Curious on the backstory behind the photos? This is the place. You'll find not only write ups on local outings, but also reviews of major events I’ve attended.
From The Vault: EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2022
Thought 2021 was a great week for Airventure? Between perfect weather and an incredible lineup, 2022 was an unforgettable year!
I was once again honored to receive media credentials for The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration in 2022. Oshkosh is often considered by many to be the best aviation event on the planet with just about every facet of aviation being present each year. 2022 was no different with over 10,000 aircraft arriving to the otherwise quiet Wisconsin town in late July. At Oshkosh's Wittman Regional Airport alone, there were over 18,684 aircraft movements between July 21-31 which comes out to an average rate of 121 take offs/landings per hour while the airport was open.
In the second year back since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold on the world, the 2022 edition of the World's Greatest Aviation Celebration was a record-breaking success with over 650,000 in attendance over the week-long event, a 7 percent increase over 2021’s visitor tally. The event was also very fortunate to receive beautiful weather over the entire week, a rarity as seasoned Oshkosh attendees would attest.
Some of the themes for the ‘22 show were the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force, 50th anniversary of the Van's Aircraft RV series, and the 30th anniversary of the EAA - Young Eagles ride program. Airlines, eager to inspire and recruit a new generation of pilots, were also a strong presence with impressive flight demos by both United and Delta Air Lines. Despite the US Air Force being OSH22’s focal point, US Naval Aviation also showed up in strong numbers, bringing the F-35C Lightning II, EA-18G Growler, and E-2C Hawkeye demonstration teams. Another visitor, this one unexpectedly, was Delilah the "stowaway cat" who ended up sneaking into her parent's camper all the way from Maine and ended up spending the entire week at the show!
I hope the following photos can do this incredible event justice. Oshkosh is both a slice of aviation heaven while also getting to see both old and new friends each and every year. I can't wait to be back in 2023!
This is a very large album that includes action from throughout the week I was up there. Below are 341 images for your viewing pleasure. Please be patient as this album may take a bit of extra time to load.
From The Vault: EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2021
A look into the 2021 edition of the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration, the first since the start of the global pandemic!
In 2021, I was lucky enough to make the trip north to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the year's edition of the World's Greatest Aviation Celebration - EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. This was my sixth AirVenture and despite the ongoing pandemic, I was very impressed with the turnout and adjustments made by the organizers to make this extraordinary event happen. Attendance numbered around 608,000 for the week and more than 10,000 aircraft arrived. According to the EAA, there were 16,378 aircraft operations in a 10-day period from July 22-31 which averages out to around 116 takeoffs/landings per hour. There's a reason why OSH tower is considered the "World's Busiest Control Tower" during the week of the show! If there was anything I could possibly complain about, it would be the constant smoky skies due to the terrible ongoing wildfires across North America that week, but of course, that is totally out of our control. The performers and themes at OSH21 quickly made everyone forget about the lack of blue skies. Themes of 2021's AirVenture included Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) which brought a staggering number of high profile assets to the show, the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, and humanitarian aircraft such as the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital.
If all of that wasn't enough, did I mention I was lucky enough to hitch a ride on a Pilatus PC-12 up to Oshkosh? Pinch me!
This is a very large album that includes action from throughout the 7 days I was up there. Below are 297 images for your viewing pleasure. Please be patient as this album may take a bit of extra time to load.
A Royal Classic
One of the few private 737-200s still flying around and this one has quite the history!
Those of us in North Texas are fortunate to have no shortage of classic aircraft based in the area, and this privately-owned Boeing 737-205(A) is one of my personal favorites as there are few private (or operating for the matter) "Jurassic Guppies" still flying in '23!
Even with yesterday morning's temps at a crisp 49F and a slight headwind, this classic ate up a significant portion of Addison Airport's 7,203ft runway 34 for its 2.6 hour flight down to Nassau, Bahamas!
This airframe was delivered to Norwegian airline Braathens S.A.F.E. in 1986 before being converted into a VIP configuration in 1993 for Saudi Arabian Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz. The Prince had a rather flashy interior outfitted with the aircraft boasting a VIP configuration of 19 seats, a meeting quarters, dining room, two large salons, and a master state room in the back with a bed. I also have it on good authority that much of the aircraft has gold accents and the photos in the below link seem to confirm that!
