Low-Level Flying Photography
Photographic Logs for United States 2015
(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).
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| Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet (166925 'XE-230') of VX-9 'Vampires' from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at China Lake. |
Canyon low-flying in October 2015
The days were very varied some had around 20 passes and others less than a handful, one day was rained off and another fell victim to the Columbus Day public holiday which was a down day for the military. By arriving too late on the first day I missed an Edwards F-16, by leaving too early on a Friday I missed three or four F/A-18s which flew very low over the car while I was driving down in the valley. On the final day while dashing for the airport 250 miles away an F/A-18G Growler passed over the car not many minutes after I left. The worst fail was falling asleep and missing four F-16s from Florida!
The geology in the area is amazing within the canyon with layers of lava flows of late Pliocene basalts which overlie folded Paleozoic rocks to give stunning backdrops for the images. Over one of the nights it rained so hard that rocks were washed across the valley road and a lake formed in the valley below which apparently only sees 18 days of rain a year. |
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| F/A-18E Super Hornet (166789 'XE-162') of VX-9 'Vampires' from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at China Lake. |
Day 5
Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166789 'XE-162') of VX-9 'Vampires' from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at China Lake.
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| F/A-18F Super Hornet (166673 'XE-250') of VX-9 'Vampires' from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at China Lake. |
Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166673 'XE-250') of VX-9 'Vampires' from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at China Lake.
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Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166673 'XE-250') of VX-9 'Vampires'.
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| F/A-18E Super Hornet (166443 'NH-206') of VFA-147 'Argonauts' with Carrier Air Wing 11 (CVW-11) based at NAS Lemoore. |
Day 4
Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166443 'NH-206') of VFA-147 'Argonauts' with Carrier Air Wing 11 (CVW-11) based at NAS Lemoore.
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Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166443 'NH-206') of VFA-147 'Argonauts'.
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Left to right: One of four F-16C Fighting Falcons (86-0265 'FM') with the 93rd Fighter Squadron 'Makos' deployed to Nellis AFB from Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida.
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| F-16C Fighting Falcon (89-2086) of 175FS 'Lobos' South Dakota ANG |
Day 3
Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (89-2086) of 175FS 'Lobos' South Dakota ANG based at Sioux Falls but detached to March AFB on QRA.
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| F-16C Fighting Falcon (89-2086) of 175FS 'Lobos' South Dakota ANG. |
Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (88-0438) of 175FS 'Lobos' South Dakota ANG.
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| Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (88-0438) of 175FS 'Lobos' South Dakota ANG. |
| Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166874 'NH-101') of VFA-154 'Black Knights' inscribed USS Nimitz. |
| Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet (166980 'XE-222') of VX-9 'Vampires' from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at China Lake. |
| Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166980 'XE-222') of VX-9 'Vampires' from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at China Lake. |
| Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166980 'XE-222') of VX-9 'Vampires'. |
Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166980 'XE-222') of VX-9 'Vampires'.
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| Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet (166925 'XE-230') of VX-9 'Vampires' from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at China Lake. |
Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166925 'XE-230') of VX-9 'Vampires'.
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Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166925 'XE-230') of VX-9 'Vampires'.
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| McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle (78-0511) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
Left to right: F-15C Eagle (78-0511) with 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno', California Air National Guard after previously with 18 Wing at Kadena for 25 years and then 65th AGRS at Nellis AFB.
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Left to right: F-15C Eagle (78-0511) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'.
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Left to right: F-15C Eagle (78-0511) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'.
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Left to right: F-15C Eagle (79-0057) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno, California Air National Guard.
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| Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet (166925 'XE-230') of VX-9 'Vampires' from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at China Lake. |
Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166925 'XE-230') of VX-9 'Vampires' from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at China Lake.
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Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166925 'XE-230') of VX-9 'Vampires'.
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| F/A-18E Super Hornet (166959 'AG-400') of VFA-25 'Fist of the fleet' CVW-9 USS Harry S Truman based at NAS Lemoore. |
Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166959 'AG-400') of VFA-25 'Fist of the fleet' CVW-9 USS Harry S Truman based at NAS Lemoore.
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Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166959 'AG-400') of VFA-25 'Fist of the fleet' CVW-9 USS Harry S Truman based at NAS Lemoore.
