JFEX and Nellis Weapons School Heavy Update.

Photos of operational aircraft from bases, airports and "spotter" outings
Post Reply
User avatar
Fumbles
Posts: 1657
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 3:30 pm
Location: Vancouver Canada Again

JFEX and Nellis Weapons School Heavy Update.

Post by Fumbles »

Hello everyone... I'm back yet again from another trip to the Desert. The second week of June allowed me to have one day at Rainbow Canyon, Weapons School at Nellis and the main reason.... JFEX (Joint Forcible Entry Exercise) This exercise if held 2 days per year inside the NTTR (Nellis Tactical Training Range) but with a little know how. You can watch the exercise from outside very easily without braking any laws. Upon arriving near the gate I did speak with a very friendly Security "Camo Dude" at the fence. I explained my intentions and promised I would not cross the fence. He did warn me that in return they "Would be watching me". I agreed to let them watch as long as I could stay in the area. Well.... I was not sure what to expect from this exercise since I have never been in that area or even witnessed it. I was in for a massive surprise! The morning started off with some A-10s attacking the desert strip with flares and all even the "Badguys" at the airfield returned with Smoky SAMS.. Afterwards the Heavy bombers kept an eye on the situation, I had a B-52 and a B-1B orbit the area at altitude. Once the airfield was "secure" in came the main event! 14 C-17s in a flying Elephant walk formation dropping flares along the way sadly it was just too windy for a parachute drop but what a site!!!! After they had passed in came another 14 Hercules in the same kind of formation but no flares. There were so many aircraft in the area I had to just put down the camera for a few minutes and just watch the amazing site. Once the Herks had left the area a few C-17s had permission to land on the gravel runway. Sadly the distance and the heat haze made for crap shots of that but I do have a few record shots that I'll share later with the update. Heat haze was a major problem as it was 37 degrees in the desert.. so I'll apologise for the quality of the shots in advance.

For now a sneak peek at one shot of a C-17 at JFEX and two from an evening at Nellis for Weapons School launch. Many more pictures to come this weekend.
Comments and Criticism always welcome good or bad.

1.
ImageIMGP3633 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

2.
ImageIMGP4311 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

3.
ImageIMGP4453 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

User avatar
Wes_Howes
Posts: 3929
Joined: Wed 03 Sep 2008, 7:39 am
Contact:

Re: JFEX and Nellis Weapons School Sneak Peek

Post by Wes_Howes »

You big tease Rod! Can't wait to see more :drool:

User avatar
Agg
UKAR Staff
Posts: 1974
Joined: Tue 05 May 2009, 11:25 am
Location: Norway

Re: JFEX and Nellis Weapons School Sneak Peek

Post by Agg »

Very nice! Looks like you were able to catch some chaff as well :)

DAS/ADLERAUGE
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon 08 May 2017, 6:14 pm

Re: JFEX and Nellis Weapons School Sneak Peek

Post by DAS/ADLERAUGE »

The C-17 with flares is a special one. I hope to see more.

User avatar
Fumbles
Posts: 1657
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 3:30 pm
Location: Vancouver Canada Again

Re: JFEX and Nellis Weapons School Sneak Peek

Post by Fumbles »

Agg wrote:Very nice! Looks like you were able to catch some chaff as well :)



Caught some Chaff!!! That I sure did.. The stuff started pouring all over me. Thankfully no flares, but all the aluminium bits sounded like glass falling to the ground. This shot is more of a record shot showing 6 of the C-17s leaving the area with Chaff pouring down. :lol:

ImageIMGP3665 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

User avatar
Fumbles
Posts: 1657
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 3:30 pm
Location: Vancouver Canada Again

Re: JFEX and Nellis Weapons School Sneak Peek

Post by Fumbles »

Many thanks for the looks and comments everyone.

So here are my best shots of a quick visit to the Rainbow Canyon for one day where I finally caught my first low level F-35. From there one day up in Northern Nevada for JFEX and one evening at Nellis AFB.

4.
ImageIMGP3224 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

5.
ImageIMGP3248 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

6. Major Heat Haze here so I decided not to crop at all... Looks better with the scenery anyways.
ImageIMGP3497 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

7.Another record shot to show what JFEX looks like from a distance. When the USAF wants an airfield. With this many C-17s loaded with troops, they will probably get it.
ImageIMGP3604 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

8.
ImageIMGP3654 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

9.A B-52 stays in orbit over the airfield.
ImageIMGP3669 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

10.Not enough troops in the C-17s.... Send in 14 Herks with more!
ImageIMGP3707 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

11. Oh.... One C-130 taken out by a Smoky SAM!
ImageIMGP3716 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

12.
ImageIMGP3736 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

13. Again.. More or a record shot.. The desert strip with a C-17 taking off. In that dust cloud is another C-17
ImageIMGP3889 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

14.Back to Nellis for an evening of Weapons School departures.
ImageIMGP4185 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

15.
ImageIMGP4243 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

16.
ImageIMGP4251 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

17.
ImageIMGP4340 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr

18.
ImageIMGP4485 by Rod McDonough, on Flickr


Thanks for looking and again Comments and Criticism always welcome good or bad.

User avatar
SWATCO
Posts: 328
Joined: Sat 17 Aug 2013, 5:08 pm
Location: Somerset

Re: JFEX and Nellis Weapons School Heavy Update.

Post by SWATCO »

Oh my word. The formation shots are something else!

User avatar
Arthur Tee
Posts: 1169
Joined: Mon 15 Sep 2008, 12:42 pm
Location: Shawbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Re: JFEX and Nellis Weapons School Heavy Update.

Post by Arthur Tee »

They're all brilliant - but I love the chaff shot! :clap: :love:

Arthur
Canon PowerShot SX40HS - It's not what you've got - it's what you do with it!

Airwolfhound
Posts: 2707
Joined: Fri 06 Jun 2014, 12:53 pm
Contact:

Re: JFEX and Nellis Weapons School Heavy Update.

Post by Airwolfhound »

Superb, do love that light on the last B52 shot :clap:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/24874528@N04/

Agile, mobile and hostile ;-)

User avatar
Agg
UKAR Staff
Posts: 1974
Joined: Tue 05 May 2009, 11:25 am
Location: Norway

Re: JFEX and Nellis Weapons School Heavy Update.

Post by Agg »

Arthur Tee wrote:They're all brilliant - but I love the chaff shot! :clap: :love:

Arthur

Me too, not something you see very often :)

User avatar
Blackbird
UKAR Supporter
Posts: 3604
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 3:36 pm
Contact:

Re: JFEX and Nellis Weapons School Heavy Update.

Post by Blackbird »

Fantastic set Rod :clap: :clap:

Andy :smile:

Post Reply