McChord AFB Air Expo 2008

If you've read previous posts, you know I was waiting a long time for this show. Unfortunately, at the last minute many changes were made to the show, some major. For example, the MiG Fury Fighters team that flys a MiG-15 and MiG-17 against a FJ-4 Fury canceled a week before the event due to fuel costs. Later all of the other warbird jets backed out as well. For a show that was going to be mainly a jet warbird show, it ended up not having ANY jet warbirds. :( Bummer. But maybe in 2010 it'll work out.

Also, the event brought in record crowds! On Saturday the record was broken as 150,000 people attended the airshow. The next day 227,000 people showed up!

The linuep included the US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet demo, USAF F-15 Demo, USAF Thunderbirds, a B-2 Sprit flyby on Saturday, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Bud and Ross Granley, Tim Webber (I love your flying, but do you honestly have to sing about being high?), Air Force Reserve Jet Car, MiG-17 from Classic Aviation in Oregon, the C-17 single ship demo, Wings of Blue jump team, and the McChord Airfield assault with three C-17's.

Great show, everyone! There were no awkward pauses, except for the usual 45 minutes it takes the Thunderbirds to taxi out to the runway, twiddle their thumbs, then take off. But that's just how the Thunderbirds roll.

The next posts will feature photos from Fridays practice and arrival day, and the show on Saturday and Sunday, July 19th and 20th.

Arlington EAA Fly-In.

The Arlington Fly-In proved to be another great show for 2007. Arriving only for the Sunday show, I was greatly surprised as to the lack of attendance. There were very few aircraft as most pilots moved out earlier in the day. When it comes to photography, I couldn't ask for a better situation! No heads in the way at all!

The airshow lineup included local legends Bud and Ross Granley performing their formation routine, Julie Clark and her T-34, warbirds including the P-51 Mustang, P-47 Thunderbolt, and A-1 Skyraider. One act I saw for the first time this weekend was Red Eagle Air Sports. They are a two-ship formation aerobatic team who dazzles crowds in their Christine Eagles. The rest of the show included Kathy Hirtz, Eric Hansen, John Mrazek, Renny Price, Dr. Frank Donnelly, Ken Fowler, and Dan Buchanan.

I'm quite bummed that I am only able to watch Bud Granley fly twice this summer. Unfortunately both the Abbotsford International Airshow and Oregon International Airshow are booked on the same weekend. Due to costs and other factors I will be down in Oregon while Bud flys up in Canada.

As far as photography goes, conditions were absolutly perfect! The sky was partially sunny which provided a great background for pictures. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I really don't like having a plain blue background.

Sunday seemed to be an "off" day for me, though. Out of 1,300 pictures I only kept around 300. I intentionally used a slower shutter speed on most of the pics which meant fewer keepers. This is when I really wish I had a lens with IS!! The steady 15 kt wind didn't help matters either, as the large lens on the Sigma 50-500mm acts like a sail in the wind.

Overall I'm still satisfied with the outcome as it was good practice for the upcoming shows I will be attending when people will actually be paying for my services.

To see more great pictures from this show, please view my online gallery by clicking here.