Lt. “Animal” Newman
No this is not one of those photos where Lt. “Animal” Newman got caught going through a red light. That is the name right under the canopy. A McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk trainer used by the United States Navy and you can see that it is an aircraft carrier capable jet because of the tail hook. It will do 645 MPH, well into the wow category! Another day of more fun at the Palm Springs Air Museum yesterday. By the way, I bet you were thinking that Lt. “Animal” Newman is a guy. Might be, might not be.
Take To The Air
I always love seeing this plane take to the air. You can too today at the Palm Springs Air Museum throughout the day. AND NOT TO BE MISSED! The guys who flew the missions in the F-100 Super Sabre, the supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971. Pilots Al Dempsey and Bob Lilac at 1:00 PM today. Yes I will be there!
Harrier Jump Jet
Sunday and Monday around Palm Springs you could hear a distinctly different jet aircraft sound. United States Marines Harrier “Jump Jets” were in and out a number of times. On Sunday, from a few miles away, I could see a couple of them in the pattern using the more vertical abilities they have as they used minimal amounts of runway length. Monday morning they left in the more traditional take off mode. It can be very exciting to hang around the Palm Springs Air Museum, always something going on!
Taking Off In Bunny
Taking off in the P-51 Mustang “Bunny” from the Palm Springs Air Museum. On the way to do flyovers in honor of Tuskegee Airmen Lt. Col. Bob Friend, special guest in the President’s Day Parade at the Riverside County Fair in Indio California. Pilot Tom Nightingale. Always something going on at the Palm Springs Air Museum! More photos and video coming this way shortly!
Big Print
A big print rolling off my Canon Pro-2000 printer. From one of my photographs of a T-28 Trojan airplane at the Palm Springs Air Museum.
Hasselblad At High Speed
I was asked if the Hasselblad camera, my H4D-40 would keep up shooting flying at the Palm Springs Air Museum. The answer is yes as you can see in these photographs. I will say that my experience has shown me that any camera system is challenged when you are shooting objects coming at you, flying by close and leaving in the 300 mph range. I have shot with most and still the leader has been my Canon cameras. However for pure image quality, especially when shooting more general photographs, the Hasselblad is just amazing. I am now looking forward to getting more in the air for some shooting with it.
More P-38 Fun
Starting up and rolling out, a P-38 Lightning fighter plane from World War II. One of perhaps fewer than six still flying in the entire world. You can see from my video that the Palm Springs Air Museum visitors get an up close experience like none other. Not as close as I am, but right there to get their hats blown off their heads and get a good whiff of the spray of motor oil. How fun is that!
A Scene From WWII
Makes you think that you are looking at a scene from World War II. One of the very few remaining flying P-38 Lightning fighters taking off for flybys at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Photographed just yesterday against the scenic backdrop of the San Jacinto Mountains. Something to see all the time at the Air Museum and special programs and flight demonstrations on Saturdays. Be there!
P-38 Flying On Saturday
There might be only six or fewer P-38’s left flying in the world and you can see one of them tomorrow, Saturday Feb 11th. At the Palm Springs Air Museum following the 1:00 PM program. Do not miss this rare opportunity. I will be there and bringing my cameras like I did here in 2015. So if you are the pilot, remember to smile as you go by. See you there!
This one is a Lockheed P-38J Lightning of World War II built in 1943. Two 12 cylinder 1,425 hp turbo charged Allison engines will take this plane to 402 mph and it has a service ceiling of 44,000 ft. It was armed with four .50 caliber machine guns and a 20mm cannon. Some versions could carry two 1,000 pound bombs. The P-38 was the only American fighter aircraft that saw service from the beginning of the war at Pearl Harbor to V.J. Day.
Safety Crew
So I came up with this new idea for staffing and uniforms for the Safety Crew at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Professional model Gabriella Muttone was kind enough to volunteer for a few photographs and show us what I had in mind. It is my understanding that the concept is under full consideration and everybody would like to see Gabriella return as soon as possible for further demonstrations.
Photo shoot notes… Hasselblad digital camera system and Broncolor lighting. Only the best. And speaking of the best, Gabriella is one extraordinary photographer herself. Check her out at https://gabriella-muttone.squarespace.com
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.
In Person Living History
Today, Saturday you will have an opportunity like none other. A celebration of the 97th birthday of Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Bob Friend. Another true guest of honor and Tuskegee Airman, Capt. Rusty Burns will be there too. Do not miss the chance to greet and meet these two American heroes. There will also be an honoring of World War II “Buffalo Soldier” George Edwards who recently passed away at the age of 96. At the Palm Springs Air Museum beginning at 1:00 PM. You will not only share in birthday cake but also see “Bunny” fly. The P-51 Mustang of Tuskegee Airmen fame!
