On the line- Tucson, AZ and the 162nd FW

Photographing aircraft can be quite enjoyable. When the sun's not being oppressive and the wind has just a hint of bite to it, it is great. Tons of crafted metal going from a standstill to airborne with scores of passengers on board is a magical moment.

Photographing aircraft when you're CLOSE can be even more enjoyable. I recently had the chance to do just that courtesy of the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Fighter Wing in Tucson, Arizona. Many thanks to the Public Affairs staff for being so gracious to us.

The 162nd is the largest Guard flying unit in the USA with upwards of 70 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft on its 92 acres at any given time. It is host to three fighter squadrons: the 148th "Kicking Ass", the 152nd "Tigers", the 195th "Warhawks" as well as a handful of Vipers (the unofficial nickname for the F-16) from the Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Test Center or AATC. If you like Vipers, this is a darn good place to be.

One of these squadrons, the 148th FS, is a training squadron for the aircraft I was most eager to photograph: the Block 60. Modifications to the basic F-16 design are divided into Blocks with the Block 60 being the pinnacle of the evolutionary ladder for the Viper. Also known as the F-16E and F models, they have the onerous nickname of Desert Vipers. Built for the United Arab Emirates they feature the most powerful engine of any production F-16 and have more bumps and bulges for various antennae than one could think possible. From the front they look like a linebacker ready to pounce. But the sad part is that their days are numbered with the 148th as the UAE training program is slated to cease operations in the fall of 2010 and the jets returning to their home which is a long, long way from Tucson.

Luckily for the handful of us there they decided to come out and play. Enjoy a few images of the 162nd Fighter Wing F-16 Fighting Falcons and Desert Vipers.