90-0944 —

NSAWC's Side 5-3 creates a gorgeous chain of shock diamonds as it thunders with full a/b down runway 31L. This Viper, 900944, could not have come rolling down NFL's taxiway Alpha at a better time. As seen in the reflection on the cockpit, the sun had just gone down and out of sight behind the Desert Mountain Range west of Fallon, leaving this dusky light on the eastern horizon, when two Fighting Falcons taxied past and lined up to "launch." I've snapped pics of aircraft leaving thrust diamonds before, but I've never clicked shots showing them backdropped so beautifully.