Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field

[Tower Guy]

Headed out to challenge and help train Marine fliers. by Tower Guy, on Flickr

[Tower Guy]

Beautiful afternoon in Gila Bend. by Harvey Brugger, on Flickr

[Tower Guy]

There are 4 flyable BD-5Js, here are 3 of them. by Harvey Brugger, on Flickr

[Chris V]

Love this shot Harvey!

[Jeff D. Welker]

Harvey - wonderful framing and strategic use of a shallow DOF to achieve a really terrific image. Are they building a new hanger at the field? Doesn't look like the same location we photographed from a couple of years ago.

[Tower Guy]

Thank you very much Chris.

[Tower Guy]

Thanks for your comment Jeff, I really do appreciate it. You know I should have actually posted this to the Gila Bend Muni Airport. They couldn't use the hangar at the Aux field, it was being occupied by a vehicle that doesn't allow close up viewing. They moved over to the Muni airport just for this time. It actually was a better location to shoot these guys. I could walk up and down the taxiways and walk out beside the runway for their departure and arrival. I wouldn't mind if they did this again.

[Tower Guy]

Another late afternoon touch and go on runway 35. by Harvey Brugger, on Flickr

[Chris Kennedy]

Cool shot Harvey.

Was there a precautionary/emergency landing by a Luke F-16 while you were there? I was at Luke in the afternoon and heard something on one of the radio channels about a plane that landed there. I think they said something about an EMU, but I'm not sure that's what he said.

[Tower Guy]

Thanks Chris, my friend said an F16 landed there with an in-flight emergency about an hour before I got there. There were a few Luke birds there for different reasons. By the way I wanted to thank you for the heads up on the Virgin Atlantic 747 landing at GYR a couple weeks ago.

[Chris Kennedy]

By the way I wanted to thank you for the heads up on the Virgin Atlantic 747 landing at GYR a couple weeks ago.

You're welcome Harvey. I check GYR on FlightAware often. It's kind of a difficult place for photography, though. At least without breaking several traffic laws.

[Tower Guy]

Stitch departing for a practice Demo flight. by Harvey Brugger, on Flickr

[Tower Guy]

Late afternoon light in Gila Bend. by Harvey Brugger, on Flickr

[Scott Youmans]

Great light on that F-16D. Nice to see a background free of man made structures.

[Tower Guy]

Thank you Scott, I agree that there are some great backgrounds that are clutter free in Gila Bend.