I noted in Baruch's thread on the US Tornado Documentary in the Science forum, a couple posts from folks lucky enough to be near airbases, or in the flight path of some pretty cool jet aircraft. Can't say I've ever had that pleasure.................however..............I have been at several bases (FOBs and what not) that had helicopters of various sorts coming and going.
I was briefly stationed at a Special Forces B Team compound in early '07. Had two of these (AH64A Apaches) parked in my driveway; about 100m from the door to my billet. Needless to say..............when ever they took off or landed...............if we were there; we knew it! Pretty bleepin' loud, and LOTS of dust despite the rocks on the pad! AZ National Guard; they flew escort for a CH47 Chinook (cargo and personnel), and a UH60 Blackhawk CSAR (Combat Search and Rescue) bird.
(http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z139/FlankerDFR/FB%20Ripley%203.jpg) (http://s193.photobucket.com/user/FlankerDFR/media/FB%20Ripley%203.jpg.html)
Here's the Blackhawk, and an Apache escort coming back from a flight.
(http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z139/FlankerDFR/FB%20Ripley%20RTB%203.jpg) (http://s193.photobucket.com/user/FlankerDFR/media/FB%20Ripley%20RTB%203.jpg.html)
Here's a look past the MAG 58 door gun sight (AS532 Dutch Cougar helicopter) at one of the reasons we flew into and out of this base.
(http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z139/FlankerDFR/TO%20TK%205.jpg) (http://s193.photobucket.com/user/FlankerDFR/media/TO%20TK%205.jpg.html)
There was a reinforced battalion of Dutch Troops stationed at the PRT (Provincial Reconstruction Team) compound next to us. They had 6 Apaches for mobile fire support, and ground suppression. They routinely flew patrols around our area (very mountainous--if you can't tell :asmile:) and would entertain any local Taliban (there were a lot of them) they caught in the open with 30mm cannon fire until they (the pilots) got tired of it! DDOOHH!!
Live in the vicinity of Hill AFB, the place I worked at. We would occasionally see unmarked black choppers- still will, I expect. There is also an adjunct of some sort at the Ogden airport where military craft are parked. I've seen a couple of CH53 and an Osprey or two. Might be for Marines or something. We get low flying jets constantly. Used to be F-4s which are loud, F-16s not so loud, F-22s pretty quiet. You get used to it after a bit. Nobody complains because the base employs about 13,000 civilians. Works for us.
Sounds pretty interesting! I wouldn't mind working at an airbase at all.
The place I was stationed at in Kandahar Province was about a mile/quarter, mile/half across the desert and Highway 4 from the Kandahar Airfield (KAF) perimeter. They had many Apaches, Blackhawks, Chinooks, and Littlebirds there. The Dutch had F16s They were worried about a heat seeker up the tail pipe on take off---so it was ALWAYS full AB and stay 100 ft [literally!] off the deck until well out over the desert; which took them, over Hwy 4. Let me tell you that **** was really LOUD and EXCITING if you happened to be driving by right then! USMC had a squadron of Harriers there, and most interestingly; there was a squadron of Predator drones (supposedly Air Force, but who knows--they may have been "the other guys"--no markings of any kind). Lots of unmarked plain white planes coming and going all the time too........................Oh yea! Our Air Wing (personnel, cargo transport, and fire support) flew UH1s; the newest of which was a 1974 air frame---none of the crew were that old.