I see there is some doubt about this...I'll try and clear it up.
(Selective image ratio between direct image and link to image to save on page download time.)
I initially came up with F-14s too...The shape, everything so far pointed to it, especially shamayel's comparison pics. However, I believe at that distance and the quality of the image, on such a dynamic shape, subtle items can alter what is seemingly a simple thing into another. For example, the B-1 in the photo threw me into computing it as flying in the other direction, pitching upwards. It took me a few seconds to think that it isn't possible, and to finally 'see' it's proper orientation.
Let me take you through what I came up with and why I landed on Eagles in particular:
Now, thanks to Watcher's comments
that the image concerned the 'Edwards Open House' parade, it pointed me in the right direction. I was initially touring www.air-and-space.com, a military aviation photography enthusiast website...I was searching for an answer to the small, strange lone fighter trailling the formation, which I originally thought must have been an old 1950s-era warplane such as a Sabre, but later found it out to be the Czech Albatross.
I point you to this page:
http://www.air-and-space.com/20031025 Edwards Airshow Page 2.htm
The 2003 Edwards Open House.
This is where I acquired my 'Wacky Races' list from...Unfortunately, unlike umair, I am not a walking talking aviation recognition guide, so my poor 56k has to help me out sometimes. :roll
Back to the Eagles. An image from the same page:
As you can see, it is an image of the same 'parade' but taken from a different angle, a different place and at a different time...I reckon from this angle the 'unknowns' (first on the left, fourth from the left) now do tend to look more Eagles than Tomcats. Certainly, this isn't courtroom stuff, but my personal opinion. You can make up your own minds.
Second image from the same page:
Note the threesome here can be seen identical to the middle threesome in the previous image (including spot in the middle, the fourth from the left unkown). Here can be seen...An Eagle. Now, I want you to keep in mind there is a good chance this photo is not one of the same parade (and zoomed in) but of another formation. Like I said, you may draw your own conclusions. However, I believe it could quite possibly be the same formation, and here's why I think that:
From another source, (http://www.cronce.org) we see the parade in the distance:
http://www.cronce.org/gallery/albums/edwards2003/DSC_3119.jpg
Here is the parade approaching. Notice how the fighters are splitting into two distinct groups (each one containing one of the unknowns):
http://www.cronce.org/gallery/albums/edwards2003/DSC_3121.jpg
A close-up of the first, lead formation of fighters, one of which is clearly an Eagle:
http://www.cronce.org/gallery/albums/edwards2003/DSC_3122.jpg
An even closer zoom (note: the last jet in the flight with the red bulbous wingtips is the Czech l-39 Alabatross)
http://www.cronce.org/gallery/albums/edwards2003/DSC_3124.jpg
A close-up of the second formation, an Eagle leading a Nighthawk and an F-16:
http://www.cronce.org/gallery/albums/edwards2003/DSC_3123.jpg
A zoom of the second formation, clearly an F-15:
http://www.cronce.org/gallery/albums/edwards2003/DSC_3129.jpg
Back to more Eagles. A bundle of various images from different sources:
An image of the whole parade (this time from http://www.airshowfan.com):
Another from http://www.lazygranch.com (click for a closer look):
Quite possibly, these photos could have been taken from different days on the same airshow, however, I would think it is virtually the same parade participating each time.
Another from http://www.socalairshows.com (For all of you plane lovers, I believe the vintage plane in the foreground to be a rare Curtiss Commando.)
Each picture beginning to look like Eagles, no?
Luckily, I also managed to find the original image from:
http://airshowpics.com/display.asp?al=01141&yr=2003
The author himself identifies the unknowns as F-15 variants.
Look, if you're still a bit sceptical, just check this image (too large to be displayed) from a small Edwards Open House 2003 gallery:
http://mitglied.lycos.de/tomF22/Formation.JPG
...And that's how I came to decide them being Eagles over Tomcats. It's hardly watertight case, and I probably have got a few things wrong, but...It's just my opinion. If some of you think they're Tomcats, that's fine.
