Nellis Fighter Jet Mechanic reviews new IMAX film
Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag

Producer/Director Stephen Low, K2 Communications, and Boeing hit the Air Force's "Team" theme with precision guided munitions that not only landed on target--they vaporized it.

Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag takes the IMAX audience through a culturally accurate presentation of Nellis AFB fighter operations in an amazing 45 minutes. I would not be surprised if each of the 45 minutes cost as much to produce as the same number of advertising commercials, as each minute could stand as a complete story.

It's obvious that the film's storyboarding, cinematography, computer generated imagery, airborne footage, and attention to culture & values were worked through at great expense. It's also clear that the script and video resulting from the filmmakers' process was further distilled to produce an Air Force film of unprecedented cultural purity.

The film was apparently produced only after learning what support team moments were poignant. The images of these moments highlight the contributions of the team members who facilitate air combat operations. The pilot's narrative point of view is one of an appreciative bystander who believes the team is the star of the fighter jet show. The audience will not need a glossary to appreciate his message. Take it from this Nellis F-16 fighter jet mechanic who also flew in Red Flag 86-2 as a C-130 flight engineer :

The Air Force has made a 9g communication turn with this film.

Earl Heron
Author
One Desert Jet Turner