ARTICLES and GALLERIES

VIDEO and PHOTO OF THE WEEK

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A lone CF-18 Hornet departs CFB Comox during Trident Fury 2013.

WHAT'S NEW!

May 28, 2013 -

Exercise TRIDENT FURY wrapped up two weeks ago. I have over 40 images of the paricipating aircraft that were operating out of 19 Wing Comox.

May 13, 2013 -

The RCAF Snowbirds completed their annual Spring Training two weeks ago. Flying twice a day at CFB Comox,they honed their skills for the upcoming airshow season.

May 1, 2013 -

The 2013 CF-18 Hornet Team just completed their annual Spring Training at 19 Wing Comox. A new page with over 25 photos of the only fast jet demo in North America this year.

April 10, 2013 -

Back to RED FLAG 13-3 updates. The Royal Austrailian Air Force participated with two E-7A Wedgetail's. They performed the all important "eye in the sky" role during the RED FLAG day missions during my visit.

March 28, 2013 -

A new page from Spotting at NAS North Island, San Diego...possibly the nicest place to spot in the world, beautiful sun, sand and beach! During a few hours in October, Mark Munzel and myself photographed several home unit Seahawks, Greyhounds and deployed aircraft including USMC Harriers, USN Hornets, USN Hercules and more!

March 26, 2013 -

F-15E Strike Eagles from RAF Lakenheath action is now loaded!

March 26, 2013 -

F-15C/D Eagles took part from the Operational Test Unit based at Nellis AFB took part in Red Flag 13-3

March 26, 2013 -

F-16 Viper's from two USAF units participated in Red Flag 13-3, ANG 175th FS "Los Lobos" from South Dakota and the 20th FW from Shaw AFB.

March 22, 2013 -

USAF participated in RED FLAG 13-3 with the EC-130H and HC-130 Hercules variants.

March 22, 2013 -

Without tanker support, their is no airpower. The KC-135 Stratotanker was the only tanker asset used during Red Flag 13-3.

March 19, 2013 -

A huge update with over 60 photos of the Nellis Aggressors from the 64th AGRES Squadron. All schemes are covered, so all the model builders will enjoy some of the specific shots posted just for you...including a new Lockheed Martin IRST pod carried on the Right Chin station of " Gomer 59". From the Lockheed Martin website, "IRST is a long range sensor system that passively detects and tracks airborne threats in advanced electronic attack and heavy radio frequency/infrared countermeasure environments. Because IRST enhances survivability and lethality in both offensive and defensive counter-air roles, it is a powerful tool for achieving air superiority."

March 18, 2013 -

Royal Air Force participated with the GR4 Tornado as well, the Tornado has been the backbone of the RAF over the last 30 years since the first Gulf War and recently the conflicts in Libya.

March 16, 2013 -

RED AIR update! The beautifully painted Eagles of the 65th Agres Squadron now up! Including the latest Splinter scheme!

March 15, 2013 -

Photos of the F-22 Raptors from Langley AFB participating in RED FLAG 13-3 now up!

March 14, 2013 -

RED FLAG 13-3. B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber page now up!

March 12, 2013 -

RED FLAG 13-3. RAF FGR4 Typhoon page is now up!

March 12, 2013 -

RED FLAG 13-3. First two pages now up from this huge multinational exercise with airforces from the U.S., UK and Austrailia taking part. EA-18G Growler and EA-6B Prowler pages now up!

November 26, 2012 -

MCAS Yuma, Arizona hosts biannually the Weapons and Tactics Intructor course, where all units from the US Marine Corps train together to hone their skills. Page 2 is now up!

November 26, 2012 -

I spent three days at NAF El Centro last week shooting the various units training, the amount of activity was a photographers dream. Flying starts at 0700 and continues till after sunset with F-18C/D Hornets, Super Hornets,T-45 Goshawks, CH-46 Sea Knights, EA-6B Prowlers, UH-60 Blackhawks, RAF Merlin and Lynx helos all flying in superb warm weather and blue skies. Visitors included a C-2 Greyhound and several Marine C-130J Hercules. PAGE 3 NOW UP! Over 120 photos of action no up!!

