February 5, 1966: Luke AFB Airshow
Jet Fighters at Luke AFB, December 27, 1988: General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons and McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagles in the pattern at Luke Air Force Base on December 27, 1988.
Jet Fighters at Luke AFB, March 15, 1990: In 1990, General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons, McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagles, and McDonnell-Douglas F-15E Strike Eagles were based at Luke Air Force Base. The base was also used by visiting Grumman F-14 Tomcats, Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt IIs, and North American F-86 Sabres.
Luke AFB Airshow, March 21, 1992 part 1: Luke AFB hosted an airshow on March 21, 1992. The day was marked by stormy weather. The show opened with a General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon flight demonstration.
Luke AFB Airshow, March 21, 1992 part 2 - Static Displays: Luke AFB hosted an airshow on March 21, 1992. The day was marked by stormy weather. Numerous types of military airplanes and helicopters were included among the static displays.
Luke AFB Airshow, March 21, 1992 part 3 - Blue Angels: Luke AFB hosted an airshow on March 21, 1992. The show featured a performance by the US Navy Blue Angels.
Luke AFB Airshow, March 21, 1992 part 4 - Blue Angels: Luke AFB hosted an airshow on March 21, 1992. The show featured a performance by the US Navy Blue Angels. At the end of the day, the Lockheed C-5A Galaxy closed its nose and tail loading doors.
Luke AFB Airshow Departures, March 22, 1992: Aircraft departing from the Luke Air Force Base Airshow on March 22, 1992 included a Lockheed C-130H Hercules, General Dynamics F-111D Aardvark, Lockheed S-3A Viking, Boeing-Vertol CH-46D Sea Stallion, Cessna T-37 Tweet, Lockheed C-141B Starlifter, and a Boeing T-43A.
Luke AFB Airshow Practice, March 26, 1993 part 1: On the day before the Luke Air Force Base Airshow, a Bede BD-5J Microjet and the USAF Thunderbirds prepared for their show performance.
Luke AFB Airshow Practice, March 26, 1993 part 2: On the day before the Luke Air Force Base Airshow, the USAF Thunderbirds prepared for their show performance.
Luke AFB Airshow, March 27, 1993: Luke AFB Airshow hosted an airshow on March 27, 1993. The show opened with a flight demonstration by a Rockwell B-1B Lancer.
Luke AFB Airshow Departures, March 28, 1993: Aircraft departing from Luke Air Force Base the day after the airshow included a Cessna T-37 Tweet, McDonnell-Douglas KC-10A Extender, Grumman F-14 Tomcat, Lockheed-Martin F-117A Nighthawk, Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, Northrop T-38 Talon, Boeing E-3B Sentry, Lear C-21A, Fairchild-Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II, Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallions, and a Lockheed C-141B Starlifter.
Luke AFB Airshow Arrivals, April 15, 1994: Luke AFB hosted an airshow on April 16, 1994. On the day before the airshow, a variety of trainers, fighters, cargo, and tanker airplanes arrived to be displayed at the show.
Luke AFB Airshow, April 16, 1994: Luke AFB hosted an airshow on April 16, 1994. Parachutists jumped from a Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Flybys were performed by a Lockheed-Martin F-117A Nighthawk, Vought F-8 Crusader, and a Rockwell B-1B Lancer.
Luke AFB Airshow Departures, April 17, 1994: Luke AFB hosted an airshow on April 16, 1994. The airplanes that departed from Luke the following day included Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers, a Beech T-1 Jayhawk, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a Curtis P-40 Warhawk, a McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B Harrier II, and a MDonnell-Douglas KC-10A Extender.
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I attended the Luke Air Force Base Airshow with my father, Richard Lockett, on February 5, 1966. Back then the Air Force flew large formation fly bys and the Thunderbirds were flying North American F-100 Super Sabres. These are pictures that were taken by my father at the airshow.
January 1970: Luke AFB Airshow
I attended the Luke Air Force Base Airshow with my father, Richard Lockett, in January 1970. Back then the the Thunderbirds were flying McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs. These are pictures that were taken by my father at the airshow.
April 19, 1972: Luke AFB Airshow
I attended the Luke AFB Airshow with my father, Richard Lockett, on April 19, 1972. The static displays featured a Douglas AC-47 Puff. Flying demonstrations included The USAF Thunderbirds flying McDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom IIs.
November 16, 1974
First F-15 Arrivals at Luke AFB, November 16, 1974
Fighters in the pattern at Luke Air Force Base: 1966 - 1990
Luke Air Force Base is a fighter training base located a few miles to the west of Phoenix. For years I have made a habit of photographing the fighter and trainer operations at Luke. In the seventies, U.S.A.F. pilots were training in McDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom IIs against aggressor pilots in Northrop F-5E Tiger IIs. Luftwaffe pilots in Lockheed F-104G Starfighters flew more hours at Luke AFB than any other Luftwaffe base. The first McDonnell-Douglas F-15A Eagles were being introduced into service. During the eighties, the Century Series fighters were retired, the McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II was phased out, and General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons and McDonnell-Douglas F-15E Strike Eagles entered service in the squadrons based at Luke.
