Phoenix-Mesa (Williams) Gateway, AZ, USA - 23/01/2009

Having had the most bizarre of coincidences at breakfast, whereby Jason Hyatt happened to be seated at the table next to us (Phoenix is a big city, we'd not arranged to meet, and he'd not been in that particular IHOP for ten years!), we'd been informed that Sundays were no longer the best day at Gateway, we consequently decided to shift our schedule around a bit and spend this afternoon there instead.

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway is located on the site of the former Williams AFB, home of the 82nd FTW and its T-37 and T-38 aircraft at the point of its closure in 1993.

Today, Gateway serves as a hub for Allegiant Air's MD-80s, is home to several flying schools, ATSI's A-4 Skyhawks, US Prison Service MD-80s, and also hosts a bustling FBO which sees plenty of military traffic.

We arrived around 1400 and found a T-45 Goshawk sitting on the ramp already, and this was soon joined by another one, two single T-1A Jayhawks and two single T-38 Talons (one from Beale and one from Whiteman).

The guys at the FBO had told us that there were four AV-8Bs booked later on too.

With the light fading fast a pair of Harriers finally arrived in the circuit. They hailed from VMA-311 "Tomcats", based at MCAS Yuma.

While the guys from Whiteman began their crewing up process the light finally started to improve, with a rainbow appearing just prior to the most stunning golden light.

It lasted all of ten minutes, and when it went it was all but dark, so we elected to hand around and attempt some night shots. Considering these were taken from the top of a ladder, hand-held at 1/13th of a second, ISO800, I don't think they're too bad!

And that concluded our first taste of the much fabled Gateway. We had a chat amongst ourselves and decided we'd return the next afternoon for more of the same.