Planes, Planes, Planes (and Some Helicopters)…From My Wanderings

I know that my crews always think I am weird for taking pictures of every single plane we are near, but oh well.  It comes with being an avgeek.  I don’t share a lot of them because I am not really proud of my abilities at this point, but here are a few that I think are awesome.  Not because I took a great picture but because they are just cool shots and/or planes.

Just after a touch and go.

Just after a touch and go.

This is a prime example of a crosswind takeoff.

This is a prime example of a crosswind takeoff.

I recently saw an AOPA article about crosswind takeoffs and I thought these two images were a pretty dang good example of just what that is.  It was a pretty windy day when I took this, but these guys really took it to a pretty serious extreme.

Videos really do more justice to this amazing aircraft.

Videos really do more justice to this amazing aircraft.

The AH-1 Cobra has always been a favorite of mine from when I was in the Marine Corps.  One of my favorite experiences was having them line up behind me while driving through Camp Pendleton.  I tried my hardest to find a great video from early in Iraq that starts out with a Samuel L. Jackson quote from Pulp Fiction as a two ship takes-off into the distance but to no avail.  Nothing special in this shot, but an amazing aircraft.

These beauties will always be my earliest memories of airplanes and airports.

These beauties will always be my earliest memories of airplanes and airports.

As much as I love the new American Airlines livery, this will probably always be my favorite.  There is just something truly iconic about it, and is there another plane that is more American Airlines?

IMG_3371How intense would it be to see all of these guys firing up?

I only had my short lens on...

I only had my short lens on…

...fortunately, he came back around.

…fortunately, he came back around.

Not many F-4s are still flying these days, and it was awesome to see this one in the pattern one day.  I still think it is the loudest plane that I have ever been around.

If you look really closely there is a VC-25 and E-4 in this picture.

If you look really closely there is a VC-25 and E-4 in this picture.

Not a great shot, but there were two government 747s in town this time.  Neither of which you get to see very often.  You just never know what you will see when you are out and about at various airports.