Issuu

ISAP President flies with Blues

-Tamron Lens Review

-Northern Rescue Operations

Airshow season updates…and more!

WELCOME TO THE 2025 MAY ISSUE OF AIRSPEED !

The Blues and The Birds

Jeff Krueger

Flying With An Angel

Jeff Krueger

Best Ride of my Life

Larry Grace

Lens Review

José Ramos

Tora Practice 2025

Kevin Hong

Fire Fighting Aviation

Brent Ovard

California Capital Airshow

Larry Grace

A Day at The Museum

John Slemp

Defenders of Liberty Airshow

Kevin Hong Jim Wilson

Stratolaunch

James Reed

The National Air Force Museum

John Ford

Aviation Nation

Kevin Hong

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Peter Keller

Gone West: Steve Zimmermann

Kevin Hong

Alaskan Aviation: Round Engine Roundup

Steve Zimmermann

Northern Rescue

Marc Schultz

B-29 Doc Celebration

Brett Schauf

ISAP Member’s Showcase

Kevin Hong

Meet Our Members

Joshua Epps Jennifer Santorelly Robin Guess

Front Cover

ISAP President Larry Grace flying with the USN Blue Angels as one of the selected VIP media rides during the 2025 Festival of Flight at NAF El Centro.

Photo by Jeff Krueger

Camera: Canon R5 Mk II Lens: Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM

Shutter speed: 1/1250 ISO: 400 Exposure: f/6.3

Processed in Adobe Lightroom edited in Photoshop

Back Cover

Airbus H155 D-HNHB waiting for an emergency.

Photo by Marc Schultz

Camera: Nikon Z6 Lens: NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S

Shutter speed: 1/1000 ISO: 100 Exposure: f/5.6

Processed in Adobe Lightroom edited in Photoshop

NEW AND RETURNING ISAP MEMBERS

John Agather

Cameron Carrico

Gordon Court

Gary Daniels

Roy Deters

Joshua Epps

Rick Gauthreaux

Mathew Geleske

Robin Guess

John Haak

Craig Hewitt

Kevin Heistermann

Philip Johnson

Sam Knutson

Susan Koppel

Jan-Arie der Linder

Robert Marcy

Larry Melby

Mike Miley

Frank Moriaty

Andrew Nelson

Tom Pawlesh

Tom Reneau

Gary Risley

Glenn Riegel

Kurt Roth

Jennifer Santorelly

Sandro Sartori

Steven Schott

Scott Slingsby

Ryan Springer

Chaz Teets

Ben Ullings

Peter Yee

The goal of International Society for Aviation Photography (ISAP) is to bring together our members who share a love of aviation, and want to preserve its history through their images. Through our organization, members can seek to enhance their artistic quality, advance technical knowledge, and improve safety for all areas of aviation photography while fostering professionalism, high ethical standards, and camaraderie.

ISAP continues to help our members to better their photography skills, workflow, and set up resources to help with business questions that our members have. Updates are being made to the ISAP website and member portfolio section, and we are showcasing ISAP members’ images and accomplishments on our social media pages.

The new Airspeed magazine will highlight ISAP members and their photography, experiences, and their passion for aviation from around the world. From military and commercial aviation, you’ll be able to see it all while learning about aviation photography, post processing tips in Lightroom and Photoshop, aviation history, air show reports, aviation museums, and more. We look forward to sharing our members’ images and articles with everyone.

Enjoy this issue of Airspeed!

Sincerely,

Larry Grace, ISAP President

Kevin Hong, Airspeed Editor

International Society for Aviation Photography www.aviationphoto.org • www.facebook.com/ISAPorg

Airspeed is a periodic publication of the International Society for Aviation Photography and is used to communicate news, functions, convention information, and other information of interest on the local, regional, and national scenes. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and should not be construed as the views or opinions of the International Society for Aviation Photography.

Bob Driver

Gone West… Rob Holland

On April 24, 2025, aerobatic airshow pilot Rob Holland passed away while attempting to land at Langley AFB. He was a 13 consecutive U.S. National Aerobatic Champion, six world Freestyle Aerobatic Champion, and the International Council of Airshows (ICAS) prestigious Art Scholl Award for Showmanship — the highest honor any airshow pilot can receive. Rob will be deeply missed and there was not a camera Rob didn’t love. From the International Society for Aviation Photography we send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the airshow community.

