For many tourists visiting the USA the City of Las Vegas is at the very top of their must-see list. This surreal, artificial creation in the middle of the Nevada desert not only offers something for gamblers, poker players and retirees with a penchant for blackjack machines, it also serves as a mecca for military aviation enthusiasts. Just over eight miles north-east of this gambling metropolis is Nellis Air Force Base, home of the United States Air Force Warfare Centre (USAFWC) along with the official aerobatic team of the USAF, the USAF Thunderbirds. Nellis AFB also serves as the venue for the annual RED FLAG exercise.
Encompassing more than 11,600 acres, Nellis is one of the largest air bases in the United States. The base was named in honour of 1st Lt. William Nellis, a World War II Republic P-47 THUNDERBOLT fighter pilot who was shot down during a combat mission over Belgium in December 1944. Nellis AFB also incorporates the Nellis Test and Training Range (NTTR), a vast, uninhabited area of ??4,700 square miles (by comparison to Northern Ireland that has a total area of some ??5,344 square miles). Its interesting to note that more than 75% of all training ammunition used by the US Air Force is expended in this area.