Privateer
A Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer coming in for a flyover at the airport in Palm Springs for Memorial Day 2023.
Memorial Day Flyover
Many of you saw it on the news across the country. And many of you saw it in person. Sixteen World War II aircraft traversed Southern California over Memorial locations, hospitals and landmarks honoring Memorial Day and those people on the front-line of the pandemic.
I was honored to be on the crew with the Palm Springs Air Museum flying in the World War II C-47 “What’s Up Doc?”. Starting out the day we flew over the Coachella Valley with the C-47, the P-51 Mustang Red Tail “Bunny”, the P-63 Kingcobra “Pretty Polly”, a Vietnam War era T-28 Trojan, and a T-33 Shooting Star.
Along with the C-47 we broke off with the P-51 Mustang to join the other aircraft flyover twenty locations in the Inland Empire, out to Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona Del Mar, up the coast past the USS Iowa to National Cemetery in Westwood, east over USC Medical Center, finally landing at Chino Airport.
A huge Thank You to Threshold Aviation for hosting us and providing lunch and relaxation. Your hospitality was very appreciated by all.
Departing Chino, it was back to Palm Springs going up with the three other Air Museum aircraft for a flyover again of more locations in the Coachella Valley, out to the Patton Museum, back up through Twentynine Palms, over High Desert Medical Center, Yucca Valley, Desert Hot Springs and finally back to land at Palm Springs and back to the Air Museum.
Thank You to everyone for being so very supportive, those who cheered us on the ground, and to those to whom we owe so very much. Here are a few photographs of the journey.
Photographed on Fujifilm cameras, X-T3, X-H1, 50-140 and 16-55 f2.8 lenses. Thanks!
Memorial Day Fly-Over
Join the Palm Springs Air Museum to salute all those who serve and have served our country in a momentous air display throughout the Coachella Valley and Southern California.
On Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2020, starting at 10:45am, the Palm Springs Air Museum’s webcam will stream live the staging of pilots and vintage warbirds as they prepare for a Memorial Day ceremony with Pipe Band, burial flag presentations to pilots and take off of five vintage warbirds into the sky.
Uniformed members of Civil Air Patrol Squadron 11 will present one burial flag to each of the five pilots while the Palm Springs Pipe Band plays. The aircraft and honorees:
– P-63 Kingcobra: Cpl. Joseph LaSalle, WWI USMC
– P-51 Mustang: Lt. Col. Robert Friend, WWII USAAF (Tuskegee Airman)
– T-33 Shooting Star: Col. Robert Gilliland, USAF Korean War
– C-47 Skytrain: Maj Gen. Kenneth Miles, USAF Vietnam War
– T-28 Trojan: Col. Ross Miles, USAF Lost Current Service Members
The five aircraft will start-up and depart to fly over the Coachella Valley in honor of those who serve and served our country. The aircraft will then meet up with other warbirds over San Bernardino and fly over parts of Los Angeles and Orange Counties.
The Coachella Valley route goes from Palm Springs International Airport to Desert Hot Springs City Hall, SunLine Transit Center, Sun City / Shadow Hills, Indio City Hall, John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Coachella City Hall, Coachella Valley Water District, Cochran Regional Airport, La Quinta City Hall, Indian Wells City Hall, Palm Desert City Hall, Eisenhower Medical Center, Rancho Mirage City Hall, Cathedral City’s City Hall, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians’ Tribal Offices, Palm Springs City Hall, Desert Regional Hospital, Desert Memorial Park, and the General Patton Museum.
The aircraft will then join other aircraft from the Inland Empire Wing of the CAF, Flabob Aviation Associates, and the Condor Squadron Threshold Technologies, Inc, over San Bernardino.
All aircraft will then fly over the following locations in Southern California: Loma Linda VA Medical Center, Riverside National Cemetery, CHOC Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital (Orange), John Wayne Airport, Pacific View Memorial Park (Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Bob Friend’s grave), Newport Beach, Long Beach VA Hospital, The Queen Mary, USS Iowa, Green Hills Memorial Park, Torrance Airport, LAX, Santa Monica Airport, LA National Cemetery, UCLA Medical Center, USC Medical Center, City of Hope, and finally Chino Airport.
Please join us along the way for this historic flyover. Thank You!
Map of the additional Southern California route below.
Memorial Day 2019
Just some of what I did (shoot some video) on Memorial Day at the Palm Springs Air Museum…
Aircraft start up for the flyover and flower drop, Memorial Day 2019 at the Palm Springs Air Museum. A World War II Mitchell B-25 bomber, F4U Corsair, P-63 Kingcobra “Pretty Polly”, Red Tail P-51 Mustang “Bunny”, PB4Y-2 Privateer and T-33 jet “Shooting Star”.
3,000 Carnations In Flight
3,000 Carnations being dropped from a World War II B-25 bomber in honor of Memorial Day at the Palm Springs Air Museum. My photograph appearing for Palm Springs Life Magazine and other features.
Come on out for a repeat and much more flying this Memorial Day, Monday May 27th 2019. Thanks!
