Our friends at AirshowStuffVideos have just released their most recent compilation of the best of their military aviation footage shot during September of 2017. The video begins with footage of VFA-101 Grim Reapers Lockheed F-35B Lightning IIs operating from the deck of the new carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) Note the lack of catapult steam during the launches. Next United State Marine Corps (USMC) VMFAT-501 Warlords F-35C Lightning IIs and VMAT-203 Hawks AV-8B Harriers are seen refueling from USMC KC-130J Hercules tankers.
During the remainder of this video we see 163rd Fighter Squadron (FS) Blacksnakes of the 122nd Fighter Wing (FW) operating their Fairchild Republic A-10C Warthogs. Marine Corps Boeing MV-22B Ospreys and Bell UH-1Y Venom helicopters are seen operating from the assault carrier USS Kearsarge (LHD-3). Then HSM-74 Swamp Foxes Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawks and HSC-7 Dusty Dogs MH-60S Knighthawks operate from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).
20th Bomb Squadron (BS) Buccaneers and 96th BS Red Devils of the 2nd Operations Group (OG) are seen operating their Boeing B-52H Stratofortresses from the runways at RAF Fairford in the UK. Then a Lockheed C-5B Galaxy, perhaps the last one powered by those screaming General Electric TF-39 engines, takes off from Westover Air Reserve Base (ARB) in Massachusetts. We see Navy Test and Evaluation Squadron TWO THREE (VX-23) Salty Dogs crews flying Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets from the carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78).
More B-52 action then takes place as B-52Hs from the Louisiana-based 2nd OG refuel from 100th Air Refueling Wing (ARW) KC-135R and French C-135FR tankers. Then from a dark and sandy place we see a 204th Airlift Squadron (AS) of the 154th Wing Hawaii Air National Guard (ANG) Boeing C-17 Globemaster III take off, followed by a Northrop Grumman/Boeing E-8C J-STARS with the 116th Air Control Wing (ACW) of the Georgia ANG launch, followed by a 203rd Refueling Squadron (AS) Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker of the 154th Wing Hawaii ANG take to the skies. Unidentified flying BUFFs (B-52Hs) round out the action in the sandbox.
Also included in the video is footage of 104th FS of the 175th FW, Maryland ANG A-10C Thunderbolt IIs and Marine Corps VMFA-121 Green Knights F-35B Lightning IIs operating from Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni in Japan during the South Korean “show of force” missions during September 2017.