Aviation
Daring To Be Different
Two United States Air Force Thunderbirds F-16C Fighting Falcons jets perform a synchronized aerial maneuver against a backdrop of soft clouds. One of the fliers is upside down, showcasing the Thunderbirds precision and skill.
This image is not up to the quality standards I like to work within. The day of the airshow was mostly overcast with a bit of fog – essentially, low light conditions. Having to keep the shutter speed high (to avoid motion blur) resulted in more digital noise in the image than I would share. In removing the digital noise, it gave the image a bit of an unrealistically smooth character. Not my favorite style but I like the image enough to share. This is not an AI generated image, but I could understand how one might think it could be.
You can get a better view of the image, and the “smooth” character I mentioned, by clicking on the image.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Japan 7 – US Army 1
Eight vintage airplanes fly in formation against a clear blue sky. White smoke trails add a dynamic element to the scene.
You’ll notice seven of the aircraft are painted with the symbols of WWII era Japanese aircraft. The last one (farthest right) shows the markings of a U.S. Army plane. Not sure why it made it into this group. This was part of a WWII warbird display at last year’s Sound of Speed airshow held at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, Missouri.
To see the markings better, you can click on the photo and a larger, more detailed version of this image will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Gear Up
This is the “H2” variant of the Lockheed C-130H Hercules tactical airlift aircraft rising above the runway at Rosecrans Memorial Airport during the Speed of Sound Airshow in September of 2024. This is one of many aircraft of the 139th Airlift Wing (139 AW) of the Missouri Air National Guard at Rosecrans.
There is a phenomenon displayed in this image that I don’t believe I’ve photographed before. Notice the white spiral lines behind the propellers. They are tip vortices formed by the propeller. I found this description of what causes these lines on the web: “The pressure in the core of a vortex (such as that shed at the tip of an operating propeller, rotor, wing or extended flap) is reduced well below ambient pressure. The temperature is also lower than ambient because of the lowered pressure. If the temperature is lowered to the dew point, the water vapor will condense and become visible revealing the vortex core.”
I have seen the tip vortices trailing a jet’s wing tips, but I don’t recall seeing them from the propeller blade tips. I’ve learned it’s a fairly common occurrence. I didn’t notice them the day I was taking this photo, so I was surprised to see it when I viewed the photo on my computer screen.
By the way, I should have been using a slower shutter speed when capturing this image. A slower shutter speed would have given the propellers a bit of a blur, indicating movement. When the movement is frozen, as in this image, it seems odd to our brains and belies the incredible speed in which they rotate. I needed the faster shutter speed to better capture jets at this airshow, but should have had the presence of mind so reduce the shutter speed when shooting aircraft with propellers. (I guess I’ll have to keep my amateur status.)
You can get a better view of this image and the and the vortices by clicking on the photo to view a larger, more detailed version.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Doc’s Nose
This is a close-up of Doc’s nose. Doc is the name painted on the side of this historic aircraft; a vintage Boeing B-29 Superfortress. If you look closely, you can just barely see a painting of Doc, the character the plane is named for from Disney’s animated movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
This is an HDR image (three bracketed shots) that helped bring out the darker, interior of the aircraft. I find the intricate glass on the nose and metal frame a very cool design. I also like the way you can see reflections of people and surroundings in the polished stainless steel body of the aircraft. The polished metal surface and unique design elements highlight the historical significance of the airplane.
You can read about the history of this plane and the story of its restoration here: The B-29 Doc Story.
You can see a larger, more detailed version of this image by clicking on the photo.
Joined at the Hip
Four Thunderbirds F-16 fighter jets fly in a tight formation against a backdrop of blue sky and white clouds. The Thunderbirds, a flight demonstration unit of the United States Air Force, were performing at the Sound of Speed Airshow at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Click on the photo to view a larger, more detailed version of this image.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Close Formation
In the air or on the ground, the United States Air Force Thunderbirds are impressive. Not only do they fly with precision, they park with precision too. (I’ll post a photo of them flying sometime soon.)
In this image the Thunderbird’s F-16 fighters are parked on the tarmac at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, MO where later in the day they will be the featured performers at the Sound of Speed Airshow.
You can see a larger, wider version of this image by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Lethal Apparition – B-2 Spirit
The Northrup B-2 Spirit was flying low at the Sound of Speed Airshow. This American heavy, strategic aircraft is known as the Stealth Bomber. It features low-observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses.
It is incredible to witness one fly by. Very quiet on approach and it just seems crazy that this odd shaped thing can be airborne, much less attain a top speed of 628mph.
You can get a more detailed look at this winged wonder by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Air Show Wall of Fire
The “wall of fire” provided a dramatic backdrop to the Thunderbird’s F-16C Fighting Falcons at the Sound of Speed Airshow at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, MO.
Tora, Tora, Tora – a reenactment of the bombing of Pearl Harbor – uses pyrotechnics to simulate the dropping of bombs from vintage warbirds and the wall of fire is their finale.
The Unite States Air Force air demonstration squadron Thunderbird jets are parked on the tarmac awaiting their part in the airshow. Notice the Thunderbird’s crew member who is kneeling to take a photo of this cool (or should I say, HOT!) moment.
Get a better look at the details by clicking on the photo. When you do a new browser tab will open with a full-screen version.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Belly of the Beast
This is an F-35 fighter jet on a slow fly by at the EAA’s AirVenture air show. For this particular pass, the internal weapon bays are open for the eager onlookers.
According to Wikipedia, the F-35 is a single-seat, single-engine, stealth multirole combat aircraft designed for air superiority and strike missions; it also has electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
The annual AirVenture aviation extravaganza is a favorite photo opportunity of mine. This photo is from the 2023 event. I took a lot of photos and, for some reason, I just didn’t come away with many that I liked. Even this one is not as sharp as I would like. I guess some days are like that.
You can view a much lager version of this image by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Directionally Challenged
This aerobatic pilot performed an amazing series of loops during one of the air shows at EAA’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Some images just make me smile. This is one. There is not much to it, but it conveys an interesting idea in a minimalist way.
You can view a larger, more detailed version of this image by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.