:frosty
(Selective image ratio between direct image and link to image to save on page download time.)
I initially came up with F-14s too...The shape, everything so far pointed to it, especially shamayel's comparison pics. However, I believe at that distance and the quality of the image, on such a dynamic shape, subtle items can alter what is seemingly a simple thing into another. For example, the B-1 in the photo threw me into computing it as flying in the other direction, pitching upwards. It took me a few seconds to think that it isn't possible, and to finally 'see' it's proper orientation.
Let me take you through what I came up with and why I landed on Eagles in particular:
Now, thanks to Watcher's comments
that the image concerned the 'Edwards Open House' parade, it pointed me in the right direction. I was initially touring www.air-and-space.com, a military aviation photography enthusiast website...I was searching for an answer to the small, strange lone fighter trailling the formation, which I originally thought must have been an old 1950s-era warplane such as a Sabre, but later found it out to be the Czech Albatross. I point you to this page:
http://www.air-and-space.com/20031025 Edwards Airshow Page 2.htm
The 2003 Edwards Open House.
This is where I acquired my 'Wacky Races' list from...Unfortunately, unlike umair, I am not a walking talking aviation recognition guide, so my poor 56k has to help me out sometimes. :roll
Back to the Eagles. An image from the same page:
As you can see, it is an image of the same 'parade' but taken from a different angle, a different place and at a different time...I reckon from this angle the 'unknowns' (first on the left, fourth from the left) now do tend to look more Eagles than Tomcats. Certainly, this isn't courtroom stuff, but my personal opinion. You can make up your own minds.
Second image from the same page:
Note the threesome here can be seen identical to the middle threesome in the previous image (including spot in the middle, the fourth from the left unkown). Here can be seen...An Eagle. Now, I want you to keep in mind there is a good chance this photo is not one of the same parade (and zoomed in) but of another formation. Like I said, you may draw your own conclusions. However, I believe it could quite possibly be the same formation, and here's why I think that:
From another source, (http://www.cronce.org) we see the parade in the distance:
http://www.cronce.org/gallery/albums/edwards2003/DSC_3119.jpg
Here is the parade approaching. Notice how the fighters are splitting into two distinct groups (each one containing one of the unknowns):
http://www.cronce.org/gallery/albums/edwards2003/DSC_3121.jpg
A close-up of the first, lead formation of fighters, one of which is clearly an Eagle:
http://www.cronce.org/gallery/albums/edwards2003/DSC_3122.jpg
An even closer zoom (note: the last jet in the flight with the red bulbous wingtips is the Czech l-39 Alabatross)
http://www.cronce.org/gallery/albums/edwards2003/DSC_3124.jpg
A close-up of the second formation, an Eagle leading a Nighthawk and an F-16:
http://www.cronce.org/gallery/albums/edwards2003/DSC_3123.jpg
A zoom of the second formation, clearly an F-15:
http://www.cronce.org/gallery/albums/edwards2003/DSC_3129.jpg
Back to more Eagles. A bundle of various images from different sources:
An image of the whole parade (this time from http://www.airshowfan.com):
Another from http://www.lazygranch.com (click for a closer look):
Quite possibly, these photos could have been taken from different days on the same airshow, however, I would think it is virtually the same parade participating each time.
Another from http://www.socalairshows.com (For all of you plane lovers, I believe the vintage plane in the foreground to be a rare Curtiss Commando.)
Each picture beginning to look like Eagles, no?
Luckily, I also managed to find the original image from:
http://airshowpics.com/display.asp?al=01141&yr=2003
The author himself identifies the unknowns as F-15 variants.
Look, if you're still a bit sceptical, just check this image (too large to be displayed) from a small Edwards Open House 2003 gallery:
http://mitglied.lycos.de/tomF22/Formation.JPG
...And that's how I came to decide them being Eagles over Tomcats. It's hardly watertight case, and I probably have got a few things wrong, but...It's just my opinion. If some of you think they're Tomcats, that's fine.
:frosty