2016 Trip Report

a reply to: seagull

They're retired, but they were ordered to keep a certain number of them flyable, so they take them out occasionally, kick the tires, make sure there aren't any leaks, fly them around the valley, then tuck them back into the hangar.

Maybe trialling them by stripping back the paint and using the newfangled stuff they use on the F35,s

Your "first emergency of the day" comment. What was the emergency for that f15 that you guys could figure?

a reply to: BASSPLYR

Yes. He had some kind of engine problem. There was a second later, with an F-16, that we couldn't figure out what happened. An A-10 also got airborne and came back broke.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Thanks zaph. Glad you two had fun. Any word from sammamishman about that one f117 photo you mentioned he had to get the ok for from the AF first?

Cool that a few pilots said hi to you guys! I woulda bought a white bed sheet before hand and a giant marker so i could write cheerful messages to the pilots. Use some rocks to hold the sheet down and hope they read it as they fly near. Or use a stick to write messages in the dirt.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

He wasn't going to get home until later tonight, and was going to email them next week or so. It'll be a week at least probably.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I got a few interesting ones going by Mojave on the way back as well I might upload tomorrow. The last Martinair Cargo MD-11s are sitting out there, along with at least one Air France 747-400 that's been decommissioned.

a reply to: Zaphod58

No circle deer or kamakazi rabbits this time?

a reply to: BASSPLYR

The rabbits just stood there staring away from us until we ran them over.

We did come across a cow pelvis and spine on one of our wrong turns in the desert.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Well thats better than finding a human pelvis and spine out there.

Well im sure your dogs are happy to see you back or did you take em with you and let them in on the fun. And if so howd they handle the jet noise? Imagining you guys watchibg the jets fly around and your dog dragging the cow bones around excitely behind you.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

They stayed on the truck with my other half. There's no way I'd try to take them with us on a trip like this. I've taken them to Palm with us and that was an adventure, so no way would they go on this trip.

More pics please. Having fun blowing them up to jumbo size on my phone and looking at the pretty planes. Theyre great shots.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

I have a bunch more I'll probably upload as time goes on. I ended up with something ridiculous like 600 pictures from Nellis. Not all are good, so probably 450-500 usable.

OK here is my contribution to the trip so far.... I'm going to send correspondence to the AF today. I'll update with either a bunch of cool photos or what the AF said when they get back to me.

Here's mine from Nellis:

From Creech:

From TTR (the ones I can show so far):

Star Wars Canyon:

Were those H-60s the HH-60 or MH-60? I think, that I see a hoist on one of your pictures.

a reply to: buddah6

I believe they are HH-60's from the 66th Rescue Squad. Yeah there is a hoist on them.

a reply to: Sammamishman

I love those aircraft. Not enough attention is given to helos.

a reply to: Sammamishman

Great pics!

Can you describe (at a high level) what you'd need AF Ok to post? I assume you were on public land when taking any photos.

a reply to: Northernhollow

Yes, we were on public lands.

Sorry, I'm not going to go into the "other" stuff right now. I just sent a message to Nellis media ops. contact so we'll see where it goes from there.