Luke AFB Arizona is one of my favorite locations in the entire United States. When I first began shooting airplanes, and long before I ever did an air to air photo hop, I would vacation in Scottsdale and steal away to Watch the fighters at Luke AFB. Going back ten plus years ago Luke was one of the mecca's for USAF fighters. The base was a beehive of activity every day thanks to the great weather. F-15C and F-15E fighters along with F-16's conducted operations throughout the day and early evening. Access to photograph the jets from outside the base was quite good from adjoining farms and I spent hours out there shooting the airplanes.
Things have changed a bit and the access points are not quite so good. I have had the opportunity to fly with the 61st FS, one of the training units at Luke that prepares new F-16 pilots. I also got the chance to fly with the 944th Fighter Wing before they gave up their F-16's as part of the Base Re-alignment Act. Luke is Falcon Country since the Eagle's have long since vacated. The base is still one of my favorites and I hope to get back there again. With Arizona being the most stunning state in the country for dramatic landscapes, its an aviation photographers paradise.
