Aviation Photography - Low level Flying in Greece 2016

Low-Level Flying Photography
Photographic Logs for Greece 2016
(For all these shots I used a Canon EOS 5D Mk III with the following lenses;
Canon EF 400mm f2.8 L IS Mk II with and without a x1.4 extender Mk III).

Low-flying during Exercise Iniochos 2016

Iniochos 2016 patch

Operating from Andravida air base the Air Tactics Centre (Kentro Aeroporikis Taktikis or KEAT) were hosts for exercise Iniochos 2016. The Israeli Air Force attended with twelve F-16C/D Block 30 Barak/Brakeet (Fighting Falcon) from the 117th 'First Jet Squadron' and 109th 'The Valley Squadron' both based at Ramat David Air Base. The US Air Force added a new dimension to the exercise with twelve F-15E Strike Eagles deployed by 48th Fighter Wing from RAF Lakenheath.

As with last year the challenge for me was shooting the participating aircraft at low-level. As the media day was held on the first Wednesday and the US and Israeli jets had only arrived on the previous Wednesday and Thursday there was very little 'intelligence' as to where they would be flying low. Monday was spent in the south and according to a 'local' many jets flying in trail had passed through the valley we were exploring at the end of the previous week. These would be a familiarisation flights I assumed and so we set-up beside the road and waited. Two waves of four Israeli F-16s passed in the morning behind the mountain we were on at 5,000 feet having already been to a bombing range.
Day two was spent clinging to a ridiculously high and narrow ridge jutting out in to a south facing tree-lined valley well to the north of Andravida and new to me. My car was parked on the side of a mountain at around 1,600 feet above the valley floor, the mountain itself is 4000 feet high. I clambered down a goat track and then through bushes that not even goats can get through to a rock outcrop which I estimate is 900 feet above the valley floor and gives me a good view up and down the valley.
I was alerted by jet noise in the distance just before four Israeli F-16s appeared in trail around the corner at the end of the valley it was 07:30. The first two dropped in one after the other and passed a little below my position, the third was higher but the fourth cut the corner and passed high over my head. Two more passed high over the valley much later. I was to be surprised at 12:10 by two Hellenic F-16s not involved in the exercise passing in the opposite direction and hundreds of feet below me. It was almost impossible to shoot the pair due to their distance below me deep in the valley. I was to learn that poor weather put an end to low flying at around 16:00.
Day four and the day after the media day at Andravida I was again in the mountains well north of the base in the same valley as on day two. Lots of time hunting for clear views from the southern slopes resulted in nothing and the afternoon was spent high above the river on the opposite side but without any passes it was impossible to judge whether this was a good position. Day five no low flying and I was off heading towards Athens airport.

Israeli Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16C Barak (355) 117th 'First Jet Squadron' based at Ramat David Air Base.

Left to right: F-16C Barak (355) 117th 'First Jet Squadron'.

Israeli Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16C Barak (324) 117th 'First Jet Squadron' based at Ramat David Air Base.

Left to right: F-16C Barak (324) 117th 'First Jet Squadron'.

Israeli Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16C Barak (324) 117th 'First Jet Squadron' based at Ramat David Air Base.

Left to right: F-16C Barak (324) 117th 'First Jet Squadron'.

Israeli Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16D Brakeet (055) 109 'The Valley Squadron' based at Ramat David Air Base.

Left to right: F-16D Brakeet (055) 109 'The Valley Squadron'.

Left to right: Two poor quality images of Hellenic Air Force F-16D Fighting Falcon (078) and F-16C Fighting Falcon (073?) both of 347 Mira 'Perseus' 111 PM based at Néa Anchialos.

A few scenery shots from along the way....some very nice locations with lots of potential if in nearly all cases no passes over the week.