Where was the US Airbase in “Iron Eagle”?
I just watched Iron Eagle and was surprised when they just flew a couple F-16’s to a fictional country based on Lybia. I thought they were in the US up to that point. The father who worked on the air force base would make patrols off the coast of that country, so it makes sense that the base was set up for that purpose.
Any idea where they were? (I don’t mean where is not-Lybia, I mean where is the air base where the kids lived and the planes left from?)
The “ferry range” of the plane is about 2600 miles. There are mountains near the base.
Best Answer
During the Cold War (and still today) the USAF had the use of many airbases in NATO countries. These bases are large facilities with thousands of residents, and in many cases the base (or the American portion of it) is economically separate from the “host country.” It’s possible for the children of the personnel posted there to go to school, eat out at a fast food restaurant, and go about other daily activities without really feeling like they’re in a foreign country. (For example, the base might have a McDonald’s restaurant that takes American dollars.)
So, Iron Eagle is set at an air base somewhere in a NATO country. For real-life precedent, the F-111s that bombed Tripoli in 1986 had flown from Britain. A better match to the Southern California filming location is probably Moron Air Base in southern Spain, or Hellenikon Air Base near Athens, Greece.
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Where is the base in Iron Eagle?
Filming took place at both California and Israeli locales. To simulate the above-ground facilities of a typical USAF base, a combination of hangars and barracks at Camarillo and the Planes of Fame Air Museum at Chino, California were employed.Where is the Aviano Air Base?
Aviano AB is a vital link in the NATO defense chain and the premier air base south of the Alps. In fact, Aviano is nestled at the foot of the Pre-Alps or the Dolomites, and is located approximately 50 miles north of Venice, Italy and 9 miles from Pordenone, the largest nearby town.Where is the United States Air Force base in Italy?
Aviano Air Force Base in Aviano, Italy The National Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has made it possible for the Aviano air force base to be established under the United States Air Force commission. The Aviano Air Base Italy is located near the large town of Perdenone approximately 50 miles North of Venice, Italy.Is Iron Eagle based on a true story?
Airmen and 80s movie buffs are likely to be familiar with the 1986 cult classic Iron Eagle.The US' Overseas Military Base Strategy
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Answer 2
According to Wikipedia:
"Making matters worse is the news that his father has been shot down and captured by the fictional Arab state of Bilya while patrolling over the Mediterranean Sea."
"The basis of the fictional story in the film relates to real life attacks by the United States against Libya over the Gulf of Sidra, in particular the 1981 Gulf of Sidra incident."
And the movie was filmed in Israel and California.
Answer 3
In the beginning Doug departs the base and passes a sign that says “Beecher Air Force Base” this is a fictional location. The Stateside scenes around the Air Force base were filmed at Camarillo Airport in Oxnard, California. In real-life, Camarillo Airport was itself a U.S. Air Force base, going by the name of Oxnard Air Force Base until its closure and handover to civilian authorities in 1970. As in this movie, Oxnard flew fighter aircraft, operating the supersonic McDonnell F-101 Voodoo and Convair F-106 Delta Dart until the base closed. Some of the buildings still existing on the property adjacent to the airfield were built and used by the Air Force.
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Images: Pixabay, Charles Parker, Charles Parker, Karolina Grabowska