Larry Grace

THE BLUES AND THE BIRDS

JOINT TRAINING PRACTICE AT EL CENTRO

Article and

by Jeff Krueger

photos

My calendar was open the last week of April, and after getting a text from a friend, I decided to take a drive over to El Centro, California. It was the last week of practice for the USAF Thunderbirds at the Naval Air Facility where the US Navy Blue Angels were also winding up their practice for the 2025 airshow season.

This worked out to be a good opportunity to shake off the cobwebs as it was my first aviation shoot since the end of the airshow season last year. It was also fun to reconnect with other aviation photographers, including some ISAP members I’ve gotten to know over the years. As expected, this being the last week of the Thunderbirds at El Centro, the fence line at the end of 30 was very active with photographers and enthusiasts there to watch.

The practice sessions were great and as always, in between, normal NAF El Centro airfield operations were underway and provided some additional photo ops. It was well worth the trip and a great start for the 2025 airshow season.

Jeff Krueger

FLYING WITH AN ANGEL

Article and

by Jeff Krueger

photos

I had just returned home from three days of photographing the final practice of the US Navy Blue Angels at Naval Air Facility El Centro. My cell phone chimed the ringtone of a good friend. “Hello” I answered, and the caller said “whatcha doing next week? Are you up for a road trip to El Centro?” My response, “Sure, but I just got back from there, what’s going on?” That’s when Larry Grace told me he had been selected as the media rider for the first Key Influencer flight of 2025 with the Blue Angels. Of course I said, “Day and time?”

Fast forward to 0630, Wednesday March 12, 2025. A perfect day weather-wise sandwiched in between a rainy Tuesday and forecasted high wind and rain filled Thursday. The aviation gods were smiling on Ajalee Hood, Journalism teacher at Southwest High School in El Centro, selected as the Key Influencer, and Larry Grace, accomplished and well-known aviation photographer and teacher as media rider. The flights were planned just ahead of the annual NAF El Centro airshow weekend, which featured the 2025 Blue Angels first performance of the year.

The morning started out with a meet and greet with the Blue Angels support team and participants. This included Ajalee’s mom, along with

Larry’s wife Mary, as well as Kris Haugh, PAO for the facility and his staff members. The team got down to business quickly and Petty Officer 2nd Cody Farrell began briefing our fliers on safety and other important facets of the flight such as handling the high “G’s” and other aerobatic maneuvers they will be experiencing. Once completed, both Ajalee and Larry changed into their flight suits, then spent some time chatting and getting to know each other and discussing their upcoming adventure. Clearly, both were excited and a tad nervous.

All of us on the flight line were excited and thrilled for Ajalee and Larry. As the key influencer, Ajalee was the first to fly, and the process of her getting strapped into the F/A-18 Super Hornet was an experience to see. PO Farrell paid close attention to getting her situated and comfortable and at the same time providing last minute instruction and answers to her questions. Once secure, Major Scott Laux, pilot of Blue Angel #7, taxied and took off for 45 minutes of the full Blue Angel experience.

Upon landing, Blue Angel #7 was refueled and after pre-flight inspection, it was Larry’s turn to get buckled into his seat in the cockpit, get final instruction and any additional flight insight. You could see the combination excitement and nervous anticipation on Larry’s face, but he was all smiles as the canopy closed. After landing, a still smiling Larry stated it was the fastest, and most intense 45 minutes of his life.

Both Ajalee and Larry made it clear that Major Laux and the entire Blue Angels team gave them not only first-hand insight into the preparation and precision flying performed by the Blue Angels pilots, but a once in a lifetime flight experience.

Ajalee’s adventure was well documented in her article which appeared in the March 15th edition of the Imperial Valley Press. I know that Larry will be relaying his experience and thoughts as well.

Jeff Krueger

Jeff

Jeff Krueger

Best ride of my life!

Article and photos by Larry Grace/ISAP President

I was fortunate enough to be selected for the media ride experience with the Blue Angels during the 2025 Festival of Flight at NAF El Centro on March 12, 2025, which was an incredible and unforgettable journey.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t capture the audio due to a faulty GoPro connection. However, I’m happy with the video and the memories it holds.