In 1999, the aircraft was sold to Basic Capital Management Inc of Dallas, TX and has been based in Addison ever since. Hoping this beauty still has plenty of life left in it!
OH....I forgot to mention this aircraft is for sale.. but you'll have to call for the price...
For Sale:
https://www.hangar67.com/aircraft/1986-boeing-737200/24336
Airframe History:
https://www.planespotters.net/airframe/boeing-737-200-n370bc-basic-capital-management-inc/rqp1vj
Flying Heavy Metal
Bruce Dickinson, frontman of iconic metal group Iron Maiden visits the Commemorative Air Force in February 2022.
Iron Maiden frontman, Bruce Dickinson, is no stranger to heavy metal, nor is the Commemorative Air Force B29 B24 Squadron. With a personal connection to the B-24 Liberator and an accomplished pilot himself, Dickinson was a fitting guest at the CAF's Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center in Dallas, Texas in February 2022 - home of the Commemorative Air Force operated B-29 Superfortress "FiFi" and B-24 Liberator "Diamond Lil."
In addition to touring the world for over 40 years with his iconic band, Bruce is a pilot and has accumulated over 7,000 hours of flight time since obtaining his license in the 1990s. He has previously flown Boeing 757s for a British airline, and most notably flew Iron Maiden on multiple tours around the world in Boeing 737s, 757s, and 747s affectionately dubbed "Ed Force One," a homage to the band's mascot, Eddie. In addition to commercial aviation, Bruce has forayed into the air show scene, flying his replica WW1-era Fokker Dr.I Triplane which was made most famous by German flying ace Manfred Von Richthofen, The Red Baron.
Dickinson's visit was not only special because of his passion for historic aviation, but also a deep personal connection to one of the two heavy bombers that call the Education Center's 30,000 sq ft hangar home. Bruce's great uncle served as a B-24 crewmember with the Royal Air Force's 200 Squadron during WWII. Bruce credits his great uncle for getting him into aviation and cherished the opportunity to get up close and personal with the world's only regularly flying example.
After touring the hangar, nose art gallery, and graciously agreeing to a sit-down interview, Dickinson was treated to a flight in a 1953 T-34A Mentor trainer operated by the CAF T-34 Sponsor Group where he was able to get some stick time prior to his spoken-word show at the nearby Majestic Theatre in Downtown Dallas.
A special thanks to our friends at Buffalo Airways for helping set up this wonderful visit and of course, thanks to Bruce for making time to come visit our beloved warbirds!
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport 1/16/23
Various traffic seen at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Monday, January 16th, 2023.
Various traffic seen at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Monday, January 16th, 2023.
Winter Storm Mara
Winter Storm Mara strikes Dallas Love Field.
A powerful winter storm wreaked havoc across much of the Southern half of the United States the past few days, with temperatures plunging well below freezing in North Texas since Monday. As I was stuck at a hotel near work, I was able to photograph a bit of the action taking place at Dallas Love Field which was greatly impacted by the deep freeze. While these freezes are not uncommon in many parts of the United States, North Texas typically only sees these large scale events once or twice a year at best so the infrastructure in place is not quite as capable of handling these long-lasting ice storms. The following photos show part of the team effort required to crank flights out in the midst of these brutal conditions. The system is finally winding down in North Texas at the time of this writing, with temperatures finally staying consistently above freezing tomorrow.
The Flying Subaru
A Subaru helicopter? Huh? Yep, you heard that right.
A Subaru helicopter? Huh? Yup, this is a Subaru Bell 412EPX. This is an incredibly modernized variant of the legendary Huey family with electronically controlled Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-9 engines, an improved main transmission, and a glass cockpit. The Bell 412EPX is a commercial version of the Subaru-Bell UH-2, formerly the UH-X, which was built to meet the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's requirement of a UH-1J replacement. Pictures below are N412EX flying at the Floyd Carlson Airfield in the Dallas/Fort Worth area yesterday morning. The Floyd Carlson Airfield was established in 2018 by the Bell Training Academy and is used for training customers critical, normal, and emergency procedures.
