Aviation
Zeros
Three vintage fighter planes circle back for another simulated strike during a reenactment of the attack on Pear Harbor. This was part of a spectacular air show at the 2013 EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Though I’ve had little opportunity, I could really get into aviation photography. I am not a pilot, but I love to fly and love all type of aircraft.
These planes are Japanese Zeros. Here’s some info gleaned from Wikipedia…
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long-range fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was usually referred to by the Allies as the “Zero”, from 1940, the year in which the aircraft entered service with the Imperial Navy. The official Allied reporting name was “Zeke”.
When it was introduced early in World War II, the Zero was considered the most capable carrier-based fighter in the world, combining excellent maneuverability and very long range. In early combat operations, the Zero gained a legendary reputation as a dogfighter, achieving the outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1, but by mid-1942 a combination of new tactics and the introduction of better equipment enabled the Allied pilots to engage the Zero on more equal terms.
To view a larger version of this image, click on it.
EAA Fireworks – 2013
It’s no secret, especially to those who follow this blog, I like fireworks. This is one of my favorite fireworks photos.
The fireworks are pretty cool, but my favorite part is the people. The people are my favorite part because of where they are. If you look closely, you’ll notice airplanes parked among the people.
This is a view from the fireworks display at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s 2013 AirVenture – held every year in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
To see the planes and people better click on the image to view a larger version.
Cloud Formation
Peacock Proud
It’s impossible to ignore a hot air balloon as it breaks the bonds of gravity and fills the sky with color. It was part of the balloon rally at Seymour, Wisconsin’s annual Hamburger Festival.
This balloon’s colorful pattern on a blue background reminded me of the NBC Peacock logo.
You can view a larger version of this photo by clicking on the image.
Pathway to Glory
These are all images taken at AirVenture in Oshkosh Wisconsin – the annual convention of the Experimental Aircraft Association. These are long exposure images snapped during the night airshow. The above photo was a 32-second exposure, the image to the right was 8, the image below was 35.
How were these graceful forms created? An airplane flew an acrobatic routine with some kind of sparkly fireworks shooting from the wings. To capture the action, I had my camera on a tripod and positioned on the area of sky where I guessed the plane would be flying. These were my best guesses and even these have moments where the plane went beyond the camera’s view…and came back.
The long exposure captures the brightest light from the aircraft’s flight pattern. In the dark, the aircraft, itself, wasn’t bright enough or in one spot long enough to be registered by the camera’s sensor.
If you look closely, you’ll see stars that show up as little white dashes. The whisps, particularly noticeable in the bottom photo, are the smoke left behind from the fireworks.
You can view a larger version of any of these photos in its own browser tab by clicking on them.
Oh Happy Day
Colorful Classic Fly By
One of the awesome aspects of the annual EAA AirVenture is the amazing variety of aircraft you can see – up close and flying by.
I love the variety of color and the precision formation of this fly by.
To be honest, I was tempted to clone more of these planes into photo to fill the frame…but decided to leave it as I photographed it.
To view a larger version of this image, click on the photo.
Winging It
Something you don’t see every day…unless you’re talking about the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
This is the high-flying duo of Gene Soucy (pilot) and Teresa Stokes (wing walker) that flew to the delight and amazement of airshow spectators on Saturday, August 3, 2013.
Though I live less than two hours drive from Oshkosh, I’d never been to an EAA AirVenture – an annual aviation convention/extravaganza. I decided this would be the year. Amazing doesn’t begin to describe the experience. I was blessed to be there on a perfect day, weather wise, and was able to snap a number of great photos. (Watch for future posts.)
If you’d like to know more about the daredevils in this photo, visit their website: http://www.genesoucy.com.
To view a larger version of this image (I highly recommend it), click on the photo.
Winged Warrior Memoirs
This photo speaks of a bygone era of air combat. The blue jet in the center of this image is a Grumman Tiger F11. This one sports the markings of the US Navy’s Blue Angels. It was flown by the Blue Angels in their 1968 season.
Alongside the Tiger, you’ll see a MiG-15 (black) and MiG-21 (silver) – all on display at the Combat Air Museum in Topeka, Kansas.
I won’t take a lot of space here to detail the distinguished history of these aircraft. Instead, let me direct you to the Combat Air Museum’s website where they have a great deal of information on these and other classic warbirds they proudly display…
http://www.combatairmuseum.org/index.html
(Select “Aircraft On Display” from the menu on the left.)
To see a larger version of either image, just click on it.