Aviation Nation, Nellis AFB 2016 in 1500x

[Fumbles]

Hello again!

Many many thanks for the comments on my post about our latest trip to NAS Fallon during November! Today I've created a photo album about Aviation Nation 2016. The show had some heavy cancellations like the ER-2, Supper Guppy, F-104 and a last minute Mig-21.. The show pulled in some heavy additions for each loss like the D-10 tanker water drop and a Hind and a Dutch F-35 as fill ins and they worked. The star of the show though being the last show of the QF-4 Phantom.

Saturdays show was hard to photograph from lunch time on due to the filtered clouds that sometimes roll into Las Vegas. When these clouds do... The light turns a real weird yellow/brown. Anyone that has been there will know what I mean. Sunday worked out to be the typical Las Vegas Sun and temps of about 23 degrees. Not bad for November.

Anyway... Nellis did it again! The show was near perfect... The "show of force" demo sure has come a long way since Nellis first tried it many years ago. The Dog fighting alone will keep you on your toes! I'm already looking forward to Aviation Nation 2017. On with the shots and as usual Comments and Criticism always welcome good or bad.
Later in the week I'll get my normal Nellis Ops and some Rainbow Canyon shots up.

Some arrival shots to start with.
1
IMGP2379 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

2
IMGP2344 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

3
IMGP2466 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

4
IMGP2735 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

5
IMGP2812 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

On with the show...

6
IMGP2959 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

7
IMGP3053 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

8
IMGP3103 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

9
IMGP3207 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

10
IMGP3236 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

11
IMGP3347 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

12
IMGP3372 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

13
IMGP3384 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

14
IMGP3461 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

15
IMGP3482 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

16
IMGP3651 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

17
IMGP4040 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

18
IMGP4234 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

19
IMGP4366 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

20
IMGP4371 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

21
IMGP4386 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

22
IMGP4421 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

23
IMGP4450 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

24
IMGP4558 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

25
IMGP4534 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

26
IMGP4604 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

27
IMGP4801 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

28
IMGP4995 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

29
IMGP4700 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

30
IMGP2196 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

[sovietjet]

Were we at the same show? How did you get non-backlit shots on numbers 8, 9, 11, 12? I guess I would have to disagree on the clouds. If anything, they helped the horrible backlit conditions by making the light more flat. Great set of shots!

[D90Man]

Very sweet Rod...Thunderbirds message to Blues #6 is a nice touch.

May I ask if you had any issues getting large zoom lenses into the show? Do you use a backpack / rolling camera bag and if so, what was the reaction at the security checkpoint?

Thanks

Leon

[Wes_Howes]

Great stuff Rod, look at those lovely azure skies! That water drop pic is brilliant

[Leeflyer]

Fantastic shots. As for the F4 WOW

[SWATCO]

Cracking set, Love the Phantom images

[AlexC]

Very good!

[McG]

Were we at the same show? How did you get non-backlit shots on numbers 8, 9, 11, 12? I guess I would have to disagree on the clouds. If anything, they helped the horrible backlit conditions by making the light more flat. Great set of shots!

Ivan,

They might be from the Friday practice and taken from the main road just down from the Speedway.


Mark

[Fumbles]

Were we at the same show? How did you get non-backlit shots on numbers 8, 9, 11, 12? I guess I would have to disagree on the clouds. If anything, they helped the horrible backlit conditions by making the light more flat. Great set of shots!

Sorry for the delay.. Yeap those shots were taken outside the base on the Friday. We we way south of even Gate 1 hoping to get the banked in passes for show centre. Which we did, the gable worked.

Very sweet Rod...Thunderbirds message to Blues #6 is a nice touch.
May I ask if you had any issues getting large zoom lenses into the show? Do you use a backpack / rolling camera bag and if so, what was the reaction at the security checkpoint?
Thanks
Leon

Hi Leon... This year there was no problems that I could see or hear of troubles with large lenses as with previous years. I used the main gate since I stay local and walk in... But I know of others who brought large backpacks with large lenses to the speedway and they had no problems. But as with anything else with Nellis AFB.. They change rules on the fly!


Thanks for the comments everyone.