Apr 19, 2012 | Aviation
After an amazing day that started really earlier, I was invited to go flying with some friends. With the amazing Larry Kelly in the right seat calling the sets, I laid in the tail of his B-25 “Panchito” photographing a group of very talented pilots I am incredibly fortunate to call friends. With only 90min of sleep again last night, I only had time to put up this one photo of the four ship. You have here a P-51 Mustang, P-40 Warhawk, AM6 Zero and FG-1D Corsair. Not seen was the B-25 Mitchell. This is a whole other story I’ll have to share at a later date. But I can say…wow!!!
Apr 19, 2012 | Aviation
At 12:20 the 20, B-25s launched from a parked position as if on the Hornet. At 30sec intervals, they roared into the sky to the delight of the crowd of thousands. I was an amazing site and even more sound as one by one they taxied and took off to the south. Once they all were airborn they formed up and exactly at 13:00 they flew over the memorial in a formation of 16 and 4. Sixteen B-25s carrying 80 young men 70yrs earlier winged over the ocean to bomb Japan.
And these are the four Raiders that are still with us. All over 90 now, the smiles on their faces was stirring. Since Jake & I are here working for 67 magazines, we had media credentials so we could shoot the memorial ceremony from the media pit. It was Jake’s first time to “fight” for a photo. While I enjoyed watching him working to make it all work, he didn’t like it so much.
Apr 18, 2012 | Aviation
With only 90min sleep the night before, we were at Grimes Field at 05:30 to start work. When you have that little sleep and it’s that early, photography is work. At least, getting the brain to function to make images is work. Jake & I arrived with our plans for the morning which we had made based on the briefing the evening before only to find things had changed so we had to move fast. Jake made some amazing images from the end of the ramp while I was in the nose. After a bit of doing, after I was on the ground from the flight, we finally meet up and debriefed from the morning. He had obviously made the images of the morning. I had not.
In the mental rush to try to get caught up on what was perceived missed photographic opportunities is when a hard learned lesson came crashing back. This aviation thing, it’s not about the planes. It’s all about the people who after the years, have now become my friends. The top shot is the crew of “Maid in the Shade” who always have and continue to take such great care of us. Looking at this photo, it’s hard not to get wet eyes knowing I flew in that nose of this plane because of these gentlemen’s friendship. I can’t thank, Spike, Dave and the rest of the crew enough for their friendship and the experience of a lifetime.
And the bottom photo, you might recognize some of these faces since they are no stranger to the blog. My co-instructor for our Air2Air Workshops, Doug Rozendaal flew “Betty’s Dream” in for the reunion. In this group are my dear friends Robert & Casey Odegaard. These folks not only provide the friendship that makes these events so much fun, filled with so much laughter, but make opportunities open up you could never have dreamed of. Walking through the USAF Air Museum here with Bob & Warren was amazing!
And the hard learned lesson? It’s real simple, this event is about the people and not the aircraft! It’s the men who flew the Doolittle Raid that we are celebrating and in a small way, the crews who flew these B-25s into Dayton passion in reminding us about our history. That’ the story, that’s the photos. That’s the learned lesson that will drive the successful photography. It’s going to be a great day today and can’t wait to be standing amongst these amazing aircraft hearing the stories and photographing the heroes, the people!
Apr 18, 2012 | Aviation
On this day in 1942, 80 men launched from a carrier that wouldn’t see years’ end to make a bombing run on Japan. We’re in Dayton, OH with ten of thousands of others to remember that day, those men 70yrs later. There are 20 B-25 Mtichell bombers here to participate in the celebration, memorial today that flew over from Urbaba, OH yesterday. I was very fortunate that my old friends from the AZ Wing of the CAF invited me to fly with them in “Maid in the Shade.” Since I’ve never flown in a B-25, just that made it exciting to me. To fly over in the green house in the nose even more so. And since I’m shooting for a couple of magazines, being able to photograph the arrow formation from the nose was amazing.
Here’s the view I had flying yesterday. Taken with a 18AF, you can see the OH countryside down below. You might notice though, there are no other aircraft in the photo. Never saw a one until back on the ground. The flight was incredible, the experience, over the top, but no photos that I needed. So while I now have a very small idea what it was like flying in a bomber back in the day, I don’t have one image I wanted, not necessarily needed for my articles. I’m not totally freaked, yet, as I have another opportunity to get what I need but it is now putting a little pressure on my mind. That’s a good thing, story telling shouldn’t be easy.
Apr 17, 2012 | Aviation
My bud Larry is on the ramp warming up Panchito and I’m laying underneath it shooting with the 18AF! Yeah, laying underneath it and having a blast! He ran up the B-25 until you could feel the vibration through the ground in your chest, it was great! I shot the D4 all day on everything from 200-400VR2 to 18mm capturing 2989 stills & 32GB of vid. The camera AF for all those images and there was a fair amount of chimping as this was my first aviation shoot with the D4. There was 68% of my battery left after all of this. Not sure about other reports, but I’m not experiencing any battery issues with the D4. mtc….
Apr 17, 2012 | Aviation
It was a great day at Grimes Field, OH! While it started out with big rain, the warmth in the hangars meeting up with old friends, telling storing and planning for fun this week, it was perfect! We’re in Dayton, OH for our first Doolittle Reunion which is it’s 70th and what folks are saying is the last. The story to tell from this even is HUGE so how I’m coming to do it with only 4hrs each evening to get cards uploaded, images sorted and field is going to be a challenge. Lemme start with the amazing ability afforded us today to stand under the B-25s as they landed. Oh yeah, we got to stand right in front of them as they taxied down, and oh…so much more. I’m writing this 90min before I have to “get up” for a 05:30 meeting at the planes. So, that’s all I got for now….
