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Tucson F-16s

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wpid10658-AU0E1998.jpgA trip to Tucson means a chance to shoot the F-16s that operate from the international airport there. This is an Air National Guard unit and it also includes the training unit for the Netherlands Air Force. I have shot there before and posted about it in this post. It is a place for morning shooting. The light is right at that time and the heat has not got too bad. Near the end of the runway is the favored spot and you can get the aircraft just after they lift off as they head straight out. The morning launch is often quite busy so you can get a steady stream of aircraft.

wpid10654-AU0E1869.jpgWhat goes out is usually coming back and the recoveries mean time to move. This time they actually caught us out a bit since some of the early launches came back in less than an hour so were recovering before the others had launched. This actually provided a chance to catch them as they turned off after landing so some ground shots were available although the heat haze was starting to be a problem. I then headed to the other favored spot that puts you inside the final turn. Depending on how tightly they fly the turn, you can either see them a reasonable distance away or they can feel like hey are right on top of you.

Tucson F-16s

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I recently was in Tucson AZ for a piece I was working on for the magazine.  Since that is yet to be public, I will have to hold off on putting anything from the visit on here.  However, I did have a morning free before my flight home and decided to check out the F-16 operations that take place at Tucson’s international airport.  I hadn’t visited the airport before so I checked in with my friend Jay to find out what the options are for shooting at the field.

Jay gave me some suggestions on locations as well as the times of day that things are likely to happen.  This was focused on first thing in the morning since it is a little warm in Tucson at this time of year.  105F is not just uncomfortable to be out and about in but it does cause lots of heat haze issues which makes for tricky shooting conditions.  Besides, I did have a plane to catch.

I got the the departure end of things and the timing of the first wave of F-16s was pretty much as predicted.  While you have a good view of the aircraft on their takeoff run, most shots before they get close are pointless since the heat haze is very strong.  That didn’t stop me trying some of course.  However, there are a lot of shots of that type that did not make it through the first cull of bad images!

With the first wave away, I moved to the other end of the field to get the recoveries.  Not only was Jay’s suggestion well placed for getting the aircraft as they came in but it also provided a measure of shelter from the sun.  This was very welcome.  Depending on the pilots, the jets turn in very close to you and provide a nice angle that you don’t often get.  Some pilots turned a lot further out although I did notice one jet which was a two seater do that on its first pass and it was a lot tighter on the second pass.  i wonder what the conversation was like in that jet.

I got the recoveries of the jets that had launched earlier along with a few civilian arrivals before deciding that it was too warm.  Then I did a little exploration around the field but that will be a different post!