Bunny Looking Good
Shooting this morning for the Palm Springs Air Museum. A flight of ” Bunny” the P-51 Mustang dedicated to the “Red Tails” of the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. The actual “Bunny” was flown by Lt. Col. Robert J “Bob” Friend (February 29, 1920 – June 21, 2019).
Photographed with my FujiFilm X-T3 and XF100-400 lens. Pilot Tom Nightingale.
T-33 Beauty In Flight
There is beauty in flight. The Palm Springs Air Museum Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star. A truly wonderful video production by ParkAir Vision. Pilot Michael Pfleger, myself in the backseat. July 4, 2019.
Honoring Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Bob Friend (February 29, 1920 – June 21, 2019), our T-33 will appear at the upcoming Reno Air Races. Please join with us in honoring the Colonel and there are some fun perks for helping us out. We do need you! Thanks and click here… https://igg.me/at/PSAMReno2019
Shooting from the backseat of the T-33. I was using my Fujifilm X-H1 and 50-140 lens. Mounted on the left and right canopy rail, I had a GoPro Hero6 Black.
That Is Me
That is me. I get to do some really cool stuff. Here with the Palm Springs Air Museum to take off for a multi-aircraft video and photo shoot. My cameras of choice here; Fujifilm X-T3 with a Fujifilm 50-140 2.8 lens. It is on the strongest camera strap made and made for aviation, from Vulture Equipment Works. And a GoPro mounted inside on the left and right canopy rail. (Thanks to fellow photographer Ian Glover for the photo).
The Salute
Honoring a great man, Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Robert “Bob” J. Friend. And I am very honored as well to have stood next to him when I shot this photograph of him saluting during the National Anthem at the Reno Air Races 2017.
This graphic was displayed on the 18x10ft high definition screen over the Memorial Services for the Colonel at the Palm Springs Air Museum. The beautiful painting of the Red Tail P-51 Mustang by aviation artist Stan Stokes.
Some behind the scenes info… I was going to be right next to the Colonel while he was introduced to the huge crowd in the grandstands at the beginning of the race finals. I wanted to be inconspicuous so I had put my Fujifilm X-T1 camera on my shoulder with the Fujifilm 16-55 f2.8 lens. It also made for a smaller and lighter package than the other cameras I had brought along for the races.
The National Anthem started playing and the Colonel raised his hand in salute. Only a couple of feet away from him, I brought the camera up, looked through the viewfinder and fired maybe two or three frames and brought the camera down. I saw the photo through the viewfinder and knew I had shot, for me anyway, a photo of a lifetime. For the Memorial Service, his daughter Karen specifically asked for that photo to be displayed. Afterwards she said “This is how I want to remember him”.
Tuskegee Airman Harry Stewart
Opportunities to be present with such great people are always not to be missed. At the Palm Springs Air Museum yesterday to photograph and video Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Harry Stewart. By the way, he is 95 years old. Here is a very fun minute…
How do you solve one of the unforeseen problems of enduring a 6 1/2 hour mission in a fighter aircraft? You might never have thought of this! Explained by Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Harry Stewart.
Yesterday at the Palm Springs Air Museum for the West Coast World premier of the Colonel’s book “Soaring to Glory: A Tuskegee Airman’s Firsthand Account of WWII”, along with author Philip Handleman.
The Colonel flew forty-three combat missions as a Tuskegee Airman in World War II. For his flying prowess with the famed 332nd Fighter Group, known as the Red Tails, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
It was a standing room only event and his book was a sell out!
C-17 Flying Like A Fighter
They fly these huge cargo aircraft like a jet fighter! Boeing C-17 Globemaster III at the Hangar 24 AirFest this past weekend. I would love to fly in one of these! Shot on my Fujifilm X-H1 with the Fujifilm XF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6 lens.
Skyhawk
The Douglas Ta-4J Skyhawk at the Hangar 24 AirFest this past weekend. The A-4 Skyhawk was built from 1954 – 1979. I somewhat recall as a kid I had a Revell plastic model of this aircraft. Now I get to hang around the real ones. Shot on my Fujifilm X-H1 with the Fujifilm XF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6 lens.
