The Colonel’s 97th Birthday
Tuskegee Airmen Lt. Col. Bob Friend. Celebrating the Colonel’s 97th birthday at the Palm Springs Air Museum. The P-51 Mustang “Bunny” flown by pilot Tom Nightingale doing flybys, restored as a replica of the famed Tuskegee Airmen “Red-Tail” P-51’s.
Spa And Cactus
Desert Hot Springs, known for little spas and boutique hotels, some really nice, some not so much. A small town, founded in 1941, nearby the much larger resort city of Palm Springs. Built by tourism coming for the natural mineral hot springs and then by real estate speculation. Having seen good times and bad times, there is still a mix of the times gone in signs of the past, if you just take the time and go look. From a photography excursion just yesterday.
Remember Where You Parked
Monday I went on a photo excursion around Palm Springs for weather related photographs. This is usually a dry river bed in the Araby Cove neighborhood. The rains have made an actual rushing river out of it and cutting off one of only two roads in and out of the area. And you wonder why it is needed to actually post “Road Closed” signs and barriers. I guess someone did’t get the memo.
So Much To See
A three day trip planned around specific places that were on my must see list. The Amargosa Opera House at Death Valley Junction. The created home and stage of ballet dancer, Marta Becket. Now 92 years old and once upon a time, her only audience was that which she herself painted upon the walls. Today also a hotel and cafe, an experience I wanted to see first hand and will now never forget. I will go back yet again.
I Was Just Standing There
I was just standing there, taking this nice photograph of this little mountain when this airplane got right in my way! I have identified it as a C-17 Globemaster III departing March Air Reserve Base. Think I should complain?
Low Clouds
So many of you have been photographed in the pool in my backyard and seen nothing but bright hot sunny blue skies. Today is a very unusual day of rain and look how low the clouds are against the nearby mountains. I have friends over there who are probably completely fogged in. Very fun! Here in Palm Springs.
Shoes and Atomic Bombs
Shoe shopping in Rice California along Hwy 62. Rice was formerly named Blythe Junction. Now a ghost town, it was the home of Rice Army Airfield. It was the 2nd choice for the world’s first atomic bomb test in 1942. This is the somewhat famous Rice Shoe Tree. On a photo excursion and location scouting yesterday.
Wouldn’t you like to know who and why? I would.
That Way!
Sometimes these photo excursions and location scoutings are not much more planned than going ‘that way’. At Rice California with Arizona straight ahead.
Unseen
How often do you not see what you see? Driving along you look over and there is something over there in the distance. Driving up a road that seemingly does not take you to a destination. This is one of those. On a photo excursion and location scouting yesterday. What an amazing thing to see in the middle of nowhere.
The Metropolitan Water District Eagle Mountain Pumping Plant. Just look at that incredible building probably dating to around 1938. I do find it all fascinating.
“While water flows through much of Metropolitan’s service area powered by gravity, it takes five pumping plants along the Colorado River Aqueduct in the California Mojave Desert to ensure its final destination to Lake Mathews.
These pumping plants move water supplies from the Colorado River Aqueduct with a total lift of 1,614 feet. All pumping plants have nine pumps, and each of the nine units has a nominal rated capacity of at least 225 cubic feet per second. Each pump is driven by a vertical, three-phase, 60-cycle, 6,900-volt synchronous motor, which is totally enclosed and water-cooled. Each Intake motor develops 9,000 horsepower.” – MWD website
F-102 Restoration
The restoration crew at the Palm Springs Air Museum are nothing short of magicians. This F-102 “Delta Dagger” sat in a forest for 40 years. This entire rear section has been re-created from jigs and templates that were 3-D printed from a survey of an intact F-102. Standing next to it up close made me think two things… First, now it almost looks like it just rolled off the assembly line. Second, it is a much bigger aircraft than I had realized. Especially having seen it on a truck when it first arrived at the Museum some time back.
The Convair F-102 “Delta Dagger” was the Interceptor that served as the backbone of the United States Air Force. It entered service in 1956 and 1,000 were built, designed to intercept invading Soviet strategic bomber fleets during the Cold War. In various versions, it had a top speed of Mach 1.22 and a service ceiling of 56,000 ft. The F-102 served in Vietnam, flying fighter patrols and serving as bomber escorts, finally retiring from USAF service in 1976. There are no flying F-102s in existence today.
