High Speed Bearcat
A Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat coming down the runway at the Palm Springs Air Museum at somewhere around 275-300 mph. The last Bearcat was delivered in 1949 and is a 2100hp 425 mph beast of an airplane. An interesting fact is the outer 3 ft of wing was designed to break off under high stress saving the aircraft from catastrophic failure. You have to go visit the Palm Springs Air Museum! So very interesting and so very fun!
Photographed with FujiFilm X-Series cameras and lenses.
Strap In!
It’s going to be a bumpy ride. Your pilot Sharon Lim at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Your aircraft, a Boeing PT-17 A75N1 Stearman. U.S. Navy 555. Photo shoot with Makeup and Hair Styling by Natalie Lyle.
Operation Santa Claus
Yesterday Santa arrived at the Palm Springs Air Museum and even brought Mrs. Claus along to meet all the kids. Actually “Operation Santa Claus” started during the Berlin Airlift in 1948. The Soviet Union had blocked access to Western Sectors of Berlin cutting off food and supplies to the population. The Western Allies began an airlift of supplies with over 200,000 flights in just one year alone.
Then on December 20, 1948 “Operation Santa Claus” flew Christmas gifts to 10,000 Berlin children. The C-47 aircraft like this one was one of the primary aircraft used to bring supplies to the people of Berlin. The Palm Springs Air Museum is very proud to continue this tradition of bringing Santa Claus to the kids, traveling on an original C-47 aircraft.
Santa waving to the crowd arriving at the Palm Springs Air Museum
Santa arriving at the Palm Springs Air Museum
Santa and Mrs. Claus arriving at the Palm Springs Air Museum
That moment when you have to decide what Santa should bring you.
It really is snow at the Palm Springs Air Museum.
Santa In His C-47
Around here Santa really knows how to travel! On his way to the Palm Springs Air Museum. Santa is there today and tomorrow if you want to take your kids there as an excuse to check out the great planes. The kids get goody bags and can play in the snow! You can get a burger in the cafe too!
Pearl Harbor Commemorative Fly By
Attack on Pearl Harbor Commemorative Fly By of a Japanese Zero Fighter and VAL Dive Bomber at the Palm Springs Air Museum 2015. Zero Pilot Robert “Lips” Hertberg and VAL Pilot Tom Nightingale.
Video photographed on FujiFilm X-Series Cameras and Lenses
One of only three World War II Japanese Zero’s still flying in the entire world. This Zero, owned and operated by the Commemorative Air Force, was delivered to the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Group #3. It originally had an air cooled rotary engine producing 1,130 hp and a top speed of 388 mph at almost 20,000 feet. In the flight demonstration you could easily see it’s nimble and powerful maneuverability.
The Aichi D3A Dive Bomber, nicknamed “Val”, was the aircraft carrier borne airplane that flew in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor to the end of World War II. It was responsible for sinking more Allied warships than any other aircraft. This replica flying out of the Palm Springs Air Museum was flown in both the movies “Tora! Tora! Tora!” and “Pearl Harbor”.
The Dive Bomber Of Pearl Harbor
Yesterday at the Pearl Harbor Commemoration at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Flown by Pilot Tom Nightingale. This Japanese VAL Dive Bomber remains on display for December at the Museum, so I urge you to get over there and take a look. It is truly something to see.
The Aichi D3A Dive Bomber, nicknamed “Val”, was the aircraft carrier borne airplane that flew in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor to the end of World War II. It was responsible for sinking more Allied warships than any other aircraft. This replica flying out of the Palm Springs Air Museum was flown in both the movies “Tora! Tora! Tora!” and “Pearl Harbor”.
Photographed with FujiFilm X series camera and lens
A Date Which Will Live In Infamy
Yesterday, in commemoration of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Palm Springs Air Museum flew the two aircraft of the attack. The Japanese VAL Dive Bomber and Zero Fighter. As well, a definitive historical presentation of the attack by historian Michael Carra. The Palm Springs Air Museum is the place for “Living History”.
Photographed with FujiFilm X series camera and lens
President Franklin D. Roosevelt: Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our secretary of state a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.
