01-31-98
From: Mark Farmer
After making a real pain of myself and as a finishing flourish to my over-gestated “Nellis: Story of a Superbase/Jewels of the Nellis Range” features for Jane’s Defense Weekly, my big, bald self penetrated deeply into the Range Complex to completely survey and photograph all installations and observe Red Flag operations… in the backseat of a USAF F-16D!
With Col. T-Bone Rake, Commanding Officer of the 414th CTS “Aggressors” (probably the best fighter pilots in the world and the only ones to wear the Red Star, Hammer and Sickle), at the stick, we blasted off to the north of Nellis along the western side of the Range (call sign MiG-5). A group of French Mirage 2000Ns were supposed to join us, but the Frogs flaked on us and were late. Passing over Alamo, then into the Tikaboo Valley “The Facility” was clearly visible. Over Coyote Summit, then Rachel followed by a hard left into the Range. Turning NW we headed to TTR, Site 4 and the made an intercept on 4 F-16Cs of the 414th. After squirreling about the sky with them, we caught up with two British F-3s. The fight was about to begin and we were in the middle of the Range — so T-Bone lit the afterburner and we did a supersonic dash towards the Tolicha Peak Electronic Combat Range. Coming out of burner we herked and jerked about, making our way towards some ground target arrays. Running low on fuel we turned about and headed south in the range, skirting along the NTS.
Nothing was left to the imagination, I could see everything… Area 19, Papoose Lake and lots more. We conducted some maneuvers over Nellis so I could take some shots — looking through the camera took its toll. After a snap- break while peering back through the lens, I was seized with vertigo. Putting the camera between my legs, unclipping my oxygen mask, I unzipped my left chest pocket and grabbed my “lucky charm” (puke bag). Filling the bottom of the bag and feeling much better now — we made our approach, touchdown and taxi; I began to put into perspective what I had just witnessed.
The Range, while an expansive 3.1 million acres of restricted airspace, is not very big when hauling ass ( a big consideration in employing F-22 super cruise capabilities/AMRAAM flyout ranges). There are many facilities, both large and small, new and old — but I could recognize all of them. The power line in Area 19 goes to a spot where a couple small buildings are (substation sized). There is NOTHING at Papoose Lake (that is also based on my multiple viewings and photo recce (at high magnification) from commercial airlines. Tolicha Peak ECR has many more buildings than I thought it would. TTR is sleepy (things are about to change). Site 4 had quite a few cars at it. And ops seemed nominal at our favorite facility.
I saw it all, and a it was a wild ride indeed.
-MF