![]() ![]() “Wraith” lands at Nellis AFB after her first public airshow performance. ![]() But the incredible flying and remarkable lighting at Nellis AFB set against the unique mountain backdrop meant that photographers were having an absolute feast getting incredible photos of the new color scheme F-16. Air combat (and air combat demos) can be action-packed and somewhat confusing. Wraith may have scored a “kill”, may not have. ![]() In the end, the Wraith F-16 was momentarily chased off, only to reappear and “jump” a pair of F-16s attempting to drive off a (simulated) insurgent ground attack on Nellis AFB. FOX ONE! “Wraith” ejects infra-red flares during the air power demo at Nellis, one of the greatest spectacles in all of aviation. But the air combat theater was not over, and Wraith appeared to escape the defending F-22 with a series of maximum performance turns, even as more defending aircraft joined the fray. Firing a fusillade of infra-red countermeasures flare, the F-22 performed a maximum performance take-off to the vertical, went inverted at about 10,000 feet, and rolled in to intercept the hapless Wraith. By now, the Nellis AFB defenders has conducted a spectacular maximum performance launch of an alert F-22 Raptor. (Photo: Tom Demerly/TheAviationist)Īfter Wraith hurtled over the airfield to the delight of aviation photographers, she broke hard left to begin a second simulated attack run. “Wraith” breaks for landing with another F-16 aggressor from Nellis. It was somewhat reminiscent of the strategy behind the historic RAF Operation Black Buck runway denial raid, the celebrated RAF Tornado raids on Iraqi airfields in the Gulf War and the F-111 strike on Libya called Operation El Dorado Canyon. markings struck simulated “targets” parallel to the air show crowd line in an apparent attempt to crater the runway and prevent defending aircraft from taking off. The all-black aircraft with red Soviet-era markings and subdued U.S. Wraith put on a dramatic and chilling display, hurtling in over the base at low level in a simulated airstrike as air raid sirens blared across the base. It is arguably one of the greatest spectacles in all of aviation. The elaborate demonstration is a simulation of an air attack on Nellis AFB by an adversary nation that is repelled by units at Nellis in a dramatic mock-dogfight and air-to-ground engagement. The new Wraith F-16 took part in the well-known Air Power Demo at Aviation Nation. We don’t have anything painted like Americans.” “Wraith” tries to evade a defending F-22 at low altitude during the air power demo at Nellis. They look good, but not as good as our Sukhois or MiGs. When we spoke to Russian pilots earlier this year at the MAKS 2019 air show outside Moscow about the aggressor aircraft of the 57th Wing at Nellis being painted like their fighters, the Russians told us, “We like them. Robert Novotny, the color scheme for the “Wraith” was selected with a crowd-sourced social media voting process on Facebook by aviation enthusiasts from around the world. In an impressive and innovative use of social media by the USAF 57th Wing’s commanding officer, Brig. “Wraith” dives toward the runway at Nellis AFB during a simulated attack in her first public air show appearance. The unique F-16 Fighting Falcon, usually referred to as a “Viper” by aircrews, was painted in a distinctive flat black livery intended to simulate a potential adversary aircraft, in this case, an unspecified Russian aircraft. (Photo: Janmack Demerly/TheAviationist) “Wraith”, The Crowd-Sourced Color Scheme Aggressor F-16 Thrills Crowds at Nellis.Īviation enthusiasts from around the world got their first chance to see the new “Wraith” color scheme aggressor F-16 of the 64th Aggressor Squadron this past weekend at Nellis AFB outside Las Vegas, Nevada during the Aviation Nation air show. Wraith" taxing after landing following the air power demo at Nellis. ![]()
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