Tucson International Airport, AZ, USA - 28/01/2009

Tucson IAP is home to the F-16s of 162nd FW - the largest Air National Guard Fighter Wing in the Air Force. Three Squadrons of F-16C/Ds (148th/152nd/195th FS) are joined by the Block 60 F-16E/Fs of the International Military Student Office, the latter sporting the markings of the UAEAF.

Having missed the first wave of departures we happened to find ourselves in exactly the right spot for the recoveries. Electing to shoot topside turning in shots we took a chance on one of the residential areas a little way from the airfield itself. Naturally some aircraft were further away from us than others, but I think we were all more than happy to settle for what we got.

Having circumnavigated the airport we were as convinced as we could be that we'd not be able to get any departure shots now that the sun had come around, so we decided to settle on a spot we'd found that was nicely out of the way, and where we stayed until after the last recoveries at 1500.

Light was excellent and movements varied. By all accounts we'd struck it quite lucky as they were on the other runway the previous day which is supposedly not so good for pictures.

With the last Vipers on the deck we set about shooting what we could of the other stuff around the airfield. Our ladders were met with a mixed response from the locals which sadly rendered most of the 727s that were lurking on the southside unshootable.

All told it'd been a really good day though. The Viper shots were exactly what we'd hoped for.

We decided to spend the last few hours of light at DM and AMARG.