REQ: Point Mugu

[The DJ]

P-3C modex 304 took off as well, no other markings I can pick out

Buno 163291 VX-30

[SBGrad]

30 Aug

Following a/c all taxiing, partial numbers only due to distance, heat haze, and shooting thru fence issues
USAF F-35A OT tail XX-5249 //plus 2 other OT birds
USN VX-9 Vampires 'Vandy' Lockheed Martin F-35C XE-100 (chrome), XE-102, XE-105 (chrome)
USN VX-23 Salty Dogs Boeing EA-18G Growler SD-527 (ALQ-99 pods), SD-525 (next gen jammer pods)
USN VX-23 Salty Dogs Boeing F-18F SD-123
USN VX-31 Dust Devils Boeing F-18F DD-302
USAF Lockheed F-117 Knighthawk 811(white TR) and 841 (red TR) //Knight 71 & Knight 72)
USAF 65th AGRS WA tail F-35A //no numbers readable, but paint is unmistakable

Altogether, roughly 30 a/c took off, a couple of E-2Ds, rest were VX-9, VX-23, VX-31, VMX-1 and USAF-- Supers, Growlers, all 3 flavors of F-35 and of course, the pair of F-117s.

For whatever reason, the Navy chose to bring everybody back on runway 3, so no photos for the dozens of spotters/photogs

2 aircraft DID recover on runway 21:
VX-9 Vampires F-18E CAG (black tail, giant vampire bat) XE-111 came back very early, even before the 117s took off.
...and the bad luck for F-117 841 continued. Monday she came back with a refueling door stuck open, on Tuesday she came back early, turned off the runway and shut down. She had to be towed back to the hangar. Of course, the photogs were happy, because both times she landed on runway 21 and we actually got some decent photos.

Take off from Runway 3:
USN P-3C Orion 305/BUNO 163290
USN VX-9 Vampires F-35C XE-107/BUNO 169637

Fun couple of days, even with the limited photo opportunities. Saw a lot of hardware that normally isn't on display. MASSIVE security presence with multiple visits by base police, Ventura County Sheriff, Camarillo Police, and Calif. Highway Patrol (who towed 1 truck that made a poor parking choice). It was kinda weird, they would show up, park, and sit there for 5-30 minutes without getting out of their car.

We also had a visit from a USN captain from VX-9. He came out to Missile Park to watch the launch Tuesday. Had a Gray Flag patch on his flight suit, which I stupidly did not get a photo of.