1st Saturday of the month ( 2018-3-3 ) which also means Drill weekend for our local 301stFW “Spads” .. Spads did not fly on this Sat and our attention was sway towards Ft Worth Alliance Airport ( KAFW) which presented us with 6 VMFT-401 Snipers F-5n Marine Adversary Squadrons. This is the 3rd time I have such encounter with these beautiful jets.
The 6 jets came from Amarillo TX whereby 3 of them have the white/grey camouflage pattern. one single Yellow Splinter and one Lizard camouflage scheme. All did a carrier break to the left and landed on Runway 16R . They were backup in the air in about an hour after lunch and gas. Here are the list of aircraft by serial number and special markings respectively.
| Aircraft Type | Unit | Bord and S/N | Color scheme |
| F-5N | VMFT-401 | 11-761526 | lizard |
| F-5N | VMFT-401 | 07-761572 | Yellow Splinter |
| F-5N | VMFT-401 | 10-761589 | White Grey |
| F-5N | VMFT-401 | 09-761579 | White Grey |
| F-5N | VMFT-401 | 04-761546 | lizard |
| F-5N | VMFT-401 | 02-761527 | White Grey |
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VMFT-401 Snipers from MCAS Yuma
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Lizard Camouflage “Snipers “
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- carrier break snipers F-5N
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- breaking 04-761546 VMFT-401 Lizard scheme
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- touch down 04-761546 VMFT-401 Lizard scheme
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- Landing 04-761546 VMFT-401 Lizard scheme
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- 04-761546 closup
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- landing 04-761546 VMFT-401 Lizard scheme
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- 11-761526 VMFT-401 landing with tire smoke
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- taxi by 11-761526 VMFT-401
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- landing taxi 11-761526 VMFT-401
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- launching 04-761546 VMFT-401 Lizard scheme
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- launching side view 04-761546 VMFT-401 Lizard scheme
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- launching 11-761526 VMFT-401
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- taking off 11-761526 VMFT-401
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- taken off 11-761526 VMFT-401
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White Grey Camouflage
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- 02-761527 VMFT-401 Snipers tire smoke
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- 09-761579 VMFT-401 launching 2
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- 09-761579 VMFT-401 launching
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- 02-761527 VMFT-401 closeup
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- 02-761527 VMFT-401 launching
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- landed 02-761527 lauching
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- 10-761589 closeup
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- 10-761589 VMFT-401 landing tire smoke
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- 09-761579 VMFT-401 landed taxi
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- carrier break VMFT-401 snipers
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- F5n VMFT-401 Snipers
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- landed 02-761527 VMFT-401
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Yellow Splinter Camouflage scheme
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- F5n VMFT-401 Snipers
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- carrier break VMFT-401 snipers
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- 07-761572 SNipers VMFT-401 F5n landing
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- 07-761572 SNipers VMFT-401 landing taxi
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- 07-761572 SNipers VMFT-401 launching with vapor
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- 07-761572 SNipers VMFT-401 launching side
On the process of photographing the Snipers , we caught a C-17 from Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) 445TH airlift wing came in to the airport.
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- C17 10194 doing option
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- banking C17 from wright patterson AFB
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- landing Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) 445TH airlift wing C-17
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- Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) 445TH airlift wing C-17 landed with tire smoke
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- Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) 445TH airlift wing C-17 close up
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- Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) 445TH airlift wing C-17 with AFW tower
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- Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) 445TH airlift wing C-17 fueling by KAFW
Article by Dave Chng
Photograph by Dave Chng