Following my trip to San Diego and the Miramar airshow I set off for an “epic” road trip across Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. First stop was El Centro to find a Danish EH-101 Merlin undertaking training missions. Needless to say, nothing else was happening. In my three trips to the base, I’ve really not been that lucky!
Seeing that the chances of activity were slim to none I drove the hour up the I8 up to MCAS Yuma. Last time I’d been at the base I’d been lucky enough to capture the Mi-24 Hind and an RAF Chinook operating. Nothing as exotic this time, but it I managed to catch a Harrier of VMA-223 and an F/A-18D, oh and the usual F-5’s of VMFT-401.
With the prospect of a four hour drive to Phoenix I left Yuma fairly early to try and beat the dark, I failed of course but was treated to the most spectacular sunset on the way north.
Next day, I was up early and made my way to Luke AFB – what a day it was! Wall to wall action. The local F-16’s and F-35’s together with Norwegian and Australian Lightning II’s on display.
Next stop on the whirlwind road trip would be Kingman on Route 66 and another 4 hour drive – I’ve learn’t my lesson now! Again, I was treated to a spectacular sunset on US-93, probably, the loneliest road I have ever driven on.
My final two days were in Las Vegas and a visit to Nellis AFB. First off I had to stop at the Hoover Dam, a place that had been on my Bucket list for years.
From the Dam I drove to Vegas and made my way to the Speedway. It is such a magnificent place to view the aircraft that visit and are based at Nellis. I stayed till Sunset and was treated to this beauty!
I spent the next morning transferring between ends and managed to be at the wrong end when 4 F-22’s took off to the North, such is the Lockwood way it seems. I did take my Scanner on the next visit.
A really quick road trip with many miles covered, but such an intense four days of action.