Memorial Day 2018
So very outstanding to share Memorial Day with so very many thousands of people at the Palm Springs Air Museum. The day was filled with great fun and also honored those who have gone before us. Thank You!
Privateer
Yes I photographed the world’s only PB4Y-2 Privateer. And will be inside it too, coming up. And you can too at the Palm Springs Air Museum with me.
Meet The Heroes
Not just the machines but the men too! On Memorial Day come meet Tuskegee Airmen Lt. Col. Bob Friend and Captain Rusty Burns. Two of the airmen of the iconic “Red Tails” of World War II. Watch our own P-51 Mustang “Bunny” take to the skies, the “Red Tail” dedicated to the Mustang that now 98 year old Col. Friend himself flew during the War.
Also with us will be B-17 Flying Fortress Gunner, US Army Air Force Tech Sgt. Mike Kovich. Now 102 years old, Mike was shot down in March of 1944 over Germany and was a POW until April 1945.
And meet 106 year old US Navy Radioman 2nd Class Marvin Cohn. Served in World War II from 1943-1945 aboard the USS Purdy. The Destroyer was attacked off the coast of Okinawa by Japanese aircraft suffering extensive damage and 73 casualties.
So please visit the Palm Springs Air Museum on Memorial Day. It is a day to meet the heroes of history. Thanks!
I am very proud to have photographed this Red Tail P-51 for this very special poster.
C-47 Memorial Day
Hey everyone! Come join me for Memorial Day weekend on the Palm Springs Air Museum C-47. Friday through Monday. Not only am I the photographer, but I am your stewardess too lol 
🙂
Flight Ops
A very busy day at the Palm Springs Air Museum on Memorial Day 2017. Lots of historic aircraft for flight demonstrations and the very important “Flower Drop” to honor the true meaning of Memorial Day. How much fun did I have! It’s good to be the Air Museum photographer!
Bunny!
Not a Hugh Hefner Bunny! Memorial Day weekend was spent by me as photographer for the Palm Springs Air Museum. What incredible fun it was watching these warbirds take to the air doing flight demonstrations. Even had a chance to fly myself as well!
As one aircraft after another flew by with a crowd of 3000 people at my back, everyone applauded. But the biggest applause by far was for “Bunny”! Without question, the biggest airplane fan favorite, the P-51 Mustang from World War II.
This P-51 dedicated to the famed Tuskegee Airmen “Red Tails” and specifically to Lt. Col. Bob Friend who flew over 140 combat missions in an identical Mustang.
So while a runway filled with Playboy Bunnies might be fun, they just can’t compare to this “Bunny”! Flown by the very exceptional Tom Nightingale who obviously did some of that really cool pilot stuff! Thanks!
I’m Flying!
Extra benefit of being the photographer for the Palm Springs Air Museum is flying! Yesterday in a World War II Mitchell B-25 bomber. The United States Marine Corps version PBJ, the only one still flying in the world. My duty station for the Memorial Day weekend, the Palm Springs Air Museum. Come on out!
Flyover Muscle Beach
If you were on stage at Muscle Beach or just nearby on Memorial Day, this is one of the memories you are carrying in your mind from 2015. One you will not forget soon! The only bodybuilding and fitness show to open with the United States Air Force flying a C-17 overhead at roof top level. You saw it, you heard it and you could feel the excitement. Only at the real Muscle Beach shows! That is where you find me with my cameras for over a decade.
Muscle Beach Photo Sign Ups
Muscle Beach/Venice, photographs and YOU! This Memorial Day weekend show, if you would like me to photograph you on stage and back stage, I am taking sign ups now. Please do not wait! Thank You and sign up here at this link… https://squareup.com/market/secondfocus
Muscle Beach Flyover
Only at the real Muscle Beach/Venice, the show opens with a United States Air Force flyover! Yes I will be there with my cameras. If you are going to want stage photographs of yourself, or maybe backstage photographs as well, please send me a note ASAP. Also if you are going to want magazine or feature coverage, please contact me immediately as well. E-mail to SecondFocus@mac.com Thanks!
The Best Fun At Muscle Beach…
The best fun at Muscle Beach/Venice for me… seeing friends old and new! All time greats and legends of bodybuilding Tony Pearson and Bill Grant cheering on Jeff Behar winning the day yesterday at the show.
And I have to Thank so many of you who made it a part of your day to come see me as well. You yelled and texted and had other people find me amid the crowds and so much going on. I am so very flattered by you! Thank You Thank You Thank You!!
Norman Rockwell’s “Rosie The Riveter”
Norman Rockwell’s “Rosie The Riveter” for the May 29, 1943 issue of the “Saturday Evening Post”. It depicted a more robust Rosie but still feminine with her lipstick and curls. But the message is clear with the American Flag background and her standing on a battered copy of Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”. The original painting sold at auction in 2002 for almost $5,000,000. It is now displayed at museums. A photograph of the poster today at the Palm Springs Air Museum.
The First Commanding Officer of the Women’s Army Corp
Oveta Culp Hobby, the first commanding officer of the Women’s Army Corp created and encompassing 350,000 women during World War II. She was also the first secretary of the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare. A photograph of a photograph today at the Palm Springs Air Museum.
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