Aircraft
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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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.
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.
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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.