Yesterday the Japanese government also launched as attack against Malaya.
Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.
Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
Last night Japanese forces attacked Wake Island.
And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.
Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.
As commander in chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. . .
Source: Courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, New York.
Zero Fighter & VAL Dive Bomber!
Sunday at the Palm Springs Air Museum, it will be a commemoration of the events of December 7th 1941 with the flying of a Japanese Zero fighter and the VAL dive bomber. The flyover will be at 10:49AM. Between 1 – 2PM the presentation “Pearl Harbor – Attack on Battleship Row: the event that changed Naval and World history.” followed by another aircraft fly over. There are only 3 still flying Zero’s in the world and the VAL is almost nonexistent. So be there! Here is a video of the Zero and the VAL from last year…
Much Goings On
Always so much going on inside and outside the Palm Springs Air Museum. My favorite place to bring my cameras. Check it out!
Photographed with a FujiFilm XT-1 camera and the FujiFilm 50-140 lens. What a great lightweight versatile camera system!
Some Navy Training
Not only yesterday but pretty much everyday you can go take a ride in this PT-17 Stearman Navy trainer at the Palm Springs Air Museum. There were over 10,000 built in the 1930’s and 1940’s. If you learned how to fly in the military this was your classroom.
Photographed with a FujiFilm XT-1 camera and the FujiFilm 50-140 lens. What a great lightweight versatile camera system!
Fun In The Skies!
Yesterday at the Palm Springs Air Museum as their C-47 “What’s Up Doc” does a fly by. Always fun there, you could watch from the ground or even have grabbed a ride headed down to the Salton Sea and back. Bring your camera too and check out the goings on, pretty much everyday, on their website at http://palmspringsairmuseum.org
Photographed with a FujiFilm XT-1 camera and the FujiFilm 50-140 lens. What a great lightweight versatile camera system!
A Flight Of Beer On A DC-3
Yesterday you could have gone back in a time machine and flown luxury class on The Flabob Express DC-3 while tasting craft beers at the Props & Hops Craft Beer Festival at the Palm Springs Air Museum. The plane was originally designated as a C-47B and built in 1945. Very Fun!
Photographed on Hasselblad. Only the best!
Chili, Cars, Planes and Halloween
What a great combination! A Chili Cook Off, Car Show and all at the Palm Springs Air Museum on Halloween! You could even go take a ride in Bunny, a fully restored C-47! Too Fun!
My Ride Is Here!
Overhead this morning, the C-47 Skytrain “Bunny” out of the Palm Springs Air Museum. It’s nose art is “What’s Up Doc”. In service for 58 years and here painted with 1944 D-Day Invasion stripes. Also known as “Gooney Bird” it can land almost anywhere even with no landing strip. As the DC-3 it was one of the earliest commercial passenger planes.
Parade Of Planes
The Flying Aviation Expo comes to a close for this year. The airplanes on display at the Palm Springs Convention Center taxi back to the airport and planes from the Palm Springs Air Museum head on home. So very fun to see them under power cruising down the street!
Just Needs A Quart Of Oil
Just top it off with a quart of oil and good to go! Ok maybe not. Just brought in to the Palm Springs Air Museum yesterday morning. This is a Grumman F9F Panther. The Panther was the U.S. Navy’s first successful carrier based jet aircraft. It was also the aircraft of the Blue Angels from 1949 – 1954. There were 1,382 built and today it is a very rare aircraft. It will go through extensive renovation at the Air Museum and before too will be on display looking like the day it came off the assembly line.
I did some online searching and found what may be a photo (below) of this actual aircraft on board a carrier during the Korean War. It is in the VF-821 Fighter Squadron and may have been on the USS Princeton and the USS Essex. It certainly looks like it was damaged. The photograph below that is an intact Panther on the USS Midway in 1952. I find that photo pretty exciting because I was a photographer onboard the Midway when she was decommissioned and brought into San Diego Harbor where she is today as a Museum.
