Midweek Sortie 04: Why Nellis Air Base is the Major Focal Point for Advanced Combat Aviation Training

Nellis Air Base is where top-tier aviators sharpen their claws for the toughest fights overhead. Think of it as the finishing school for those who plan to own the sky.

“And that you get from Nellis. No other range is like it. No other range can bring airmen up to the level of proficiency that is possible to practice here.”

—Secretary of Defense Ash Carter

This week’s members-only post feels a bit like stepping into the hush of a hangar after hours—where the doors are closed, the lights are low, and the conversations can finally go deeper. These Midweek Sortie pieces give me room to explore corners of aviation I don’t normally dive into during the regular newsletter, the places where doctrine, history, and the art of flying all collide.

And few topics earn that treatment better than Nellis Air Force Base. It’s a place that has shaped generations of aviators, tactics, and technology—far beyond what most people ever see. Today, we’re heading into that story, past the desert heat and afterburner thunder, to understand why Nellis stands at the very center of America’s advanced combat aviation training.

Final preparations before another flight - the calm before the storm (USAF)