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| F/A-18E Super Hornet (166960 'AG-401') of VFA-25 'Fist of the fleet' CVW-9 USS Harry S Truman based at NAS Lemoore. |
Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166960 'AG-401') of VFA-25 'Fist of the fleet' CVW-9 USS Harry S Truman based at NAS Lemoore.
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Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166960 'AG-401') of VFA-25 'Fist of the fleet'.
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| F-16C Fighting Falcon (83-1159 'WA-59') of 57th Wing, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS) based at Nellis AFB. |
Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (83-1159 'WA-59') of 57th Wing, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS) based at Nellis AFB.
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Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (83-1159 'WA-59') of 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS).
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| F-16C Fighting Falcon (86-0283 'WA-83') of 57th Wing, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS) based at Nellis AFB. |
Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (86-0283 'WA-83') of 57th Wing, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS) based at Nellis AFB.
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Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (86-0283 'WA-83') of 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS).
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| F-16C Fighting Falcon (83-1159 'WA-59') of 57th Wing, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS) based at Nellis AFB. |
Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (83-1159 'WA-59') of 57th Wing, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS) based at Nellis AFB.
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Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (83-1159 'WA-59') of 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS).
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| F-16C Fighting Falcon (86-0283 'WA-83') of 57th Wing, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS) based at Nellis AFB. |
Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (86-0283 'WA-83') of 57th Wing, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS) based at Nellis AFB.
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Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (86-0283 'WA-83') of 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS).
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| F-16C Fighting Falcon (83-1159 'WA-59') of 57th Wing, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS) based at Nellis AFB. |
Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (83-1159 'WA-59') of 57th Wing, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS) based at Nellis AFB.
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Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (83-1159 'WA-59') of 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS).
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| F-16C Fighting Falcon (89-2086) of 175FS 'Lobos' South Dakota ANG |
Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (86-0283 'WA-83') of 57th Wing, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS) based at Nellis AFB.
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Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (86-0283 'WA-83') of 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS).
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| F/A-18E Super Hornet (166657 'AC-407') of VFA-105 'Gunslingers' from NAS Oceana, they use the callsign 'Canyon' oddly enough. |
Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166657 'AC-407') of VFA-105 'Gunslingers' from NAS Oceana but flying out of NAS Fallon.
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Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166657 'AC-407') of VFA-105 'Gunslingers'.
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| F/A-18E Super Hornet (166650 'AC-400') of VFA-105 'Gunslingers' of NAS Oceana inscribed USS Dwight D. Eisenhower flying from NAS Fallon. |
Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166650 'AC-400') of VFA-105 'Gunslingers' from NAS Oceana inscribed USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166650 'AC-400') of VFA-105 'Gunslingers'.
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| F/A-18E Super Hornet (166650 'AC-400') of VFA-105 'Gunslingers' from NAS Oceana inscribed USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. |
Left to right: Rockwell B-1B Lancer ('ED') of 419th Flight Test Squadron from Edwards AFB passing down Panamint Valley.
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F/A-18E Super Hornet (166871 'DD-200') of VX-31 'Dust Devils' at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake.
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Day 4 (Day 3 was rained off) This was the only pass of the day, it came through at 16:50 and was worth waiting for.
Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166871 'DD-200') of VX-31 'Dust Devils'.
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Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166871 'DD-200') of VX-31 'Dust Devils'.
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Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166871 'DD-200') of VX-31 'Dust Devils'.
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| McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle (79-0057) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard, with a background of dark lava flows and volcanic cinders. |
Day 2
Left to right: F-15C Eagle (79-0057) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'.
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Left to right: F-15C Eagle (79-0057) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'.
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| F-15D Eagle (81-0062) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
Left to right: F-15D Eagle (81-0062) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'.
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Left to right: F-15D Eagle (81-0062) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'.
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| F-15C Eagle (79-0057) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
Left to right: F-15C Eagle (79-0057) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'.
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Left to right: F-15C Eagle (79-0057) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'.
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| F-15D Eagle (81-0062) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
Left to right: F-15D Eagle (81-0062) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'.
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Left to right: F-15D Eagle (81-0062) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'.
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| F-15C Eagle (79-0057) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
Left to right: F-15C Eagle (79-0057) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'.
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Left to right: F-15C Eagle (79-0057) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with after-burners this time.
