That team includes the pilots, mission planners, engine mechanics, firefighters, search and recovery teams and anybody else who wears the Air Force uniform. "What I take away from my experience is the realization that we are all part of the greater team of the Air Force," Captain Stratton said. Rather, it is about being part of a team of Airmen that come together to complete the mission. At the beginning of the film, viewers learn the captain's grandfather was a Marine Corps fighter pilot in World War II and served as a role model and hero for him in his youth.Ĭaptain Stratton came to the Red Flag exercise with aspirations of proving himself, of being a hero and of "winning." But what he learns during the course of the film, and what he conveys through his narration, is that Red Flag is not about being a hero. The captain narrates much of the film, providing insight into what drives him as a pilot. John Stratton is an F-15 Eagle pilot assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and the "star" of the film - a young pilot who had never before been to a Red Flag exercise. Red forces are composed of Red Flag's adversary tactics division, whose pilots fly F-16 Fighting Falcons.Ĭapt. Blue forces are made up of units from the Air Force and its sister services, as well as units from American allies.
General Wood was the director of the center during the making of the film.Ī typical Red Flag exercise pits “friendly” blue forces against “hostile” red forces in mock combat situations to test the mettle of pilots and support crews. Red Flag exercises are run by the Airmen of the Air Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. That pilot wouldn't be in the air without the maintainers, support personnel or (firefighters)." "The title is 'Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag,' but it is really about the whole Air Force.
FIGHTER PILOT OPERATION RED FLAG MOVIE
"This movie is about our Air Force and what it means to be in the Air Force," General Wood said. Wood, Air Force deputy chief of staff for plans and programs.
Filmgoers got an inside look at one of the Air Force's largest training exercises, called "Red Flag."īut the film is about more than an exercise, said Lt. 2 at the National Air and Space Museum here. The IMAX film "Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag," premiered Dec. Civilians and Airmen alike can get breathtaking insight into parts of the Air Force they may not have seen before.