T-34 Fly In
Eight T-34’s flew in yesterday and there will be more this morning, as many as sixteen total. A weekend fly in at the Palm Springs Air Museum. You can come out and see formation flying at around 10 AM and also around 2 PM following the 1 PM history program about Germany’s first Ace fighter pilot of World War I and considered the father of air combat, Oswald Boelcke. There will also be some flying on Sunday!
The T-34 was the trainer for the United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corp. They flew at Edwards Air Force Base, for NASA, and even for Argentina during the Falklands War. And the planes you will see here at the Air Museum are incredibly restored great looking airplanes. Be there! I will!
Value Added Bonus
Hang out at the Palm Springs Air Museum and you often get the added fun of military aircraft flying at the airport. Saturday saw T-45 jet trainers taking off and landing. Out of Naval Air Facility El Centro, these trainers are fully aircraft carrier capable and will do 645 mph. When I am there, I always have a camera at the ready. Wow!
One Of Only One
Saturdays at the Palm Springs Air Museum brings us great programs and flight demonstrations. This last Saturday brought us the only still flying World War II P-51A Mustang. There are other still flying Mustangs but this is the early A version powered by 1200 hp Allison engine. It had a maximum speed of 409 mph and carried four .50 caliber machine guns. The plane was designed to be strictly an air to air combat aircraft. Now owned by Planes Of Fame in Chino CA. I had the pilot stop mid-air right in front of me so I could shoot this photograph. Ok maybe not.
Mutual
Wandered Photo L.A. yesterday with my buddy Gabriella Muttone. Not only do we have the commonality of me loving her in front of my cameras; she is an extraordinary photographer herself who loves much of the same photography that I do. It was also fun thinking that people were staring at me, when of course they were gaze locked on her! Me too lol
P-40 Warhawk
Yes this is the plane that you would recognize as having been flown by the famed Flying Tigers. Two P-40’s shot down attacking Japanese aircraft at Pearl Harbor.
If you were at the Palm Springs Air Museum yesterday, you saw this P-40 chase a Japanese VAL Dive Bomber just barely over ground level. Wow!
Attack At Dawn
A special program today at the Palm Springs Air Museum. You will be seeing the aircraft of Pearl Harbor flying overhead.
Starting with a presentation by the internationally recognized historian, researcher and author, Dr. Ed Gordon, “Japan Strikes At Dawn: Defeat at Pearl Harbor, the Philippines and Singapore.” at 1:00 PM.
Right now there are also other very special exhibits at the Museum, including artworks from World War II and the Holocaust; original and rarely seen restored prints of the original flights of the Wright Brothers.
If you have not done so, it is time to visit the living and flying history at the Palm Springs Air Museum. I will be there with my cameras for sure!
Rock Star!
From my friend Brooks Wachtel…
I received an amazing holiday gift the day after Christmas thanks to Ian L. Sitren who arranged for me to meet Fred Bell, the director of the Palm Springs Air Museum. It’s not often a writer gets rock-star treatment, but that’s what the Museum staff – all fans of DogFights – gave me.
I found, to my delight, that the museum even run segments of the series on monitors in front of some of their display aircraft to illustrate the warbird’s stories.
One of the treats was seeing this Phantom, in Midway livery, that we depicted in “Mig Killers of the Midway” an episode I wrote with Cynthia Harrison-Wallach.
We interviewed most of the aviators whose names are emblazoned on the aircraft and brought their combat to life – they were responsible for both the first the very last MIG kill of the Vietnam War.
Here’s Fred Bell and I in front of the F-4 Phantom (thank you, Ian, for the photo). Fred and his staff do a fantastic job and I highly recommend the museum for any fan of history or aviation. They have an amazing collection and it keeps getting better.
For the curious, I’ve included the DogFights episode thanks to the inevitable youtube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfQVehFjvaI
The View
The view across the tarmac at the Palm Springs Air Museum from Saturday. I always have a camera at hand when I am there. The jet on the left, an F-102 will be taking up residence in the new Museum hangar when it is completed in a few months.
Air Museum Snow Christmas
It was one beautiful day yesterday to be at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Snow on the mountains too making for a great view outside the hangars. I will be back there again on Monday. Until then… Merry Christmas!
Christmas In Palm Springs
So you have those kids in town for Saturday, the day before Christmas. Those kids from about 3 years old to about 103 years old, like me! The weather is rain and wind, so where do you go for a great time indoors? The Palm Springs Air Museum! Two huge hangars filled with beautifully restored aircraft and surrounded by endless displays of memorabilia and history. Flight simulators and even tours inside a huge World War II B-17, four engine bomber. From 10:30 – 12:30 you can even find yourself sitting in the cockpit of an F7F Tigercat. Too much fun which is why I am always shooting photos there! Ho Ho Ho!
An F-18 Visit
Not unusual to see military aircraft coming in to the airport here in Palm Springs. It is unusual for an F-18 Hornet to drive by my house right over my backyard pool. And nothing in my pool looks like a carrier. Very cool though!
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