The US Air Force holds Red Flag exercises several times each year at Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas, Nevada. (Similar exercises held in Alaska are known as Red Flag - Alaska.)
The video clip below was shot in time-lapse photography. It shows air traffic at night during Red Flag, departing Nellis Air Force Base and returning to it. I recommend watching it in full-screen mode. (Turn down your speakers - some idiot put a rock music soundtrack to it.)
Fireflies, anyone?
Peter
Fireflies, or tracers. Couldn't help but think of that.
ReplyDeleteIf you ever have the opportunity to watch "Fighter Pilot," I highly recommend it. It's an IMAX film about an Eagle driver doing his Red Flag rotation, filmed in maybe 2008-ish? I saw it at an Ohio IMAX theater, and got a little queasy in the first couple of minutes.
Well the music wasn't too bad. What fascinates me the most about videos like this is the huge amount of effort from a couple of hundred maintainers to keep all the planes fueled, fixed, and armed. That maintenance dance is as much a ballet as the actual flying (admittedly not as pretty to watch though).
ReplyDeleteEd C
Try this one:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150113735642761
I bet the flight crew had a good time cleaning out the cockpit.
... and Nellis used to be out in the boonies ...
ReplyDelete