November 1, 2012 -

MCAS Kaneohe Bay based in Hawaii hosted their airshow on September 29-30th. Here are some images from the action.

September 3, 2012 -

The first of two pages from the 2012 Abbotsford Airshow now up, Stuart Sanders was there photographing all the action and brings us this photo diary including images from the Departure Day.

Sept 3, 2012 -

JBLM 2012 hosted the impressive AH-64 Apache helicopter.

August 28, 2012 -

Jan Westendorp was in Sweden this past June to cover the SAAB Anniversary Airshow. One of the highlights were the SAAB fighters Viggen and Draken.

August 23, 2012 -

The rest of the photos from JBLM 2012 Air Expo are now up. Other performers included the Thunderbirds, Patriots, C-17 demo, Ace Maker T-33 among others. Also full static photos including arrivals of the C-130 GUNSHIP!

August 6, 2012 -

The B-1B Lancer from Dyess AFB was one of the highlights of the JBLM airshow, the Bone did not dissappoint bringing lots of noise and speed to the airshow.

August 6, 2012 -

JBLM 2012 Air Expo hosted the USAF Heritage Flight consisting of the West Coast F-16 Viper and a P-51 Mustang. Although there is no Viper Demo this year, the F-16 did several high energy passes.

August 5, 2012 -

The first page covering the 2012 Joint Base Lewis McChord Air Expo. Today's update is the B-2 Spirit.

July 12, 2012 -

The last two pages of Maple Flag 45 now up, the mighty Hercules!! The RAF participated with two variants, the H and J models. The last page is Canada's tactical tanker, the CC-130H based at 17 Wing Winnipeg.

July 2, 2012 -

RAF E-3D Sentry and French C-160 Transall pages now up!

June 28, 2012 -

CC-130J Hercules page now up! This was the first Maple Flag to have Canada's newest transport participate.

June 27, 2012 -

Mirage 2000-5 and CH-146 Griffon pages now up!

June 22, 2012 -

Three new pages now up! Two with some Canadian flavour, CF-18 Hornet and CC-150 Polaris of the RCAF and the F-16C/D of the Singapore Air Force.

June 19, 2012 -

The French Air Force sent two Mirage 2000D and N variants to participate in Maple Flag 45. The crews were kept busy with three flights per day.

June 18, 2012 -

The US NAVY sent six F-18E Super Hornets to participate during Period 2 of Maple Flag 45. The F-18E's came from VFA-86 Sidewinders based at NAS Lemoore, California.

June 3, 2012 -

March AFB in California hosted their 2012 AIRFEST on May 19-20. Performers included the USMC Harrier, USN F-18F Super Hornet, The Patriots and Heritage Flights to name a few. One rare performer was the DC-10 Waterbomber!

May 21, 2012 -

19 Wing Comox hosted 16 CF-18 Hornet's taking part in two seperate exercises from May 7-18th. Task Force Exercise (TGEX) was a Naval Ex that took part over the West Coast of Vancouver Island where Hornet's used live missiles to shoot drones shot from ships of the Royal Canadian Navy. The other exercise was part of the Fighter Weapons Instructor Course (FWIC)where pilots flew over the Williams Lake area dropping live GBU 12 laser guided bombs on targets. Top Aces played Red Air during these exercises flying their Alpha Jets and Westwind aircraft. Now more than 60 photos up for viewing!

May 7, 2012 -

Over 40 photos of the 2012 CF-18 Demo Hornet now up. The theme for this year is, "The True North Strong and Free" and the pilot is Capt Patrick "Paco" Gobeil from 425 Alouette Squadron based at 3 Wing Bagotville, Quebec.

February 7, 2012 -

A new page covering the EA-18G Growler of the US Navy, the newest fighter to operate from the carrier.

December 13, 2011 -

NOW UPDATED WITH MORE NEW EXCLUSIVE IMAGES! RCAF operations over Libya came to an end at midnight October 31. On November 4th, the seven CF-18's and Polaris arrived in Canada. Photos from Richard Giruoard and RCAF are presented.

November 10, 2011 -

Jan Westendorp has some terrific shots from the Leewarden Air Base Open House 2011! A great variety of aircraft participating at this show in the Netherlands! 53 photos now up!

