Air Show
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.
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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.
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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 (pops@popsdigital.com) 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.
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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 (pops@popsdigital.com) 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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Flipping the Light Fantastic
Talk about a wild ride! This spectacular light painting was created by a pair of acrobatic airplanes flying huge loop-the-loops in the night sky while shooting fireworks off their wings. Though this long exposure image gives the impression of a colorful chaos, it is actually very graceful and beautiful to watch. This was part of the night airshow at the EAA’s AirVenture 2019.
Because this is a long exposure shot, the people on the ground have a ghostly/blurry quality to them caused by them moving during the 26-seconds the shutter was open. The airplane on the ground didn’t move, so it remains sharp.
The night, fireworks-enhanced air show has improved over the years. You can view some long exposure shots I took at AirVenture 2013 by visiting this earlier post – Pathway to Glory.
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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 for digital purchase and licensing options.
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.
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