Nellis Air Force Base

Family's hobby of 'tail spotting' draws worldwide audience: Tuesday, December 1, 2009; By Richard A. Serrano; Because this is their idea of a good time, the Trajano brothers and their father crowded into the family’s silver GMC Sierra pickup recently and drove six hours from North Las Vegas to the Naval Air Facility at El Centro, Calif. They set up along the runway fence and breathed the jet exhaust.

Thunderbirds wow crowd at Nellis AFB: Saturday, November 14, 2009; More than 120,000 people expected to attend two-day air show; By Kyle Hansen; The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds aerobatics squadron got a chance to perform in front of a home crowd Saturday at Nellis Air Force Base during the Aviation Nation air show and open house.

Canadian jet drops fuel tanks, diverts to Nellis: Saturday, October 24, 2009; By Dave Toplikar; After jettisoning its fuel tanks, a Canadian CF-18 Hornet jet safely diverted to and landed at Nellis Air Force base north of Las Vegas early this afternoon, the Air Force reported today.

Nellis site of Nevada's biggest military baby shower: Sunday, October 11, 2009; By Kyle Hansen; It was a typical baby shower in most respects — there was cake, decorations, cheesy games and lots of presents. But it was a larger than a typical shower. Actually, it was about 50 times larger.

A civilian who’s at home challenging Nellis pilots: Thursday, September 24, 2009; PERSON OF NOTE: “I throw as much as I possibly can at them,” the vice director says; By Richard A. Serrano; She wears no stars or bars, no uniform, no pilot’s wings. She does not salute and she does not return salutes. But draped over Yvonne Gresnick’s office chair at Nellis Air Force Base is one sharp piece of evidence of whom she serves — a desert camouflage, bullet-proof vest, the kind worn in war.

110 back in Vegas after four months in Iraq: Monday, September 7, 2009; Airmen return to Nellis in time for Labor Day weekend; By Jeff Pope; Family and friends welcomed home 110 airmen to Nellis Air Force Base Sunday night just in time for the holiday. Some families said the traditional Labor Day barbecue means even more this year because they will spend it with loved ones who had been serving a four-month stint in Iraq. While deployed, they provided more than 2,000 hours of alert support, completed more than 400 missions and saved five lives through medevac missions. All who deployed returned safely, though a few are returning with equipment later this week, said Lt. Col. Thomas Dorl, commander of the 66th squadron.

Air Force plane damaged while landing at Nellis: Saturday, August 29, 2009; military:; By Sun Staff; An Air Force plane was damaged while landing at Nellis Air Force Base late Friday. Everyone on the plane was safely evacuated.

Nellis team behaves like the enemy: Wednesday, July 22, 2009; The military: ‘Aggressor’ squadron stages cyber attacks to keep networks safe; By Brendan Buhler; Meet Lt. Col. Robin Williams, a former B-52 bombardier. “I go by Montana,” he says (and who can blame him?). He’s the director of operations for the 57th Information Aggressor Squadron, based at Nellis Air Force Base, which is bringing the Air Force’s war games into the age of, well, “WarGames.”

Nellis air traffic controller barely feels the heat in his kitchen: Monday, July 20, 2009; People of Note:; By Brendan Buhler; Staff Sgt. Steven Williams is a local air traffic controller at Nellis Air Force Base, which means he is in charge of the busiest bit of airspace at one of the service’s three busiest bases, airspace that is crowded with an unusual variety of planes and pilots.

Cloud hangs over bright idea: Tuesday, July 7, 2009; Nellis commander concerned about interference with mission; By Alexandra Berzon; Framed by his cowboy hat under a canopy of solar panels at UNLV last week, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar declared the era of solar power in the West upon us. “I would hope that when people look back in the year 2020 at this announcement here in 2009, they will see this as a true milestone moving us forward to the renewable energy future, to energy independence, environmental security and jobs, jobs, jobs,” Salazar said. Toward that end, he announced new Interior Department plans to speed the process of granting permits to build solar projects on federal land.

Air Force adding 329 positions, aircraft at Nellis: Friday, June 26, 2009; By Mary Manning; Nellis Air Force Base is gaining fighter aircraft and adding 329 personnel, according to a U.S. Air Force announcement Friday. Nellis will add eight F-15 primary aircraft and two F-16s to help teach fighter pilots in simulated combat conditions.

Obama, Reid tour Nellis solar facility: Wednesday, May 27, 2009; presidential visit: President also lauds success of Recovery Act's first 100 days; By Sun Staff; President Barack Obama toured the solar photovoltaic array at Nellis Air Force Base this morning for a look at how solar energy is being used in Nevada. Col. Howard D. Belote, the commander of the 99th Air Base Wing, led Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on the tour. The event, which was closed to the public, followed Tuesday night's fundraiser for Reid at Caesars Palace.

Fighter jets to fly over Memorial Day celebration: Friday, May 22, 2009; By Jeff Pope; Four F-15 fighters from Nellis Air Force Base will fly over Southern Highlands as part of that community’s seventh annual Memorial Day Celebration. The ten-minute flyover begins at 6 p.m. on Monday at Stonewater Park, at the intersection of Southern Highlands Parkway and Valley View Boulevard. The planes will fly 1,000 feet above the ground while the Honor Guard from Nellis presents the colors.

Nellis crew helps rescue injured rock climber: Monday, May 18, 2009; By Jeff Pope; Airmen from Nellis Air Force Base helped rescue an injured man who fell while rock climbing in Zion Canyon National Park in Utah on May 9. A seven-member crew aboard a HH-60G Pavehawk helicopter flew the injured 27-year-old man from a climbing route in Pine Creek Canyon to a waiting ambulance, which took him to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George, Utah.

Nellis welcomes new commander: Monday, May 18, 2009; By Jeff Pope; There is a new commander in charge of the advanced training program at Nellis Air Force Base.