October 22, 2011 -

The second page of photos from RIAT 2011 now up. 50 photos in all!

October 6, 2011 -

Stuart Butt is here to share photos from the 2011 Abbotsford Airshow. 50 photos are now up for your viewing!

August 26, 2011 -

Richard Girouard has new photos to share of CF-18's from Libya Operations. Note the new logo on the tail!

July 21, 2011 -

The Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force has sent three P-3 Orion's to 19 Wing Comox for training this week. A new page is now posted with images of their arrival and a small report on their visit.

July 19, 2011 -

A new page of photos covering the CF operations out of Italy during Operation Lebeccio. My thanks to Richard Girouard and the CF for providing photos.

July 19, 2011 -

The Turkish Air Force is celebrating 100 years of service in 2011. Jan Westendorp was at the largest airshow in Turkey this year. This show had some exotic participants from Pakistan, Croatia, Bulgaria and many more! Over 100 photos from this once in a lifetime show now up!

June 1, 2011 -

New photos from Jan Westendorp from this years NATO TIGER MEET held last month in Cambrai,France. Celebrating 50 years of NATO TIGERS!

May 24, 2011 -

Trident Fury article and Photo Gallery now posted including exclusive CF-18 Hornet air to air photos!

May 19, 2011 -

New page with a page of photos from the 2011 Snowbirds Spring Training at Comox. This page features exclusive air to air images of the 2011 team.

April 18, 2011 -

New page of the 2011 CF-18 Demo including the first air to air photos.

March 5, 2011 -

The unsung hero of any Air Force, tanker support. Three KC-135's flew during each RED FLAG mission.

March 3, 2011 -

RED FLAG 11-02 hosted two E-3C AWACS from Tinker AFB that performed the vital "Eyes in the Sky" during each mission.

March 3, 2011 -

New photos of the F-15E Strike Eagle operated from Nellis AFB. The jets from Nellis flew daily supporting test and evaluation of new equipment for the F-15E community.

March 1, 2011 -

New page covering the F-22A Raptor now up. Although not participating in Red Flag 11-02, the home based units were flying daily during my visit.

February 25, 2011 -

The Green Flag series of exercise was held at Nellis AFB during Red Flag 11-02. F-16's from Aviano AFB in Italy were the major players for this ex with tanker support from a KC-135 from MacDill AFB.

February 21, 2011 -

The F-15C Eagle page now up. I have added some of the action from the units that were not taking part in Red Flag during my visit - including the awesome Aggressors from the 65th AGRES squadron!

February 19, 2011 -

A-10C Warthog action from RED FLAG 11-02 now up!

February 18, 2011 -

USAFE F-16CJ Vipers from Spangdahlem AFB in Germany participated in Red Flag 11-02, loaded with Harm Tageting and Sniper pods along with HARM missiles, these Vipers performed the important SEAD and DEAD roles during the exercise.

February 16, 2011 -

New page covering the B-52H from Barksdale AFB. Four B-52's participated in Red Flag 11-02.

February 3, 2011 -

A new page added today covering the mighty C-130 Hercules. Hercs from the Belgain Air Force and USAF took part in this Flag.

February 1, 2011 -

RED FLAG 11-02 is presently being held at Nellis AFB in Nevada and we were there to cover it! The first of many updates from this major exercise starts with the B-1B Lancer and F-16E/F Desert Falcons from the United Arab Emirates and the home based 64th Aggressor Squadron flying their F-16 Vipers in the distinct adversary paint schemes.

November 11, 2010 -

Jan Westendorp has contributed 20 photos from Tiger Meet 2010. This year Vokel AB in the Netherlands played host to the annual event. In some difficult shooting conditions, Jan was able to capture some terrific shots!

September 6, 2010 -

Three more pages added, Snowbirds, Hawk One and Thunderbirds now up.

August 11, 2010 -

To help celebrate the Canadian Navy Centennial, Vintage Wings of Canada is touring Canada with their Goodyear FG-1D Corsair - Gray Ghost 1. Named after Lt. Hampton Gray, a Canadian Navy pilot that flew Corsair's with the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during WWII and was awarded the Victoria Cross while fighting in the Pacific theatre. The mission of this tour is to recognize the aircraft that our Navy once operated and the aircraft that now support our Navy on a daily basis.