By the way, The first operational service of the F-102A was with the 327th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at George Air Force Base, near Victorville, right here in Southern California in April 1956. I am looking forward to seeing the completion of this F-102 and it making it’s permanent home not far from it’s beginnings. Very exciting!
Before Photo Courtesy of the Palm Springs Air Museum
Dos Palmas Preserve
The Dos Palmas 14,000 acre wildlife preserve and oasis near the Salton Sea. It has become one of my regular stops. It almost seems like these palms could come alive and be some kind of fairy tale creature wandering the landscape.
Salton Sea Not A Painting
Not “photoshop” either. From yesterday on another photo excursion and location scouting. The Salton Sea is ever fascinating.
Posing Movement Fun
Amber Flowers was so great in front of the camera that I had to share a little of how wonderful she moves. Especially in this grunge elegant wardrobe creation. So very fun! Click on the video below. Lighting was continuous light from a Broncolor Move 1200L and Para 133. Video shot on a Fuji X-T1 camera system.
Reserved Parking At Edwards AFB
Reserved parking for McDonnell Douglas YC-15 Advanced Medium STOL Transports with Short Take Off and Landing ability only. All others please use the parking lot around back. At Edwards Air Force Base on Friday. A most amazing tour of an incredibly exciting and historical facility.
The Tread Mark On My Hat
Pilot Tom Nightingale almost left a tire tread mark on my hat as he did a low flyover at the Palm Springs Air Museum yesterday. What a great airplane too, wow! A 1943 North American SNJ-4 Texan Navy trainer. Also designated the T-6 Texan it is an airplane often seen in movies portraying the Japanese Zero. Get yourself out to the Palm Springs Air Museum, one of the best in the entire USA!
On The Tarmac
There was a big event the other night at the Palm Springs Air Museum. So many of the planes that are usually in the hangars got moved outside. I thought it might be a good time to go by and shoot some photos of these great historic aircraft in the bright sunlight.
Lots Of Cars!
Some of the over 600 antique, classic, sports and special interest cars on Saturday. At the McCormick’s Palm Springs Collector Car Auction. Very Fun!
Tuskegee Airmen Heroes Of WWII
Off in the distance you see them, a P-40 Warhawk and a P-51 Mustang closing fast. No, not an old photo I found, but this last Saturday in the sky at the Palm Springs Air Museum.
P-40 Warhawk and P-51 Mustang
A celebration of the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II and the 96th birthday of Lt. Col. Bob Friend, the oldest living Tuskegee pilot, having flown 140 combat missions over Europe. This is the Colonel sharing his times with some of the many visitors to the Air Museum. Tom Nightingale, the pilot flying the P-40 and often flying partner with the Colonel says that he remembers names and times and places of almost every photo that people can bring up to him. And that the Colonel can go hours on end, over and over talking to people, doing photographs and signing autographs.
Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Bob Friend on his 96th birthday
The P-51 here is an airplane that has been restored in commemoration to the Colonel’s P-51, nicknamed “Bunny”, that he flew over Europe during the war. But this Saturday “Bunny” had another very special guest, Tuskegee Airman Rusty Burns! At 90 years old I can personally say this man got in and out of that airplane like a 25 year old. Even after a number of high speed passes down the runway, he was all smiles as he left the airplane off the front of the wing, not the closer to the ground back of the wing. Just like he said he always did!
Tuskegee Airman Rusty Burns getting ready to fly in the P-51 “Bunny”
Presidential Uber
President Obama in a motorcade of Chevrolet Suburbans about to drive past me in Palm Springs this morning. Funny thing is that here in Palm Springs the “Uber Black” choice of vehicles seems to be mostly the Chevrolet Suburban. Maybe he could have just gone Uber.
President Obama in a motorcade of Chevrolet Suburbans
Air Force One Is Here
President Obama arriving on board Air Force One this morning at 11:30 here in Palm Springs on a very warm, bright sunny, blue sky day! Very Fun!
President Obama arriving on board Air Force One in Palm Springs
Another T-34 For Now
So much fun and so many great photos yesterday at the Palm Springs Air Museum watching the T-34’s fly! So here is one more for now!
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