Behind The Scenes At The Palm Springs Air Museum
So much goes on behind the scenes at the Palm Springs Air Museum. That incredible collection of aircraft goes from restoration to continuous maintenance. It sure is not like just buying a used car and polishing it up. These planes often go from barely recognizable to Museum quality gems. Here are a few photographs I just shot yesterday and I look forward to bringing you more from this incredible display of living history. Please keep coming back to see them. And go visit there, you will love it! Thanks!
Each Of Us Can Work To Change A Small Portion Of Events…
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped.” – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – 1966
Please join with me and an amazing resource of living history, the Palm Springs Air Museum, in building this working memorial to the many who have served during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The support we provide now will honor those who have given so much and will influence so many who will one day walk through those doors. Thank You! And please click here… https://www.gofundme.com/fb5e43ac
Flying Time!
Coming up on the time of year when the Palm Springs Air Museum starts running all kinds of great programs, events and flight demonstrations. Truly my favorite place! I can’t hang out there enough. Like so many of you I was the kid who built model airplanes of World War I and World War II fighters and bombers and then jets of all kinds. Imagined what it would be like to be behind the stick of these machines speeding above the Earth, close to the ground or catapulting off the deck of a carrier. Later myself taking to the air in a Cessna and occasional other small plane. And very excited to see my buddies like Hunter Johnson take to the air too, this time in the bombardier position of FiFi, a still flying B-29. Too Fun!
Tuskegee Airmen Flies His P-51 Mustang Again!
Lt. Col. Bob Friend, 95 years old, flying in the P-51D Mustang made famous when he flew as a Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. “Bunny” has been fully restored and now flying at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Back on the ground, the Colonel was greeted by Air Museum Director Fred Bell, the man who made the restoration of this great aircraft possible over the last three years. The P-51 pilot for the Colonel and Bunny was Tom Nightingale.
Air Museum With The Hasselblad
Some random photographs today with a Hasselblad medium format digital camera. One of the things I like about the Hasselblad is the accurate color reproduction. It is called “The Hasselblad Natural Color Solution (HNCS)”. This is a real important issue with me especially when it comes to skin tones. Just take a more studied look at all the photographs you see of people, especially on Facebook, and you will see how so many photographers let skin tones go orange in color. Even with the tanning products that are used in bodybuilding and fitness, people should not look orange in photographs, they should look tan. Skin tones and colors in general are more accurate in medium format digital and known to be very accurate in Hasselblad.
Using the Hasselblad at the Palm Springs Air Museum
A Palm Springs Photo Festival To-Do
To all my photographer friends; are you coming out here for the Palm Springs Photo Festival starting Sunday? If you are and happen to be coming in on Saturday, here is a very fun photo op for you. The Palm Springs Air Museum will be doing a flight demonstration with their Navy T-28. This is a really astounding aircraft that actually will outperform many of the more famous fighters from World War II. You can expect it to be flying just after 2 PM but there is much more out at the Air Museum for you to keep your camera busy. If you are not coming in on Saturday, you have all week to check out a great collection of vintage aircraft and so much more to see. The Palm Springs Air Museum is very close by to all the Photo Festival venues. Here is one of my photographs of the T-28 and a short video. See you there!
F-86 And MiG-15 Dogfight!
Last night at the Palm Springs Air Museum, the dedication and unveiling of the newly restored F-86 Sabre Jet by Museum Director Fred Bell. The F-86 was introduced during the Korean War and was met head on by the Soviet MiG-15. This MiG-15 will be flying today at the Air Museum following a one hour program at 1:00 PM. Be there! I will and with my camera!
The story of the battle between these two aircraft makes up the very first episode of the extraordinary historical series “Dogfights”. The series first aired on the History Channel and was co-created by my friend on Facebook and Emmy Winner Brooks Wachtel. Here is that episode “MiG Alley”…
Skidoo To You!
If you had been with me at the Palm Springs Air Museum yesterday this is what you would have seen. One of the very few, of maybe six or seven, still flying World War II P-38 aircraft in the entire world. I don’t think I have ever seen one before in person for real. How very exciting! And even more exciting that I got to photograph it as it flew by! Just WOW!
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