Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag
Encyclopedia
Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag is an IMAX
film
centered around the experiences of a USAF
F-15 Eagle
fighter pilot
, then-Captain
John Stratton
, who wants to be professionally successful as a fighter pilot. It chronicles his experience during USAF Red Flag
training at Nellis AFB, a simulated air war designed to train pilots for combat. Directed by Stephen Low
and presented by Boeing
, the film shows how airmen simulate a war without killing one another, as well as the training of military air base firemen
, military ordnance crews, midair refueling operations, cockpit views, and other aspects of aerial combat. The film was released in December 2004.
information to computer, and when they have "fired," the computer figures out who is "hit." Color codes during computer replay debriefs offer a way of telling participants apart, with blue planes representing friendly forces and red planes representing enemy forces in the exercise.
gave the film an unfavorable review, saying, "Presumably, the greatest strength of an Imax format film about flying would be placing viewers in the cockpit and immersing eyes and ears in the total flight experience. Director Stephen Low is either unable or unwilling to do this." Bruce Westbook of the Houston Chronicle
commented on his review that "the crisp military teams are inspiring, showing fierce dedication and camaraderie. Fighter Pilot should set minds at ease that businesslike experts defend our skies. But it plays more like a recruitment film than an eye-popping IMAX experience." The film is currently rated at 56% on Rotten Tomatoes
.
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
centered around the experiences of a USAF
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
F-15 Eagle
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
, then-Captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
John Stratton
John Stratton (Air Force)
John Stratton is a former American soccer defender and currently an active duty U.S. Air Force officer and fighter pilot. Stratton played one season in the A-League....
, who wants to be professionally successful as a fighter pilot. It chronicles his experience during USAF Red Flag
RED FLAG exercise
Red Flag is an advanced aerial combat training exercise hosted at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, the latter location being known as Red Flag – Alaska and being a successor to the previous COPE THUNDER exercise series. Since 1975, air crews from the United States...
training at Nellis AFB, a simulated air war designed to train pilots for combat. Directed by Stephen Low
Stephen Low
Stephen Low is a Canadian film director and screenwriter who works extensively in the IMAX film format. Based in Montreal, Quebec, Low has directed numerous film documentaries including Titanica , Beavers , The Last Buffalo ,Across the Sea of Time, Super Speedway, Volcanoes of the Deep Sea and...
and presented by Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
, the film shows how airmen simulate a war without killing one another, as well as the training of military air base firemen
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
, military ordnance crews, midair refueling operations, cockpit views, and other aspects of aerial combat. The film was released in December 2004.
A war without guns
The exercise simulates an air war without firing actual weapons using NACTS (Nellis Air Combat Training System). The particiapting aircraft, carrying specialized telemetry pods or other equipment, send back telemetryTelemetry
Telemetry is a technology that allows measurements to be made at a distance, usually via radio wave transmission and reception of the information. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure...
information to computer, and when they have "fired," the computer figures out who is "hit." Color codes during computer replay debriefs offer a way of telling participants apart, with blue planes representing friendly forces and red planes representing enemy forces in the exercise.
Reception
Fighter Pilot was met with mixed reviews. Robert Koehler of VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
gave the film an unfavorable review, saying, "Presumably, the greatest strength of an Imax format film about flying would be placing viewers in the cockpit and immersing eyes and ears in the total flight experience. Director Stephen Low is either unable or unwilling to do this." Bruce Westbook of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
commented on his review that "the crisp military teams are inspiring, showing fierce dedication and camaraderie. Fighter Pilot should set minds at ease that businesslike experts defend our skies. But it plays more like a recruitment film than an eye-popping IMAX experience." The film is currently rated at 56% on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.