pod they use on the range for Red Flag?

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    Really Nice Shots....


    Rich B

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    Senior Member gonzalu's Avatar
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    Is that a Mirage? It fits in the dessert lol. VERY nice set Nick. I have missed Red Flag for years. I go to Vegas at least once a year and never at the same time as one of the events :-( Can;t wait to see more ...
    Manny Gonzalez
    Thrust Images | General Photography | R.I.P. Matt Molnar 1979-2013
    BRING BACK THE KJFK/KLGA OBSERVATION DECKS

  8. #8
    Senior Member gonzalu's Avatar
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    BTW were you spotting from Cheyenne or Nellis Blvd? I got kicked out of Cheyenne last year... the MPs were very upset with me, not sure why. SOme local spotters said it was rare to be kicked out of the approach area...
    Manny Gonzalez
    Thrust Images | General Photography | R.I.P. Matt Molnar 1979-2013
    BRING BACK THE KJFK/KLGA OBSERVATION DECKS

  9. #9
    Senior Member NickPeterman's Avatar
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    Thank you all!

    Moose-That B-1B is carrying a Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, it is now standard fit for the B-1B's so that they can self designate laser guided bombs, as well as perform their own Damage Assesments before releasing ordnance. It is a fairly recent addition to their arsenal. Its hard to see, but the B-52 above is also carrying a targeting pod between nacelles on the starboard wing I believe.

    Manny, departures were shot at Cheyenne, and recoveries at the Speedway. What did you do to get yourself thrown out? I have NEVER heard of that happening, unless perhaps you parked on the base side of the street...



    Nick

  10. #10
    Senior Member megatop412's Avatar
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    great shots Nick- me likey BUFF

    so is Red Flag something you have to have special access to, or can you just go there when it's happening, like an airshow

  11. #11
    Senior Member NickPeterman's Avatar
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    All of the shots that you have seen here can be taken from off base with no special access. Some of the shots from the next 3 days will require that added access that I have gotten for a project that I am working on, but many people from the world over do come just to sit off base and shoot all the awesome aircraft that come into town.

  12. #12
    Senior Member Vinny Ohare's Avatar
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    Great pictures! Is the sky really that blue?

  13. #13
    Senior Member megatop412's Avatar
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    To add to Vinny's question, I was just going to ask how you are handling the heat haze out there in terms of your editing- or are you so close that there isn't much- being the middle of summer I would think you have at least some

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    Awesome shots Nick, thanks for sharing! I think Red Flag is on all our bucket lists as spotters. Can't wait to see the next few batches of images, keep em coming!

    I may be wrong, but I think the BUFF uses the Sniper pod, though the one on the wing in that picture looks more like a LANTIRN pod from that angle.

  15. #15
    Senior Member NickPeterman's Avatar
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    Alrighty, just got back in from another day in the blast furnace that is nellis at this time of year, and will try to answer your questions in order before I run out for dinner.

    Vinny-In some places, the sky really is that blue. It is a product of shooting nearly overhead as they break over you in some places, and just DAMN good light in others. Its not all that Blue, but a lot of it is if you know where to shoot.

    William-Heat Haze is an issue in some places, more on the ground (as you will see from my photos tomorrow), but ever present. If you try to shoot at the far end of a zoom lense, you might encounter a little, but they are usually either high or close enough to avoid super bad haze. Its also not very humid here, which helps things in your favor as well. If you;d like, I can post some 100% crops as examples later.


    Captmjk-These BUFFS are carrying LITENING, and I have never seen a BUFF with a Sniper ATP. It was an ANG unit that first qualed the LITENING pod on the BUFF, and since then, I believe that has been what they use.


    Pics later tonight, once I stop feeling sick from dehydration.

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