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| F-15D Eagle (81-0062) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
Left to right: F-15D Eagle (81-0062) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'.
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Left to right: F-15D Eagle (81-0062) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'.
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Left to right: F-15D Eagle (81-0062) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'.
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| F-15D Eagle (85-0129) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
Left to right: F-15D Eagle (85-0129) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard.
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Left to right: F-15D Eagle (85-0129) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard.
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| Boeing F/A-18D Hornet (164237 'XE-400') of VX-9 'Vampires' from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at China Lake |
Day 1
Left to right: Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet (168488 'NJ-173') with VFA-122 based at NAS Lemoore and F/A-18D Hornet (164237 'XE-400') of VX-9 'Vampires' from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at China Lake.
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Left to right: F/A-18D Hornet (164237 'XE-400') of VX-9 'Vampires' from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake.
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| F/A-18D Hornet (164237 'XE-400') of VX-9 'Vampires' dropping in to the narrow canyon |
Left to right: F/A-18D Hornet (164237 'XE-400') of VX-9 'Vampires' from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake.
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Left to right: F/A-18D Hornet (164237 'XE-400') of VX-9 'Vampires' from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake.
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| F-16C Fighting Falcon (85-1560 'ED') of 416th Flight Test Squadron based at Edwards AFB. |
Left to right: -16C Fighting Falcon (85-1560 'ED') of 416th Flight Test Squadron.
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Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (85-1560 'ED') of 416th Flight Test Squadron.
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F/A-18F Super Hornet (166968 'DD-225') of VX-31 'Dust Devils' at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake.
This underside view clearly shows the outward canted pylons on Super Hornet. Wind-tunnel testing concluded that weapons stores could collide with the fuselage during release unless the pylons are canted outwards four degrees due to an adverse airflow created by the airframe.
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| Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166968 'DD-225') of VX-31 'Dust Devils'. |
| Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166968 'DD-225') of VX-31 'Dust Devils'. |
| Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166968 'DD-225') of VX-31 'Dust Devils'. |
| F-15C Eagle (86-0167) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
| Left to right: F-15C Eagle (86-0167) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
| F-15C Eagle (86-0167) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
Left to right: F-15C Eagle (86-0167) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard.
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| F-15C Eagle (82-0024) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
| Left to right: F-15C Eagle (82-0024) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
| F-15C Eagle (86-0167) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
| Left to right: F-15C Eagle (86-0167) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
| Left to right: F-15C Eagle (86-0167) of 144th Fighter Wing. |
| Left to right: F-15C Eagle (86-0167) of 144th Fighter Wing. |
| F-15C Eagle (82-0024) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
| Left to right: F-15C Eagle (82-0024) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
| Left to right: F-15C Eagle (82-0024) of 144th Fighter Wing. |
| F-15C Eagle (82-0015) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
| Left to right: F-15C Eagle (82-0015) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
| Left to right: F-15C Eagle (82-0015) of 144th Fighter Wing. |
| Left to right: F-15C Eagle (82-0015) of 144th Fighter Wing. |
| F-15C Eagle (82-0015) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
| F/A-18F Super Hornet (166874 'NH-101') of VFA-154 'Black Knights' based at NAS Lemoore. |
Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166874 'NH-101') of VFA-154 'Black Knights' inscribed USS Nimitz.
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| F/A-18E Super Hornet (168874 'NG-307') of VFA-97 'Warhawks' based at NAS Lemoore. |
Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (168874 'NG-307') of VFA-97 'Warhawks'
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| F/A-18E Super Hornet (168870 'NG-303') of VFA-97 'Warhawks' based at NAS Lemoore. |
| Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (168870 'NG-303') of VFA-97 'Warhawks'. |
| F-15C Eagle (82-0015) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
| Left to right: F-15C Eagle (82-0015) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'. |
| Left to right: F-15C Eagle (82-0015) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'. |
| F-15C Eagle (82-0015) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
| Left to right: F-15C Eagle (82-0015) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'. |
| F-15C Eagle (82-0015) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
| Left to right: F-15C Eagle (82-0015) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'. |
| F-15C Eagle (82-0015) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno' with California Air National Guard. |
Left to right: F-15C Eagle (82-0015) of 144th Fighter Wing 'Fresno'.
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