Pitch Black

No, not the movie starring a a certain Diesel (that word just keeps popping up around here) with a gravelly voice. I'm talking about the Pitch Black war games that are held every second year at Darwin. Think of it as Top Gun, but down under.... and with less sweaty beach volleyball.....so much less....
***Editor's note: even with the homo-eroticism running rampant throughout Top Gun, I still love that movie***
***Editor's note to Hollywood: please make a new and better fighter pilot movie. No, 'Stealth' doesn't count. You weren't even trying when you made that one.***

I kind of wish I was in the city right about now to take some of it in.

"What do you mean we don't get to go watch!?!"

The homepage from a government website described it as follows:

"Exercise Pitch Black 10 (PB10) is a three week multi-national air combat exercise, to be conducted in Northern Australia over the period 16 Jul – 6 Aug 10.
PB10 will be the largest RAAF Field Training Exercise for 2010 and will involve a combination of day and night flying from RAAF bases at Darwin (DAR) and Tindal (TDL).
The exercise will involve participants from the Australian Army and elements of the Singapore, New Zealand and Thailand air forces that will participate in the tasking, planning and execution of Offensive Counter Air (OCA) and Offensive Air Support (OAS) operations in a coalition environment."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_Pitch_Black
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/07/17/164701_ntnews.html
http://www.defence.gov.au/opex/exercises/pitchblack10/gallery/20100716a/index.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/06/2267319.htm

Basically it involves 10 countries, over 60 jets/planes, 1500 people and a s&%$load of bad wingman jokes. Of course all of the action takes place away from the civilian population. BUT, and it is a big but, there are several good lookout points within and nearby Darwin to observe. One of the fieldies just came in and said there's a great spot at one of the pub's where the jets actually end up flying right over top of you. Noisy? Absolutely. Awesome? Definitely. Apparently the American pilots are known for their hotdoggery. You can always spot a US jet taking off by its use of afterburner. The other countries are either too humble for the display of raw power..... or they just plain can't afford the extra fuel. Either way, I'd still like to see it. The views at night time are particularly enchanting. While the paint schemes keep the jets relatively out of sight during the daytime, at night the flames pumping out of the turbines can be tracked for miles away and you can watch the fighters do their dance above the desert.

"A credible source links this photo to Tom taking in the sights at the Pitch Black event near Darwin, Australia. Goose was not present at the time of this photo. His whereabouts are unknown, but he was believed to be waiting for Tom at the local beach volleyball court....or possibly the shower."