In December 1979, Luke Air Force Base
hosted a collection of jet fighters, clustered
around the main gate. Several of these airplanes are still on display at
Luke AFB Airpark.December 27, 1988
March 15, 1990
March 21 - 22, 1992: Luke AFB Airshow
March 26 - 28, 1993: Luke AFB Airshow
April 16 - 17, 1994: Luke AFB Airshow
August 2004
The Luke Air Force Base
Air Park display has been updated with photographs taken in August 2004.April 12, 2006
On Wednesday, April 12, I visited Luke Air Force Base, Goodyear Airport, and Sky Harbor International Airport. Luke Air Force Base is home to the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons of the 56th Fighter Wing and the 499th Fighter Wing. Many retired airliners are stored at the Goodyear Airport.
December 2010: F-16 Fighting Falcons at Luke AFB
US Air Force fighter pilots have been training in General Dynamic F-16 Fighting Falcons at Luke Air Force Base since 1983. Luke is home to the 56th Wing. Elements of the 56th Fighter Wing include the 62nd Fighter Squadron Spike, 308th Fighter Squadron Emerald Knights, 309th Fighter Squadron Wild Ducks, and 310th Fighter Squadron Top Hats. Pilots of the Taiwanese Air Force 21st Fighter Squadron GamblersGamblers and the Singapore Air Force 425th Fighter Squadron Black Widows also train at Luke.
December 15, 2010: Cactus Starfighter
On Wednesday, December 15, 2010, the 310th Fighter Squadron Top Hats at L:uke Air Force Base sent an unusually large number of its General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons aloft at the same time for the Cactus Starfighter training exercise. A Boeing KC-135R of the 97th Air Mobility Wing based at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma and four McDonnell-Douglas F-15C Eagle aggressors of the 57th Wing based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada staged out of Luke in support of the operation. Marine Corps Northrop F-5E Tiger aggressors from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, a Boeing E-8 joint surveillance target attack radar system aircraft from Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, a Boeing E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft from Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and a Boeing RC-135 Stratotanker rivet joint aircraft from Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska also participated in the exercise.
January 28, 2011: Luke AFB Exercise
Luke Air Force Base hosted an aerial and academic exercise on Saturday, January 28, 2011. Locally based General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons were joined by F-16s from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and Des Moines Air National Guard Base, Iowa, Northrop T-38 Talons from Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma and Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18 Hornets from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, a Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker from Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and a Lockheed-Martin F/A-22A Raptor from Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.
March 19, 2011: Luke Air Force Base Airshow
Luke Air Force Base hosted an airshow over the weekend of March 19-20, 2011. It featured flight demonstrations of Fairchild-Republic A-10A Warthog 80-0238 of the 355th Wing, Curtiss P-40N Warhawk NL85104, Nanchang CJ-6s of the Deer Valley Warbirds, Canadair CT-133 Silver Star N933GC Acemaker, McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18E Rhino BuNo 166972 #210 of VFA-122 Flying Eagles, McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B Harrier BuNo 165002 #09 of VMA-311 Tomcats, McDonnell-Douglas QF-4E Phantom II 72-0140 of the 82nd Aerial Target Squadron, Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor 05-4098 of the 49th Fighter Wing, Twin Beech C-18S N9109R Magic by Moonlight, and General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcons of the US Air Force Thunderbirds.
December 10, 2013: F-35B Lightning II at Luke AFB
Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning 2 BuNo 168720 Modex 02 of VMFA-121, based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, paid a visit to Luke Air Force Base on December 10, 2013.
December 14, 2013: Forging Sabre Exercise at Luke AFB
Luke Air Force Base has been hosting Forging Sabre, a Republic of Singapore Air Force exercise involving Lockheed-Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons of the 425th Fighter Squadron Black Widows, and Boeing F-15SG Strike Eagles of the 428th Fighter Squadron Buccaneers from Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, and members of the Republic of Singapore armed forces
March 10, 2014: First Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II delivered to Luke AFB
Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning 2 11-5030 was delivered to the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base on March 10, 2014. It made two circuits of the pattern and then landed.
March 13, 2014: Arrival Day at Luke AFB
Luke Days Open House and Airshow will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2014. Some of the airplanes that will perform or appear on static display arrived on Thursday, March 13.
January 31, 2018: F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-35 Lightning IIs at Luke AFB
I photographed F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-35 Lightning IIs at Like Air Force Base on January 31, 2018. Runway 3 was active all day. A C-17 Globemaster 3 showed up in the late afternoon.
March 16, 2018: Luke Days Arrivals and Practice
Airplanes arrived for 2018 Luke Days on March 18. During the day pilots practiced their performances in preparation for the show.
March 18, 2018: Luke Days Static Displays
I photographed the static displays at 2018 Luke Days on Sunday,March 18. There were Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning IIs from the Italian Air Force, Royal Norwegian Air Force, and Japanese Air Self Defense Force. There were General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Taiwanese Air force and the Singapore Air Force. Large airplanes included a Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker, Boeing P-8 Poseidon, Boeing C-17A Globemaster III, and Lockheed C-5M Galaxy. Warbirds included two North American P-51 Mustangs, a North American B-25 Mitchell, and a Douglas C-47 Skytrain. There were eight replicas of Japanese airplanes of the types that ttacked Pearl Harbor. The day was sunny and cool.