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 Nick Alvarado, cinematographer, videographer, and aerial photographer for Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems in Fort Worth, began his aerial photo career in 1971 after joining the US Air Force. There he served as a motion picture cameraman traveling extensively and documenting USAF activities on the ground and in the air in aircraft varying from UH1 helicopters to C-5 cargo jets and from the F-101 Voodoo to the F-4 Phantom.
He left the Air Force in 1981 for a job with General Dynamics. With camera, he strapped into the backseat of the company’s earliest models of the F-16. He took a hiatus from fighter photography to spend a brief interlude in Hollywood — and Top Gun, Revenge, Firebirds, and Hot Shots—as an aerial unit camera operator. Those urges satisfied, he returned to aerial shooting at General Dynamics.
“The F-16 is a terrific platform for aerial photography. My last F-16 aerial assignment was a little different. I went to Canon AFB, New Mexico, to shoot a formation that included F-16s flown by all of the base’s squadron commanders as well as the wing commander.
The pilot of the photo jet, also an F-16, had a reputation for bad luck. Twice he had ejected from F-16s, the most recent being the month before. He had also been struck by lightning when at the Air Force Academy. I was a little nervous after hearing those stories. The flight went very well—no glitches. Everyone was happy when we landed, especially me.”
Alvarado also experienced a memorable first flight of the F-22. Now he anticipates shooting the first flight of the Joint Strike Fighter in 2000.
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