Stars often show up in the sky at Nellis

Jace Radke

Friday, March 4, 2005 | 4:22 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION

March 5 - 6, 2005

The world's most advanced military aircraft thundering down the runway are a common sight at Nellis Air Force Base, and so are the film crews that flock to the tarmac to record these war machines in action.

It's not unusual for the Air Force to trade an up-close view of aircraft at its premier combat test and training facility to authors, filmmakers, celebrities and journalists in exchange for exposure that boosts recruiting.

"Anytime we can get exposure in a venue that would otherwise have no military presence, it's a good way to get the Air Force out there and in people's heads who might not normally think about us," said Staff Sgt. Katherine Garcia, a spokeswoman with the Nellis-based Thunderbirds, the Air Force's air demonstration squadron.

Last week that exposure came courtesy of the rock band 3 Doors Down, which was at Nellis to fly with the Thunderbirds and to film footage of the experience for use on jumbo video screens at future concerts, Garcia said.

The Thunderbirds are only one of the unique draws that bring attention to Nellis and create an environment that in many ways serves as the face of the Air Force, said Maj. Gen. Stephen Goldfein, commander of the Air Warfare Center at Nellis.

"Each base has its own needs and has stories that need to be told, but Nellis is different because here we can tell an Air Force-level story," Goldfein said, explaining that the unique systems, units and facilities at Nellis create stories that represent the Air Force as a whole, and not just a specific base.

Cutting-edge technology such as the Predator remote-piloted aircraft and the FA-22 Raptor, the nearly 3 million-acre Nevada Test and Training Range, mammoth national and international training exercises and Area 51 are among the reasons Nellis garners such attention.

The Thunderbirds and the annual air show that draws more than 250,000 people also create interest.

A typical base may get major requests from television and filmmakers once a year, but Nellis officials can find themselves working on a half dozen film and television requests at any given time, Nellis Public Affairs Chief Mike Estrada said.

"Working public affairs at Nellis is like trying to drink out of a fire hose," said Estrada, who has a staff of 16 in his office, about three times the public affairs staff at other bases.

Most recently that fire hose was blasting Estrada's staff with early wake-up calls and 12- to 15-hour days as they facilitated the filming of "Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag," a new IMAX movie.

The movie, now playing across the country and locally at the Luxor, follows a pilot through the quarterly air combat training scenario that plays out at Nellis and is known as Red Flag.

Red Flag normally involves more than 100 aircraft ranging from A-10 Thunderbolts to the stealth B-2 Spirit, and can include aircraft, pilots and commanders from allied countries.

Film crews were at Nellis for weeks at a time filming "Fighter Pilot" throughout 2003.

"We constantly have aircraft flying in and out of Nellis to the range, so it becomes an easy way for filmmakers to get footage," Estrada said. "We have a huge range compared to what other bases have.

"Other bases have a backyard compared to what Nellis has."

The film industry has to reimburse the Air Force for any flights made solely for a film project, but for "Fighter Pilot," filming at Nellis was accomplished by piggy-backing cameras on already-scheduled training flights. If a film crew wants to schedule a flight specifically for filming, the costs can run the film company thousands of dollars for fuel and maintenance.

Typically an hour flight by an F-16 Fighting Falcon costs $3,500 in fuel and maintenance, while an hour flight by an F-15 Eagle carries a cost of about $5,000, Estrada said.

For "Fighter Pilot," a 35 mm camera was placed in the back seats of F-15 Eagles as they headed out on training missions over the Nevada Test and Training Range northwest of Las Vegas.

A specialized Lear Jet outfitted with 75 mm cameras was also used to shoot footage of Nellis pilots on training runs over the range, said Doug Thar, an Air Force special-events coordinator who oversaw the filming.

The Discovery Channel has also filmed documentaries at Nellis, including one on Red Flag set to debut at the end of the month. Tom Clancy has visited Nellis while researching his military novels, and local author Bob Gore made visits for his book, "We Rode the Thunder," which chronicles the history of the Thunderbirds.

The benefit of the exposure for the Air Force is twofold, as it serves as a recruiting tool and also allows the taxpayers to see how the Air Force is spending their money, Goldfein said.

"I firmly believe that we have a responsibility to tell the American people about the military," Goldfein said. "It's their military, and they have a right to know and understand what we are doing."

In the end, a lot of the exposure boils down to a recruiting tool, said Garcia, who is part of a four-member public affairs team specifically assigned to the Thunderbirds and separate from Estrada's office.

Garcia said that the approximately 120-member Thunderbird Squadron works to support recruiting activities through partnerships with celebrities. A long list of celebrities, including Tiger Woods, Tony Hawk, Joe Montana and, now, Arnold and Roberts of 3 Doors Down, have hit the air in the red, white and blue F-16s.

"We want to hit our target audience of 17- to 25-year-olds and their parents, who are going to be involved in the decision-making process," Garcia said. "Our pilots are going up anyway, and it doesn't cost anything to take people along, so it's a good bang for the buck."