PT-22 captured by Z 8 / Z24-70f2.8
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.