The Aviation Geek returns

On today's Episode: I've loved aircraft since before I could say the word plane. By five i could tell the difference between an F-111 and an F-4 by SOUND. 

Since then I have never looked back. 

I'm one of those guys that you show a historical or current military aircraft photo to and I can tell you the manufacturer, type, model, wingspan, first flight, and a long list of trivia about it. 

Don't believe me? 

Next time you see me, try me, lol. 

Those who know me know for I'm probably understating the case, if anything. 

So I've always been a military aviation fanatic (I'm not so great on the GenAv side) and love going to museums and airshows. 

 Most of you know I had a pretty serious surgery back in Dec, and it kinda curtailed my being active for a while, in fact, after the surgery it took a long while to even be able to stand for any length of time without getting woozy or sick. 

However the test trip to Oregon went well, and, since airshow season is coming up (My first season with a digital camera), I decided to do a run out to Fantasy of Flight and make sure my timing and focus are still there. 

Yeah, I know I shot hundreds of photos in Oregon, but shooting static objects like the Tillamook and Evergreen collections is cake, any schloob with a $5 disposable can do it. (True, there CAN be artistry in the framing of the shots and angles. I've been told my shots give a vehicle a sense of life many don't. I'm ok with that ;) ) 

So I wanted to shoot on some aircraft in motion, preferably pretty fast motion. (Little known fact. Most cameras can't auto focus on an aircraft in flight. They don't work that fast. Another reason I always use manual. That and I feel auto focus is being lazy, and, in a way, cheating. Probably why i drive a stick shift vehicle, too, lol.) 

 To say I'm a regular at Fantasy of Flight would be like saying it snows at the Winter Olympics (except in Canada, apparently). 

It's one of the few places in Florida where I'm on a first name basis with the staff, and actually like them all. (I'm a picky person, we all know this, and not all that sociable, lol) 

That, and they always have an Aerial Demonstration of the day, means it is one of my favorite places to be. 

And today, I knew, they were going to have a symposium on the Tuskegee airmen and some of the surviving members, and an open cockpit day. 

Well, half of that didn't pan out after all. 

So I drove on over, and the first thing I noticed was that the TBM Avenger was sitting out on the maintenance side of the field. 

Bonus. 

So I would take the backlot tour and go over there to shoot her, one of the few birds at FOF I don't have a lot of good shots of. 

The second thing I noticed was that the parking lot was packed. Not quite Mustang Meet full, but full enough. 

 I popped into the gift shop, flashed my annual pass, got my ticket and armband (necessary to get in the Open Cockpit planes and free to annual passholders), and headed on in to start shooting. 

Every time I go to FOF, the birds are arranged differently, so I always get to shoot different aircraft in different lighting (closer to the hangar doors, ect), except obviously for the four suspended from the ceiling and the Shorts Sunderland, which rarely gets moved because of it's size. Only the North hangar was open when I got there, as they were working in the South hangar, re-setting from an event yesterday. 

So I shot the North hangar, since the Bucker Bestmann (anyone seen The Great Escape?) was at the front and in great light, and the new DH-4 had just arrived. 

After shooting in there for a few minutes, and waiting for the South hangar to open, I joined the backlot tour, only to discover there were about sixty people on it and, therefore, they weren't taking the trams across the way.

Well, Nuts. 

Since there were so many people, and, as Jill later said, I could probably give that tour, I wandered over to the Waldo Wright's Flying Service area and shot their fleet for a little bit, until Rob took up a customer in the Stearman. 

Rob and Jill, the owners of WW's, are my favorite people at FOF. 

Although, to be fair, I end up talking to Jill a lot more than I do Rob, since he's usually airborne flying customers. 

So, while I'm shooting the New Standard D-25, I see Jill come up out of the corner of my eye, and we got to talking for a few minutes, and I shot Rob going overhead in the Stearman.

If you look in the back cockpit on the shot below, Rob is looking right at me!

Somewhere in the conversation we were talking about the TBM and how I was sad the tram wasn't going over there today. 

Jill offered to run me over in their bobtail since she had nothing to do until Rob landed, so we headed over and I got some spectacular shots of the unpainted torpedo bomber.

We got back and the Restoration Tour was ready to start up. I love that tour, so I told Jill I'd pop back by before leaving and headed off. 

The Resto tour only had about fifteen people on it, with Dave and Scott running the tour. 

You know they know me too well when, in the middle of talking about the Seversky P-35, Dave points out that there are only 2 in the US, then asks me about the one in the AF Museum in Dayton, which he knows I had seen. 

I'm also not allowed to answer questions the guys pose on the tour, lol.

The work is coming along well on the Stinson L-1, and I can't wait to see her flying near the end of summer. 

That tour done, and I noticed that the P-51C and TP-40N were on the tarmac now, so I knew I'd get to shoot one of them in action. 

Those are two of my favorite fighters to see fly.

Turns out it was the P-51C, see? ;)

On the first pass I didn't get the focus just right, but on the rest I had him down, as you can judge for yourself ;)

Takeoff!!

Look at the dirt kickup on landing!

And a liiiitle bounce....

After the Tuskegee painted P-51C Mustang landed, there was supposed to be a meet and greet with the surviving Tuskegee Airmen, but that didn't happen. 

However, they DID pull the P-51D and Spitfire Mk.XVI out for the Open Cockpit days. 

Another Bonus. 

I'd never been in the Spitfire, so I shot all around her while they were setting up then hopped in. 

BTW, I'm WAY taller than the average 5'6"-5'8" pilot from WWII, and I whanged my head on the Supermarine Spitfire's canopy frame but good getting out. 

 

Once I had fiddled around with both fighters' controls and taken photos of both for a bit, I wandered back over to WW's, missed Rob again as he had taken a family up in the D-25, said a quick goodbye to Jill, who was swamped with customers, joked with Dave and Paul in the North hangar for a bit, then headed out to head home. 

All in all, it was a good day. 

Oh, yeah. 

Did I mention I don't like taking pictures?? 

I took a couple more than I put on here. see them HERE: Fantasy Of Flight Open Cockpit Day Photos.

BRING ON AIRSHOW SEASON!!!!