Here's a fun spotting video from this summer.  This video features an IL-2 Shturmovik, B-25D Mitchell, Boeing 777, 787, and 747 LCF!  A little bit of something for everyone, all in one afternoon! :-)

http://youtu.be/QfRtsmF83n4

100 Hour Inspection Complete

This last weekend was a nice tease of things to come for 2012.  Historic Flight Foundation finished the 100-hour inspection on their B-25D Mitchell "Grumpy" and took it out for its first flights on Friday and Saturday.  And sure enough, I was there to catch all the fun and excitement, with my camera in hand!

Summer 2010 Recap

For the 2010 airshow season I didn't see a whole lot of action, as I had class on almost every Saturday. I did, however, get to make it out to the McChord AFB Air Expo Friday through Sunday, which was SPECTACULAR! Each year the McChord show gets better and better! Last years show had a LOT of vintage jets, including the FJ-4B Fury, MiG-15, MiG-17, 2 F-86 Sabres, and an F-4 Phantom. It was amazing to see a vintage formation including the FJ-4 Fury, F-86, MiG-15, and MiG-17 all together for Sundays show. The airshow did not have the Thunderbirds, but instead had the Patriots. For my first time seeing their show, I was VERY impressed! And if having them in place of the Thunderbirds means a greater selection of performers, I welcome them yet again for the 2012 show!

A few times I was able to sneak out of class during lunch time and make it to the airport just in time to catch the warbirds taking off for the Flying Heritage Collection's free fly days. I was very thankful that class was only about 10 minutes from the airport.

Below are some of my favorite images from 2010:


Fj-4 Fury turning final at McChord


F/A-22 Raptor on final approach as the National Anthem is played over the loudspeakers at McChord AFB


Flying Heritage Collection's Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk and Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vc flyby in tight formation


Navy Legacy Flight featuring the FJ-4 Fury and F/A-18F Superhornet


You don't see this often! From top: FJ-4 Fury, F-86 Sabre, MiG-15, MiG-17


Two F-86 Sabres pass by in formation. The lead (green camo) aircraft is flown by Capt. (ret) Dale "Snort" Snodgrass


Air Force Heritage Flight featuring the F-16 Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-4 Phantom, and F-86 Sabre


Colling's Foundation B-17G Flying Fortress


Historic Flight Foundation's Grumman F7F-2 Tigercat


Historic Flight Foundation's Grumman F8F Bearcat


Historic Flight Foundation's B-25D Mitchell "Grumpy" gets a figher escort from their P-51B Mustang and Heritage Flight Museum's P-51D Mustang during Vintage Aircraft Weekend


One of my favorite days of last year was Flying Heritage Collection's Luftwaffe Day featuring their Fieseler Storch and Messerschmitt Bf-109E-3 Emil, shown here!

Summer of 2011 saw the addition of a Focke-Wulf 190A-5!

Enjoy and I will keep the pictures coming!!

Collings Foundation Bombers....

What a gorgeous site to behold! Paine Field was home to three of the most recognized American bombers of World War II, the B-17, B-24, and the B-25. They offered tours through all three aircraft as well as the usual half-hour flights around the area.

I've gone through the B-17 and B-24 in the past and was just amazed then as I am now to see just how cramped it is inside these airplanes. It's obvious they weren't designed with comfort in mind. I was initially wearing my camera bag backpack when I got inside the B-17 and quickly realized there simply wasn't enough room to maneuver through the cramped interior. To get from the front of the aircraft to the back you have to walk through a tiny walk-way that goes through the bomb-bay.

The sound these beautiful machines make is pure music. The ground shakes as their radial engines turn over and roar to life. It was such a treat being able to hear these airplanes for the last three days at work.

To view and order prints of the photos I took of these magnificant airplanes, please click here.