Forum: F-16 Spotting & Photography

Article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about the recent addition of guard rails blocking
the access to a favorite viewing spot that had existed for several decades at NASJRB Fort Worth and Lockheed-Martin plant.

http://www.star-telegram.com/metro_news/story/831829.html

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Thanks Keith for posting this. That is too bad. Not knowing the area, is it a parking issue? Is it still accessible by walking?

Keith, this is a big blow to aviation enthusiasts in the area. Even though I work at LockMart, they won't let us bring cameras to work. That was one of the only places worth going to for good pics.

BTW, nice "Jeer" in this morning's S-T. The pics I have seen of your's were always spot on. Good luck finding a better place and/or finding a good place to park near there. I know it will be a pain to lug equipment behind the guardrail, especially a step ladder, now that you can't park over there.

The area is still open for viewing and photography. I am still a little surprised at the reasons as to why the guard rails were added. One being that there had been several "accidents" and "near-misses" over the past year. Now I have been there more than I care to admit (many hours) and I have never seen an accident, heard a car horn or even brakes squeal, ever. Another reason was the security issue. There are many more locations where one can observe NAS Fort Worth operations other than from the White Settlement Road location. It's too bad that people will not be able to enjoy the location from the comfort and safety of their own vehicle. Someone from another online forum said it best. . . . "Your tax dollars at work, against you.".

What an A$$ of a sheriff, how much more whould it have cost to put in a pull off lane instead of the guard rail? Total crock. Sorry for your loss, time for an Easy Up a few chairs and a cooler full of beer. Is there a way around it then you would be safe from ever being hit by a car, hmmm...

Dave

The link at the top of this topic had become dead but here is the story.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote:

New barrier upsets aviation fans
By Chris Vaughn

Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Credit: Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Thursday,August 14, 2008

WHITE SETTLEMENT

* The police chief had the guardrail put up weeks ago citing fears of accidents.

WHITE SETTLEMENT -- People the world over know precisely how to get to a little patch of dirt in White Settlement.

It’s a cherished spot for aviation junkies, against the fence line with an unobstructed view of the runway at Naval Air Station Fort Worth and Lockheed Martin.

Except that now the amateur photographers and aircraft enthusiasts are feeling unfairly run off from their favorite area off Spur 341. The White Settlement police chief, concerned about serious traffic accidents, had a guardrail installed that blocked vehicular access to the area several weeks ago.

"We’re bummed," said James Hurley, 34, of Watauga. "We’re a bunch of big kids, and we’ve had our toy taken away. We weren’t bothering anyone. We weren’t stopping traffic. None of us understand why they did it."

Police Chief Jack Ely understands the attraction of the spot -- he’s a retired Navy pilot. But he said it is on a "badly engineered curve" where drivers should not be entering and exiting the road to view aircraft.

"We had several accidents and a bunch of near-misses at that location," he said. "If we can improve the area, we should."

For years, aviation buffs have pulled off the White Settlement Road entrance ramp, hopped up a little curb and pulled behind a partial guardrail to watch and photograph the F-16s, F/A-18s and more exotic transient aircraft that use the base’s runway.

On virtually any weekday, cars parked there. Maybe they were construction workers taking a break, maybe they drove down from the Lockheed Martin plant on their lunch hour. Crowds were thick recently during the F-35 Lightning II inaugural flight.

Most regulars, though, were aviation photographers.

"This was probably the best location in the country to shoot military aircraft," said Keith Robinson, a hobbyist who has sold photographs to defense contractors. "As I posted pictures on the Internet, I started getting e-mails from people around the country and Europe wanting to know where I had gotten those shots."

During heat, cold, wind or other weather, the photographers could sit in their cars until they saw an airplane start to taxi. The pilots knew them well enough that they would often wave or give a thumbs up for the cameras.

But Ely was worried about slow-moving vehicles, so he contacted Randy Brown, White Settlement’s public works director.

Soon afterward, officials with the Texas Department of Transportation installed a guardrail around the entire curve.

"I have no idea how long the practice has been going on," Brown said. "But we realized how serious it was and that we were liable to do something about it. I’m sorry for them, but it’s an extremely hazardous condition."

The spot has long been a sore one for the base’s security leaders, according to base Police Chief Shawn Wallace. The photographers say they never got that impression from their occasional visits from security personnel.

"The same prime viewing area enjoyed by the public also poses one of the most immediate threats to the security of the installation," Wallace said in a statement. "Although we can’t remove every conceivable threat from all areas surrounding the base, we are constantly working with local law enforcement agencies and municipal governments to at least reduce those threats."

Ely and Brown have told callers that they are still free to take pictures farther south along Spur 341 or park elsewhere and walk to the old spot behind the guardrail.

But Hurley and Robinson said it’s unlikely that people will haul camera gear, a chair, an umbrella and other supplies on foot to shoot from the prime spot.

"From the time this happened, our section on the nationwide Web site is dead," Hurley said.

CHRIS VAUGHN, 817-390-7547

(C) The Star-Telegram 2008

So Keith, is there anything else we can "try" to get them to allow us back in, that you know of? What about a tv news station?

James I don't think so. I would be happy if they would just install some park type covered benches. As far as them removing the installed barrier, I don't think that will happen.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote:

"This was probably the best location in the country to shoot military aircraft..."

Quite possibly one of the most ironic, and unfortunately-worded sentences I've ever read.

...and they wonder why the area is now closed? Laughing

Can somebody post some pics taken from that vantage point? I'm just interested as to the view.

TC wrote:

Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote:

"This was probably the best location in the country to shoot military aircraft..."

Quite possibly one of the most ironic, and unfortunately-worded sentences I've ever read.

...and they wonder why the area is now closed? Laughing

Reminds me of a story about a movie director coming through customs at LAX. They asked him what the purpose of his visit was and he answered, "I'm here to shoot a pilot." The story continues on to explain that it took quite some time to get through to security that he meant that he was going to film an initial episode. I don't know if it's true, but it sure is funny LMAO

viperloader wrote:

Can somebody post some pics taken from that vantage point? I'm just interested as to the view.

Most of the runway shots are taken with a 300mm lens.

Damn that is a good view.

I would love to get there during the week, but that isn't gonna happen. Something about the air force making me work mon-fri how dare they lol

parrothead wrote:

They asked him what the purpose of his visit was and he answered, "I'm here to shoot a pilot."

And see? It's those subtleties and double-meanings of the English language that a lot of foreigners do not understand. "I'm here to shoot a pilot". It makes a lot of sense to Scorsese, or Coppola. However, to safely navigate through security at LAX, especially in this day and age, it's probably not the wisest choice of words. Now, if he had said, "I'm a director, here to FILM a pilot EPISODE", he would've been in and out, so to speak, in no time flat.

I do have a feeling though, that if Carswell had thought the photography area was that big a security violation, then that guardrail would've been placed there much earlier in this decade. Some really nice photos there. I hope that some kind of compromise can be found or made.

Forum: F-16 Spotting & Photography

Aviation enthusiasts blocked from favorite viewing spot