Eight F-117As of the 49th Fighter Wing from Holloman AFB (NM) were deployed to Gilze Rijen in 1993 as part of a Coronet series of deployments. It was probably one of the most exceptional USAF deployments to Europe ever. Coronet Havoc took a month of mostly night flying operations, only a few day time missions were flown.

Eight F-117As of the 49th Fighter Wing from Holloman AFB (NM) were deployed to Gilze Rijen in 1993 as part of a Coronet series of deployments. It was probably one of the most exceptional USAF deployments to Europe ever. Coronet Havoc took a month of mostly night flying operations, only a few day time missions were flown.

A Grim Reaper of Fighting Squadron 101 awaiting permission to taxy to the catapult of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) during the final Tomcat Carrier Qualifications.

A Grim Reaper caught the Theodore Roosevelt cable and came to rest, after the well known controlled crash. AD-163 was the full colour bird of the squadron, normally this was the double nuts, or AD-100.

The final F-14 Tomcat Qarrier Qualification (CQ) took place in March '05 on board USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) off coast Virginia. During the CQ, Tomcat crews prepare and qualify themselves in carrier ops. They had to make a certain number of catapult starts, arrested landings, touch-and-goes, and those by day and night. When concluded they are qualified to go on deployment. These crew eventually departed with the CVN-71 to the Persian Gulf that marked the sunset cruise for the F-14. The crews belonged to VF-31 and VF-213 but used aircraft of Fleet Replacement Squadron VF-101 Grim Reapers.

A Jolly Rogers Super Hornet on deck of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). The aircraft carried an unusual high modex, revealing it was once assigned to VFA-106, the Fleet Replacement Squadron, for east coast training.

Carrier Qualifications on board USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) off coast Virginia. The ship accepted aircraft from both west and east coast fleets, so this Super Hornet, normally based at NAS Lemoore (CA), was flown over to the east coast to train pilots.

This Viper flew in Italian colours from September 2003 to May 2012. It was returned to the USA for storage at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB (AZ). Later, in 2016 is was rebuilt to QF-16A.

A Cape Cod F-15A Eagle next to the refueler. The 101st Fighter Squadron is part of the Massachusetts National Guard, that is flying the Eagle since 1988.

A KC-10A, acting as a receiver, slowly leaving the refueler.

This Tomcat, wired for Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) missions, was moved to Tucson, and eventually sadly scrapped. Several Tomcats within the US Navy were wired for this large and sophisticated camera pod.

Once proudly preserved on a pole at the once Russian base Kunduz, but due to the civil war in Afghanistan destroyed on location.

Just on the day I was visiting Oceana, this beautiful retro F-14B came out the paint shop. AG-143 made its last operational flight a few day's later and was then flown to Bradley AFB (CT) for preservation in the New England Air Museum

Hard to see, but this was serial 605. The helicopter sports blue spots through its green colour scheme. On the tail, a non-standard flag is shown. I suspect the helicopter was once in use with the Uzbekistan Defense Forces and left behind at the northern Afghan airport.

This 0037 was seen stored/wrecked at Kunduz airport in early 2006.

This elusive Huron belonged to Operational Support Airlift Command (OSACOM) Det.31 and was seen during a short stop at Kabul International. Det.31 is normally assigned to the Arizona Army National Guard so the plane was a long way from home.