low level

Sidewinder Low level training route information. locations + sample photos.

point alpha coordinates:
35.918362695457, -118.49024736195771
Example photos shot between 600-800mm

ALPHA IS NEAR THE TOWN OF KERNVILLE CALIFORNIA. MULTIPLE AIRBNB'S AVAILABLE, OR A LODGE DOWN THE CANYON FROM THE SPOT. LAKE ISABELLA IS A LARGER TOWN WITH MORE GROCERY STORES, PHARMACY, RESTAURANTS, ETC. THIS SPOT HAS GOOD LIGHT UNTIL 3PM THEN IT BECOMES INCREASINGLY BACKLIT. YOU CAN HIKE DOWN AND CROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE BUT YOU WILL MISS TRAFFIC. THIS IS THE MOST BUSY PART OF THE ROUTE BECAUSE IT IS THE BEGINNING. YOU NEED TO BE SCANNING THE VALLEY INFRONT OF YOU INCASE YOU MISS A RADIO CALL. JETS WILL SOMETIMES DO MINI RIDGE CROSSINGS BY YOU IF THEY SEE YOU. 
point DELTA (HAYSTACK) coordinates:
MORNING PARKING: 36.60210634750358, -117.99784854054849
AFTERNOON PARKING: 36.60703650364704, -117.9837831889506
Example photos shot between 200-500MM

AT THIS LOCATION YOU HAVE A SHORT HIKE ON THE WEST SIDE FOR THE MORNING (5 MINS). YOU THEN SWITCH TO THE OTHER SIDE IN THE AFTERNOON. THE HIKE TAKES ~30 MINUTES ON THE RIGHT AND HAS LARGER ROCKS TO NAVIGATE AROUND. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR RATTLE SNAKES BEFORE STEPPING. LONE PINE CA IS VERY CLOSE. MOTELS, RESTAURANTS, GROCERY STORES, GAS, ETC. PILOT HAVE BEEN "TRAINED" BY PHOTOGRAPHERS TO HIT THE WEST SIDE IN THE MORNING, AND EAST SIDE IN THE AFTERNOON IF THEY WANT WELL LIT PHOTOS. due to low terrain on west side, pilots keep it very low. sample photo with shockwaves shows a hornet at 50 feet doing .96 mach. he went inverted infront of us at 300 feet agl. beautiful background of sierras on the west side in the morning. fresno eagles wave most of the time and lapped the hill 4 times in a row when i was there.
point Juliet coordinates:
36.39662579815024, -117.40068177394188
JETS ARE CLOSE IN THIS AREA. USE 100-500 OR 200-500 (OR EQUIVALENT)
the day i visited this location was with Santos in october. this spot is high risk high reward. while less jets make it this far in the route, it is one of the more frequent locations for groom lake (Area 51) vipers to run after their sorties. NELLIS JETS USUALLY SPOTTED HERE RETURNING TO BASE ALONG THE ROUTE. THIS LOCATION IS EAST OF STAR WARS CANYON. VERY EASY WALK UP THE HILL. BRING SOMETHING TO PUT BETWEEN YOU AND THE ROCKS FOR SITTING BECAUSE THEY ARE QUITE SHARP (LIKE STAR WARS CANYON VOLCANIC ROCK).

I DO NOT HAVE EXAMPLE PHOTOS FROM THIS LOCATION BECAUSE AN EXERCISE IN THE PACIFIC DURING MY VISIT INVOLVED ALL LOCAL UNITS. I DID SEE AN AREA51 VIPER TO THE WEST. THIS WAS THE LOCATION FOR MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT AN F-117 SETUP THAT WAS CANCELED DUE TO EXERCISE. GETTING MORE POPULAR WITH PHOTOGRAPHERS NOW, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW NELLIS AGGRESSOR SQUADRON.

FUN FACT: THIS WAS WHERE THE F-117 WAS FIRST SPOTTED FLYING AGAIN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
THERE ARE A FEW OTHER LOCATIONS THAT I WILL USE IF BANJO IS ABLE TO DO A SETUP. THESE SPOTS ARE NOT KNOWN AMONG PHOTOGRAPHERS SO VERY UNLIKELY WE'D HAVE PEOPLE JOIN US UNLESS THEY RECOGNIZED OUR CAR. THEY ARE CLOSE TO STAR WARS CANYON.

POINT ALPHA IS DEFINITELY THE HARDEST HIKE OUT OF THEM ALL. I SUGGEST ONE OR TWO DAYS AT THE START OF THE WEEK. ENDING THE TRIP WITH THOSE HARD HIKES WOULD NOT BE FUN AT ALL.
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