Sketch of the Week: March Air Reserve Base

In honor of Memorial Day, I am posting my sketches from March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California with deep appreciation for men and women in the armed forces. Special thanks goes out to United States Air Force Art Collection and Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles for making this field trip possible.

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March Air Reserve Base is located about 65 miles inland from downtown Los Angeles. The base is large enough to require a car to move from one meeting point to another, and the horizon stretches endlessly under the cloudless blue sky in desert heat. It is May, so it is not too hot yet but the sunlight is intense, creating crisp, dark shadows.

Our group of artists is here to observe while the people at the base prepare for an air show scheduled for the weekend. After I see and hear the incredible sight and sound of fighter planes flying overhead to rehearse for the show, I understand why an air force base needs to be away from tall buildings and densely-populated areas.



We saw the military firefighters do a drill on extinguishing aircraft fires. This is a decoy plane used for their training. I like sketching the silhouette of the plane and painting the body, blackened and rusted from use, with a puddle of water below. Some of us go inside and peek out the window.



The team dresses quickly in metallic suits and ride the firetruck equipped with water-spraying turret controlled from the inside. There is also a radio operator standing by outside the truck, directing the firefighters. After the water is sprayed from the truck, the firefighters get out and go up close to the aircraft door to spray more water from the hose. They all act in unison very quickly, so my sketch is a whirl of lines.

The military also made special arrangements for the artist group and the media to take a ride in C-17 transport aircraft.

After I see professional photographers with special cameras and long telephoto lenses, I decide that whatever photos I take simply won't compare (and it didn't - it was just too hard to photograph Thunderbirds jetting overhead, or get entire wingspans of large planes with my loaner point-and-shoot camera.) I'm glad I sketched as much as I could and rely on others who took much better photos to remember the day.

The airplane is very large inside, with seats along the sides. It is like being inside a giant warehouse made of metal, complete with high ceiling and exposed ducts and wirework - except we're flying. There are five small portholes throughout the length of the plane to peek out at the sky.


We are required to wear earplugs because of the noise, and I can feel vibrations of the plane when I am sitting in the chair. When the pilots put the plane through its paces by banking hard with roller-coaster moves, the ride gets rough and I felt queasy, but unlike cramped commercial coach flights, there is plenty of room to walk around and explore when the plane is cruising.

This is a sketch done from back of the plane by the loading ramp where we all entered. This versatile aircraft can carry cars, tanks, smaller airplanes, troops and a variety of cargo - the black patterns on the floor are anti-slip grips, and "floorboards" can be flipped around to reveal rollers to be used for pallets. The inside of the plane can be converted for evacuation and medical operation as well.

 
Each of us are allowed take turns climbing up a steep set of stairs to the cockpit. We are flying over the sea near Catalina Island in a low-altitude flight. The two pilots are using VFR (visual flight rules) to fly by sight with no aid of a radar, dipping low enough where I can see the waves lapping against the shore. I am impressed by how calmly and competently they use the controls while a mechanical voice warns them about the altitude.

We are treated to sights of other planes, some normally not available for viewing. Here is a Predator drone, which is a lightweight RPA (remotely piloted aircraft). What is amazing is that the plane is flown in Afghanistan while being controlled in California and Nevada.

We also went to March Field Air Museum near the base. There are informative displays on aviation history inside the museum and a lot of classic planes parked outside on the field - I recommend visiting here if you like airplanes. It was also very neat to meet an older veteran who now restores airplanes. He allowed a few of us to climb inside a B-17 from 1950's. I enjoy looking at the colors, shapes and texture of older planes (lots of rivets!) and sleek shapes of newer airplanes that are mostly gray (because it is a color that camouflages the plane when it is in the sky). It was a great experience to be able to sketch the planes and observe the teamwork and effort of the crew behind the scenes.