Three Generations of Military Airpower

During the Summer air show season, modern and past aircraft are flown in formation as a salute to the brave men and women who served their country in the air. To make sure these formation flights are as safe as possible every spring, Davis-Monthan Air Force base in Tucson hosts practice sessions for the owners and pilots of privately owned warbirds. These practice flights sharpen the skills needed to fly today's best jet fighters and yesteryear's finest prop driven aircraft in close proximity.

My friend Jim and I spent the day watching and photographing these practice flights, mostly from Freedom Park, just north of D-M. (Jim's blog is linked from the home page on the right.)

One of the first fly-bys Jim and I witnessed was this formation, left to right, of the Air Force's newest fighter, the F-22 Raptor, a World War 2 P-51 and the late 20th Century's premier Air Superiority fighter, the F-15 Eagle.

Canon 20D - 1/200th second, 133mm @ f/ 10, ISO 100