RED FLAG 19-2 at Nellis AFB

RED FLAG 19-2 at Nellis AFB

RED FLAG 19-2

Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, NV March 8th – 22nd, 2019

RED FLAG is the Air Force’s premier air-to-air combat training exercise which brings units from allied nations to Las Vegas to safely train in air combat sorties. A typical RED FLAG consists of every type of US aircraft, from fighters & Bombers such as (F-15’s, F-22, F-35, F16, A-10, B1B, B-2’s, B-52H), electric warfare planes like (EC-130H, EA-18G & F-16CM), airlift support (C-130 & C-17), search and Rescue (HH-60G, HC-130J) refueling aircraft (KC-130, KC-135, KC-10) and Command & Control platforms (E-3, E-6, E-8, & E-2). The ANG and Reserves play a big part in RED FLAG exercises. RED FLAG exercises are held 3 times a year. Usually, Feb, Mar and July where temps will be above 100 degrees. I only had temps in the 60’s, but because of the wind blowing it felt cooler and always had to have a light jacket on.

    For 19-2, the participants were:

    1GP F-16E/F-16F UAE
    6th FS F-15SA Saudi Arabia
    10 Wing F-16AM/F-16BM Belgium
    16th ACCS E-8C Robins AFB
    29sq F-15SA Saudi Arabia
    62d FS F-35A Luke AFB
    34th BS B-1B Ellsworth AFB (Canceled)
    55th RQS HH-60G Davis Monthan AFB
    71st RQS HC-130J Moody AFB
    322sq F-16AM/F-16BM Netherlands
    334sq KDC-10A Netherlands
    336th FS F-15E Seymour Johnson
    428th FS F-15SG Singapore
    964th AACS E-3G Tinker AFB
    VAQ-134 EA-18G NAS Whidbey Island
    Escta 811 KC-767 Colombia Air Force
    122nd FS F-15C LA ANG
    194th FS F-15C CA ANG

I was outside Nellis for 3 days, 3/11, 3/12 & 3/15. Their runways are 21 L&R which takes off over the city, and 3 L&R which takes off towards the racetrack. Typically, aircraft would launch around 12pm – 2pm, when standing along the edge of Las Vegas BLVD N, which is along the Raceway the aircraft will break over you which they call “flexing” due to the wings of the jets flexing due to the G’s of the pull.

Recoveries can be on either runway as well, depending on wind direction. We had jets landing switching runways which makes everyone scatter to get down to the other end to catch the arrivals. E. Cheyanne Ave is the road to be at for aircraft landing RW3, just don’t stand along the side of the fence as the Air Force will ask you to cross back over.The Belgian Air Force deployed F-16s from 10 Wing at Kleine Brogel. The participants from the Netherlands, UAE, and Singapore used aircraft from their Training Units based in the U.S. while the Saudis participated with the recently handed over F-15SA jets that were still to be flown to Saudi Arabia

I love going to air shows, but after attending three days at RED FLAG, you get far more action and it’s all military. I rented a Nikon D500 and a Sigma 150-600 Sport which I loved so much I ended up buying new copies of each. You would need a lens of 400mm or more for most of the landings for RW21, especially if they land 21L which is further away. Some of the flexes over you 150mm was too far… I would highly recommend purchasing a radio scanner so you can listen to the planes getting ready to take off so you have a heads up. You can find the frequencies online, just make sure you purchase a unit that handles VHF & UHF which are the higher frequencies the military tends to use more.

Some of the aircraft photographed were actually participating in the GREEN FLAG close air support exercise and WSINT (Advanced Training in Weapons and Tactics Employment). I can’t wait to get back out there for my next RED FLAG exercise.

Shark 21Green Flag participant Snake 12 Green Flag participant Shark 11 flight of 2 for Green Flag Disco 01 heads off for the start of RF-2 Clown 47 pulling some vapor over the photogs
Python 1 flexing over the track Snake 02 Snake 01 flight flexing Nitro 42 on short final Gomer 01 landing RW 3R
Sniper Flight returning Harley 01 "Flexes" over the Nellis Raceway. Charlie 33 Flexing over the raceway ROCK01 Blizzard scheme F-15E Strike Eagle
F-16E on a flex departure F-15E Strike Eagle F-15SG Strike Eagle heads off to the range. F-16AM Viper 21 flight lead flexes over the raceway F-16BM, AZ ANG flexes over the raceway.
F-16 AM pulling some vapor over the racetrack on departure. A-10C Warthog A-10C Warthog, Hog 1 flight off to the range A-10C Warthog F-16 from Hill AFB on a flex departure from RW 3L
A-10C Warthog off to the range A-10C part of Hog 1 flight A-10C Warthog wave A-10C Warthog F-16AM from the Belgium AF landing RW 21R
Splinter paint scheme Aggressor Belgium F-16 3 Ship overhead F-15E Strike Eagles 4 ship overhead F-15SG landing RW 21R F-15SA Saudi Arabia
AZ ANG F-16's overhead Gomer 02 wearing the Flanker paint scheme Ivan 21 wearing the Blue Flanker Scheme F-16 Aggressors overhead F-15E Strike Eagles, SJ left base
F-15E Strike Eagles, 4 Ship SJ F-15E Strike Eagles, SJ 2 shipp F-15E Strike Eagles in an overhead KC-767 COPPER 76 heavy KDC-10A GOLD 25 landing RW 21L
HC-130J Bolter 15 landing RW 21R A-10C Hog1 flight returns to land F-16 COBRA 1 launching for WSINT F-16's launching for WSINT HC-130J BOLTER 15 departs RW 3L
KC-767 GOLD 25 departing Ivan 21 flight departs - Blue Flanker F-16 in Desert Flanker scheme departs as Viper 11 flight F-16 Aggressor in Splinter Paint scheme Viper 11 Flight
Viper 11 flight, in Artic camo scheme F-16 Aggressor Ivan 11 flight in a Shark/Flanker paint scheme 336th FS F-15E Seymour Johnson F-15E Strike Eagle Gomer 01 wearing the Flanker/Shark paint scheme
Nitro 41 EA-18G Growler EA-18 Growler F-16AM F-16BM Viper 21 flight F-15C VEGAS flight of 2
F-15C VEGAS flight Harley 01 Harley 02 follows lead F-15C F-15SA
L-159 Honeybadger Draken International F-16AM F-16AM F-15E Strike Eagle Charlie 33 Flight
Charlie 33 wingman F-16E flexing over the raceway F-16AM F-16AM F-15E Strike Eagle
F-15E Strike Eagle Flexing on departure F-15E Strike Eagle (SENT IT) F-15E Strike Eagle flexing over the track F-15C F-16AM Netherlands Vipers in the overhead for RW 3L
F-15C landing RW 3R A-4K Skyhawk Draken International VAQ-134 EA-18G NAS Whidbey Island 2 ship VAQ-134 EA-18G NAS Whidbey Island EA-18G Nitro 41
F-15E landing RW 3R A-4K Skyhawk Draken International L-159 Honeybadger Draken International Ivan 11 landing RW3L F-16AM
Gomer 01 landing RW 3L Viper 11 flight landing RW3L E/A-18G F-15E 2 ship overhead Viper 31 flight landing RW3L
Harley 01 landing RW3L F-16E of the UAE landing RW 3R 29sq F-15SA Saudi Arabia F-15SA Charlie 33 landing RW3L
F-15E 4th FW landing RW 3R COPPER 76 KC-767 landing RW 3R BOLTER 15 landing 3R HC-130J SCAT 01 departing for the range SCAT 01 w/ GBU's under its wings
SCAT 01 SCAT 02 over the raceway SCAT 02 flexing