Flying is so weather dependant! I’ve lost count of how many commercial flights out of major airports have been delayed or canceled because of wx. When you add to the weather equation small planes and smaller airports, and on top of that formation flying, you’ve stacked the odds up against ever getting off the ground. Yet, we do it almost the majority of the time. This means that you have to be a pro and find the silver lining those times you don’t fly.

Being a weak person, forgive me for turning to some older images to drive home the points of a silver lining. But this C-45 that was the subject for the day’s A2A photo mission that ended up never flying for my camera. That is always the possibility. Knowing that doesn’t stop me from doing my thing and photographing the subject, to tell its story as if everything is a go. In this case, I used the drama of the massive afternoon storm as the backdrop in a simple metaphor for the dark skies of war. I might have to sit down, have some coffee as I regroup mentally to the moment, but that’s OK. I have found that with a little time, we all will learn that clouds have a silver lining!

The back of the truck was packed with all the gear for the weekend shooting. The drive over was glorious, blue sky dotted with puffies. I was psyched even with the forecast for the weekend. The phone rang and my mind said, “Scrub.” Rather, the call was to confirm the A2A flights and nail down some logistics. The skies opened up the next day, there was no flying and the quick-moving storm now placed doubt on the following day’s flying. With the snow / hail pounding the hangar’s roof, going out simply sounded like no fun.

“Wanna see my new project?” A smoker was being installed on one of the aircraft I was to do an A2A with the next day. A new Stearman to the owner, I clicked away as he worked away since it was “new” to him and me. But there are only so many shots of someone wrenching. So when I was asked, I piled into the car to check it out. I’d not been in Rod’s hangar before so when I stepped in a saw the PT-17 & Cub, it was a great surprise. And there tucked in the back corner was the new project. I never go into a new hangar with my camera. I always see what’s up first. For example, it might not be something I want to get involved with (which has happened) so with no camera, no commitment. If it is something I want to photograph, I ask permission and then go out and get the camera. This has gained me more access than you can imagine with quite often a “Thank you” being said after my asking. As it turns out, when I go back in a couple of weeks for the two scrubbed A2A missions, I now will have three aircraft. When you just show up, you can find opportunities when flight turns to hangar time.

The challenge and job, tell the story of this very cool AT-6 Texan in a series of photographs. Seems like a pretty clean-cut proposition, that’s until ya find out that the paint scheme is only temporary. That’s to say, the AT-6 is in the process of being brought back to historic accuracy, and this paint scheme is far from that. That might ask the question, why do the shoot now, why not wait? Often, aviation stories are told from the end, not the beginning nor the middle. The owner and I want to tell the story of the promise of a project this time, not the reward. I love the challenge, and it leaves me with a big question for the A2A coming up. It’s really a simple question, and then, not so much. Simply put, what stage to set for the star?

It’s really darn simple, too simple yet it drives me nuts. The space between the upper and lower wing and the horizontal stabilizer isn’t even! I gotta watch that in a couple of weeks, my next time. I can improve on that arse!

Light, it tells so much of the story and sets the mood in the story, I find myself constantly on its heels. Many aircraft from the Golden Era like this Curtis Speedwing don’t have landing lights for night landing. This means they need to be on the ground before dark. When you want that last golden light of the day, this clock can be a real crank putting pressure on getting the shots. When in this situation, the brief on the ground makes all the difference. Determining where you want to orbit for the shot needs to be direct and relatively close to the field. The choreography of the flight was well understood and execution was done to the best of all’s ability. We’ve done it many times, helps working with the best pilots around because they all understand that one thing about me. I seem to be always chasing the setting sun.

There are some weeks despite my best efforts my aviation photography is best summed up by this photo. Broken down and pushed to the back of the hangar forgotten. Mechanical issues, weather issues, personal issues, pilot issues, there are so many working parts in aviation photography it is common one of those parts don’t move. When that happens, the camera doesn’t come out and the flight doesn’t happen. I wish every plan had worked but last the last few weeks, I never left the house. It’s how it goes, then there are those weeks.