An U.S. Air Force pilot in a F-16C Fighting Falcon

An U.S. Air Force pilot in a F-16C Fighting Falcon from the 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., taxis on the flight line toward the runway at Eielson AFB, Alaska, before departing for a combat training mission June 12, 2012, during Red Flag-Alaska 12-2. Red Flag-Alaska is a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, joint/coalition, tactical air combat employment exercise which corresponds to the operational capability of participating units. The entire exercise takes place in the Joint Pacific Range Complex over Alaska as well as a portion of Western Canadian for a total airspace of more than 67,000 square miles.