August 4, 2010 -

Jan Westendorp has sent photos from the largest military airshow in the world, the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford. Two pages full of the old and the new including the only flying Vulcan bomber.

August 2, 2010 -

I have now completed all pages from the Joint Base Lewis McChord Air Expo 2010. More than 260 photos in all! Pages are divided into Arrival Day, Static Display and Airshow. Grab your favorite beverage and enjoy the show!

Aircraft of the Can...
By Derek Heyes

July 20, 2010

I am pleased to announce the release of my first book, GUARDIANS OF THE NORTH - Aircraft of the Canadian Forces 2004-2010. Devoted to the aircraft that Canada operates today, the 86 pages are full colour and give you a rare glimps in the cockpit and behind the scenes during Exercises and Operations that the men and women of the Canadian Air Force perform 24-7-365 days a year. Follow the link directly above or in the top right corner of your screen for a Preview of the book. The link will also allow to purchase the book and have it delivered directly to you. This will be the first volume in a series of books dedicated to the Air Forces of the world, their aircraft and the men and women that fly and maintain them.

June 22, 2010 -

Jan Westendorp has contributed images from the action at the Gilze-Rijen AFB Open House in the Netherlands. This was a spectacular show featuring F-16 demo's from Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands, KLu AH-64 Apache demo with new paint, FGR4 Typhoon demo, Red Arrows and a Polish SU-22 just to name a few of the highlights.

June 17, 2010 -

The Canadian Navy is celebrating 100 years of service this year. On June 12th, Maritime Pacific Fleet hosted their International Fleet Review, ships from New Zealand, Australia, Japan, France and the United States joined Canada in celebrating this milestone. Canadian aircraft including a CP-140 Aurora, CH-149 Cormorant, CC-115 Bufflao, CH-124 Sea King, CF-18 Hornet and the Snowbirds flew above the fleet during the review. An amazing backdrop for any airshow! All photos now up from the Fleet Review, two pages worth!

June 12, 2010 -

8 Wing Trenton received their first of 17 CC-130J Hercules. The new " Super" Herc will be operated by 436 Squadron.

June 10, 2010 -

I have updated the CH-146 Griffon page with some never before seen photos!

May 31, 2010 -

I am pleased to share more photos from Period One of Maple Flag 43. This time Sean Bratton has sent some great shots from sunny Cold Lake!

May 24, 2010 -

NAVY 1 188738 is the first upgraded Hornet to be allocated as a demo jet and will be flown by Capt Brian "BOOZER" Bews, from 3 Wing Bagotville. This years scheme celebrates the Canadian Naval Centennial, complete with old style RCN roundels. Thanks to Richard Girouard and Dan McWilliams for supplying these first images!

April 25, 2010 -

The Snowbirds are concluding their Spring Training this weekend with a show over Goose Spit in Comox. I have now updated with four pages consisting more than 80 photos from this seasons action.

April 8, 2010 -

Jan Westendorp is back with photos. This time the KLu demo jet from the 2005-2008 season.

April 2, 2010 -

Photographer Jan Westendorp is back with some photos from the 2009 NATO TIGER MEET held in Belgium last year. Some amazing paint applied to these planes! This year the Meet will be held in the Netherlands.

April 2, 2010 -

Last set of images from Operation Podium - over 100 photos in all!

March 21, 2010 -

Photographer Jan Westendorp has provided some fantastic images of the KLu F-16 demo jet. Arguably one of the nicest paint schemes flying today!

March 5, 2010 -

A new contributor, Peter Wollenberg has sent some images of Canadian Armed Forces aircraft (when they were known as that!), Cosmo, Tracker, Dak and CF-100 are in this group. Check them out on page 2!

March 5, 2010 -

I have now started to update my CF-18 Photo Gallery. The first two pages are now completed.

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Contact me at derekheyes@shaw.ca

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Aircraft of the Can...
By Derek Heyes
AIRCRAFT QUICK LINKS
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© 2013 - Derek Heyes

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