These spectacular images were taken by a friend of mine and fellow photographer, Jim "Hazy" Haseltine from the back of an Oregon Air National Guard F-15D belonging to the 173rd FW down in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The Eagle is the size of a tennis court, so seeing them absolutely dwarfed by anything is not normal, making these shots simply other-worldly!
The towering pyrocumulus clouds seen in these pictures are the result of some of the ten large fires currently burning across Oregon. Fire crews and tankers have been working around the clock to keep them in check. Officials have made it clear that Oregon is at a fire risk level of 5, the highest possible, and that has been since mid July, so we have a long season yet to go.
Make sure you check out and learn more about Jim's work over at his site, and maybe pick up a calendar or two. He has flown with a ton of units from across the country and really does great work, not to mention he is a great guy!
Thanks for sharing these great pics with the world Hazy!
Pictures Via Jim Heseltine/High-G Productions, USAF, NASA, Facebook, Twitter
Tyler Rogoway is a defense journalist and photographer who maintains the website Foxtrot Alpha for Jalopnik.com You can reach Tyler with story ideas or direct comments regarding this or any other defense topic via the email address Tyler@Jalopnik.com