Edwards Test Nation 2009

[Karl M]

On the 17th October, I managed to go to Edwards AFB for its 2009 open day. Previously it was know as Edwards AFB open house, now for the 1st time in a few years, the airshow / open day will now be know as Test Nation Airshow & Open House.

Anyway, for a one day airshow, this has had to be the best airshow I have ever been too. Although it took some time getting in / out of the base, everything was well organised, which helped on a 35 degree day. Having only scheduled 5 hours of performance time, every thing pretty went to schedule (except when F-22 Raptor had a nose steering failure, but P-38 lightning did some fly-by's while Raptor pilot jumped into the spare!). Was very impressed about the co-ordination of the whole event. Here is what was on offer for the flying displays:
-- F-16 Twin Sonic Boom - Brig. Gen. Charles Yeager and Maj. Gen. Joe Engle
-- U.S. Army Golden Knights Flag Jump
-- Welcome to Edwards by Maj. Gen. David Eichhorn, Air Force Flight Test Center commander
-- F-16 Fighting Falcons Dedication to Test Pilots
-- A-10 Thunderbolt II Demonstration
-- Warbirds: B-52, B-17, P-51, and P-38 Flyby
-- P-38 Lightning Demonstration
-- White Knight Flyby
-- F-16 Fighting Falcon Demonstration
-- AT-6 Texan (AF)/SNJ (Navy) Demonstration
-- C-17 Globemaster III Demonstration
-- Enlistment Ceremony
-- T-34 Mentor Demonstration
-- Golden Knights Demonstration
-- Bombers: B-1, B-2, and B-52 Flyby
-- TORA! TORA! TORA!
-- F-22 Raptor Demonstration
-- Heritage Flyby: P-38, F-22, F-16, and A-10
-- Air Force Flight Test Center Flyby: F-22, F-16, T-38, B-1, B-2, B-52, C-17, C-130, and KC-135

Was also great that with the help on Nasa's Dryden facility, which is on the base, we got to see alot of their past & current aircraft & projects.

Ill start with pics of what was on static display.

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_9454.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_94331.jpg
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http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_91861.jpg

OCC B-2 tribute bike
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_91699.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_91694.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_9165.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_91557.jpg

[Karl M]

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_91554.jpg

A-10 Monster Truck
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_9014.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_8998.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_8994.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_8987.jpg

A Royal Danish F-16 used for JSF test support
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_9453.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_9450.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_9433.jpg


The nose section of the 747 Space Shuttle Transporter
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_943316.jpg

[Karl M]

Over wing view from 747 Space Shuttle Transporter
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_943319.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_943312.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_8981.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_8972.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_9000.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_9009.jpg

Nasa / Boeing X-48 Blended wing test beds.
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_8969.jpg

And finally the 1st public display of F-35 Lightning II. This aircraft is being tested and evaluated at Edwards.
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/Edwards%20Test%20Nation%202009/IMG_8957.jpg

Stay tuned for the flying display pics......

[Gerard M]

A great set of photos so far Karl. Great work, can't wait to see more. And lucky you getting to see the F-35!!!

[andrew evans]

Nice

[Gareth Forwood]

Love the pics mate, can't wait for the rest :D

[Mick.B]

I wish the folks who organise Avalon look at these pics. Nice to get close to aircraft for a decent look, but no everyone who attends Avalon is treated as though they are terrorists. Great pics. Would love to go to that one.

[Karl M]

Ok here is part two.

The flying display started off with a twin Sonic Boom performed by two F-16's. In the back seats of those F-16's was the first man to break the sound barrier, Gen. Charles Yeager, & renowned test pilot & still the only person to land a Space shuttle manually, Maj. Gen. Joe Engle
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/IMG_9022.jpg

Yeager giving a wave
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/IMG_9028.jpg

A-10 laying some bombs
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/IMG_9057.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/IMG_9106.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/IMG_9113.jpg

White Knight Two making a visit
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/IMG_9133.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/IMG_9147.jpg
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http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/IMG_9213.jpg

[Karl M]

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/IMG_9219.jpg

This is a performance act by a group called TORA,TORA,TORA, whom try to recreate the bombings at Pearl Harbour
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/IMG_9233.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/IMG_9259.jpg
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http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/IMG_9330.jpg

Just one of the three Heritage Flyby's, all in different formations
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/IMG_9364.jpg

Gen. Charles Yeager and Maj. Gen. Joe Engle
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/IMG_94485-1.jpg

And too end the day, a flyby by all the Air Force Flight Test Center Aircraft (F-16x2, T-38, B-1, B-2, B-52, C-17, C-130, and KC-135)
at Edwards AFB. Simply awesome flyby!
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo158/karl_mathews/IMG_9393.jpg

Hope you enjoyed.

[phil.l]

Great stuff.

[Damian N]

Amazing stuff! So many iconic aircraft up close. In a million years I would never have thought it possible to ever get the opportunity to walk aboard the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft!

[damien b]

Great pics Karl - looks like an awesome airshow. Wish some of those aircraft, especially the more exotic ones, were able to turn up to Avalon.

[Karl M]

Not in a million years will we see these aircraft in Avalon! Even if they did, we would not even get near them!

[Lee G]

Totally amazing Karl - thanks for sharing!

[Danny Rizk]

What a great day!!!!
Just heaven......................

[Shameel Kumar]

Great to see someone else on here who went to the Edwards AFB Test Nation!! :)

I live about 4hrs from Mojave, but when I found out about this airshow, I just had to go to see all these amazing aircraft! So I made my way down there and had a great day out!

Here are some of my shots from the day.

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/9373/adsc08037.jpg
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/3010/adsc08045.jpg
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http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/6521/adsc08172.jpg
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/2888/adsc08253.jpg

[Shameel Kumar]

http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/777/adsc08258.jpg
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/8977/adsc08288.jpg
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/8185/adsc08326.jpg
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http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9154/adsc08460.jpg
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/9368/adsc08469.jpg

The photos aren't that great because I largest telephoto lens is only a 18-200mm f4-6.3 ...so it definitely was a challenge getting some of these shots, but it was great fun nonetheless!

This airshow is definitely something special..such amazing aircraft in one place, on one day, flying side by side.

:)

[andrew evans]

Nice work guys

[Bob C]

Hi Karl

Thanks for sharing an excellent set of photographs.

That must have been a memorable experience for you.

[Grahame Hutchison]

Definitely a photographic target rich environment - I really enjoyed your photographs of current and historic aircraft. Great work.

[Karl M]

Thank's guys for your kind comments. Will defenitaly have to keep an eye out for this show again.

Shameel, looks like some of your taxiway shots were taken not to far from where I was shooting from. I was behind the C-130A. Where were you?
If I only knew another fellow YSSY board member was there LOL.

[Bob C]

Hi Shameel

Thanks also for sharing your shots with us. Edwards is a truly magic place to visit and must be the aviation enthusiasts' Mecca. I hope to get there one day, and Nellis as well.