February 2009 NAF El Centro Photocall by Kevin Whitehead

Thirty-five enthusiastic Fence Checkers lugged their weighty camera gear from far and wide to Naval Air Facility El Centro on February 26th, 2009 for the latest Fence Check Photocall. Located approximately an hour-and-a-half’s drive east of San Diego, NAF El Centro is not an easy place for most to reach. However, as those who attended this event can attest, enduring the typical flight delays, traffic, and sheer distance en route proved to be well worth the effort.

NAF El Centro was first commissioned in 1946 after having served as a Marine Corps Air Station. Over the years it has proven to be an ideal location for aviators to train due to its dry climate and close proximity to gunnery and bombing ranges. With blue skies virtually year-round, El Centro has become a hub for Navy aerial combat maneuvering, bombing and gunnery practice, and electronic warfare training. Active force and Reserve squadrons from across the country temporarily deploy to El Centro on a regular basis. It is not uncommon to see units from NAS Oceana, NAS Lemoore, and MCAS Beaufort, to name a few, all in town for two to four weeks at a time. With frequent visitors from nearby Marine Corps Air Stations Miramar and Yuma, NAF El Centro can often be a Naval Aviation enthusiast’s dream come true.

The airfield is also the winter home of the Blue Angels. Like the swallows of Capistrano, the Blues return to El Centro every January to conduct two months of training in preparation for their upcoming airshow season. It was this training that brought our Fence Check group to NAF El Centro. With just two weeks remaining before the Blues’ first official performance of 2009, the NAF El Centro Public Affairs Office invited us for an up-close and personal view of both the Blue Angels and normal afternoon flight operations.

The photocall began on the flightline, where FC members were allowed to exit our buses and photograph the Blues’ F/A-18 Hornets on the ramp. Shortly thereafter we were positioned along the taxiway to photograph the jets as they headed out for their daily practice show. With Fence Checkers shooting every maneuver, the Blues put on their usual impressive display and showed us that they were ready for the airshow season to begin.


Following the Blues’ practice, we were bused to the LSO shack alongside the runway. Actually, a more accurate description would be on the runway, as we were literally positioned on the edge of runway 26. For the next two hours, the group was treated to flight ops by VFA-122, VFA-106, VFA-211, VFA-11, and, to everyone’s delight, VAQ-129 and their EA-18G Growlers as they performed numerous touch-and-goes.

A great time was had by everyone. I know that, as a group, all participants wish to thank Michelle Dee and her assistant, Nicole Probert, for their hard work in coordinating this event and for the generous amount of time for they allowed us to remain as guests of NAF El Centro. I would also like to thank Kevin Scott and Franz Loew for their excellent photographic contributions to this article.

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