NAF El Centro, CA, USA - 21/01/2009

The plan of action for our second full day of the trip had been clear. Get up, eat breakfast, head to MCAS Yuma, spend the day there and then drive on to our overnight stop-off point in El Centro.

The first three of those tasks were completed, but on arrival at Yuma it had a desperately quiet feel about it. There was no activity on the military part of the base and with good weather forecast for this day, but not the next day, we decided to head to NAF El Centro straight away. With the facility being in California, and thus across another time zone, it also meant we gained an extra hour to play with!

Nothing is permanently based at El Centro, but lots of aircraft deploy here to make use of the (generally) excellent weather and the vast, varied bombing ranges in the locale.

As we approached the town we could see the Blue Angels, The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, off in the distance strutting their stuff in their F/A-18A Hornets. The team takes up residence at El Centro each winter for their workups, as the weather is invariably better than at their regular home of NAS Pensacola, in Florida at that time.

By the time we got to the base itself some USN Hornets were preparing to take off, and as we looked out across the ramps, there were AV-8Bs, more Hornets and an absolute shedload of T-45 Goshawks - something that none of us had shot before.

With the airfield handed back by the Blues, departures were once again cleared to get underway, so we headed down to the far end of the runway to get some shots of stuff climbing away.

We'd not been there above five minutes when a C-2A Greyhound from VRC-30 "Providers" broke into the circuit and proceeded to fly multiple approaches.

Meanwhile a mix of F/A-18Es and Fs from the Super Hornet Fleet Replenishment Squadron, VFA-122 "Flying Eagles", based at NAS Lemoore, CA, started to recover, one inparticular breaking right across us.

Goshawks and Supers came and went. It soon became clear that this was a seriously busy airfield.

Blue Angel 7, flown by Lt Ben Walborn interrupted proceedings with a spectacular departure, doubtless introducing a member of the media to the ways of "The Blues".

With lots of stuff out we decided a location change was in order, and so we headed to one of several spots on the approach, and thanks to a raise bank and water course we were also able to shoot taxying stuff over the fence. We did conclude that it would've been easier if we'd all had steps, however, so that was something we put right the next day.

Only now did the enormity of the Goshawks detachment become clear. In total there were in excess of forty examples of the time present, drawn from both TW-1 at NAS Meridian, MS, and from TW-2 at NAS Kingsville, TX.

I lost count of the number of times that three flights of four would taxi out at the same time. It really was virtually non-stop action as they kept hitting the ranges with their blue practice bombs.

The AV-8B/+s were from the east coast, VMA-542 "Flying Tigers" from MCAS Cherry Point, NC. Unlike the Goshawks, these were carrying live munitions.

Four F/A-18Ds from VMFA(AW)-225 "Vikings", based at MCAS Miramar, CA, had arrived a short while earlier in very poor light, but after lunch and a refuel they headed out again. Still the light was far from ideal, but at least they were close.

With the AV-8s due back we ventured further out on the approach in the hope of getting some topside shots of their return. We were not to be disappointed, and even the sun made a fleeting appearance.

As they landed another C-2A arrived in the overhead, and as with the one in the morning proceeded to bash the circuit.

By now the light was coming good, so it was with great delight that we saw one of the VMFA(AW)-225 Hornets breaking back into the circuit. We'd assumed they'd head home to Miramar, but fortunately not! He was followed a few minutes later by the other three aircraft, including that lovely CO jet, who sadly got the rough end of the stick with the light.

The Goshawks just looked superb against the now blue skies, and they just kept coming and coming...

With the Blue Angels airborne for their last slot of the day, we moved down to the cross runway to get some shots of their recovery. Aside from some 'different' T-45 shots we also got very lucky with no less than six AH-1Ws arriving in various formations. The first three at least hailed from HMLA-267, "Stingers" from MCAS Camp Pendleton.

And that rounded off a quite superb day. I've not been at a military installation as busy as this in a very long time. Undoubtedly we'd made the right decision in moving on from Yuma.