Thirty-five miles northwest of Yuma, Arizona, September 1985. At 18:45, an F-14A Tomcat from the Aardvarks of U.S. Navy Fighter Squadron 114 (VF-114) lights its afterburners on the flight back from MCAS Yuma to NAS Miramar, closing out a day of TOPGUN training.

Caught in the last light of the Arizona evening, the Tomcat seems to erupt from the desert below. Twin plumes burn brilliant white against the darkening landscape, while the low sun catches the fuselage just long enough to separate it from the mountains beneath. The grain and slight blur only add to the sensation, capturing an aircraft accelerating faster than the camera can comfortably follow.

There is something fitting about the moment. A full day spent training at the limits, followed by one final burst of afterburner for the flight home. September 1985, when the F-14, TOPGUN and Miramar were not yet mythology. They were simply another day at work.

Available in both Digital Gallery Edition (PDF) and Premium Print Edition (sized 16x20"). Please allow approximately 5 business days for dispatch. European and US made.