To provide a deeper insight into my experience, I’ve included interviews between Maj. Laux and myself, along with clips from our 45-minute flight.

During the flight, I experienced approximately 7.3 g-forces, reaching a maximum of 17,500 feet before descending to 500 feet. I performed various maneuvers, including flips and turns. While the video may suggest that I passed out during one of the maneuvers, I assure you that I didn’t. My head was down during the maneuver, and I tried to rest my helmet on the backrest, but it didn’t work out.

As I’ve mentioned to others, I didn’t experience any blackouts or vision loss during the maneuvers.

Overall, it was an exhilarating and unforgettable ride. This experience not only deepened my appreciation for naval aviation but also gave me a unique perspective to share.

It’s an opportunity to share the dedication and excellence of the Blue Angels team. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the following for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity:

- NAF El Centro Festival of Flight 2025

- Blue Angels

- AM2 Cody Farrell

- Maj. Scott “Goldie” Laux, Blue Angels #7

- Keith Singer

Click on the link https://bit.ly/2025BAMR for a video recap of my flight with Blue Angels #7. It’s under 7 minutes long.

Article and photos by José Ramos

Sun ‘n Fun 2024: Tamron Takes Flight

The 51st annual Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In and Expo, held April 1–6, was an outstanding event for aviation photographers. This year’s show brought in four TAC Demo teams, the Blue Angels, an impressive lineup of civilian performers, and a diverse range of static displays—from the A-10 and AV-8B to a variety of classic warbirds. As my hometown airshow, I hadn’t seen this much diversity in years.

Sun ‘n Fun also introduced two new sponsors this year, signaling the organization’s commitment to making the event a premier destination for photographers. Kelby Training sponsored the Media Center, while Tamron stepped in as the sponsor of the Preferred Photo Seating area.

Tamron, known as one of the industry’s leading lens manufacturers, also produces a wide variety of specialized optics for a variety of applications —some of which are used by other brands. There’s a good chance you’ve shot with Tamron glass without even realizing it. But Tamron’s approach this year wasn’t about hanging banners and

calling it a day or limiting their accessibility - their presence was more dynamic and inclusive than any sponsor we’ve seen in past years.

Setting up next to the Preferred Photo area, Tamron reps Kris Bosworth and Armando Flores brought a full suite of lenses in various mounts, available for any attendee to check out and test drive. It was a smart move: putting high-end gear in the hands of real-world photographers, outside of a camera store showroom and into the action. The booth was consistently busy—loaning lenses, answering questions, and even making a few direct sales.

As a Nikon shooter, I’ve been impressed by Tamron’s aggressive roll out of lenses for the Z mount system, and I was eager to put a couple to the test. Though a family emergency limited my time at the Fly-In and curtailed some of what I had planned, I can say without reservations that I came away impressed with what I captured. Even my daughter got in on the action and captured some great shots.

Tamron 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD

At the top of my wish list was the Tamron 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD. There’s been a lot of hype around this lens, and as someone who typically shoots with the Nikkor 24-120mm, the combination of wider aperture and extended reach was too good to pass up—especially since I’ve been doing more portrait work.

First impression? The lens feels solid. Not heavy—substantial. My first opportunity to try it out came while photographing Thom Richard and John Baugh’s immaculate FM-2 Wildcat, winner of the Reserve Grand Champion Award. Thom and I have collaborated on many projects, and for this shoot, he was able to secure a T-6 photo ship

for me. Shooting from an open cockpit, wind whipping around me, Bose headset literally being ripped off my ears—it was not exactly a controlled environment.

For warbird air-to-air photography, the two critical challenges are prop blur and camera shake. Getting a smooth prop blur requires slow shutter speeds, which in turn increases the risk of shake—add in the turbulent conditions and its a varsity level trial. The Tamron’s heft worked in my favor here. At just over two and a half pounds, its a full pound heavier than my usual air-to-air lens, and that, coupled with the fast auto focus, powered by the VXD motors, made all the difference.

Now I should state that neither this Tamron, nor my usual Nikkor, have Vibration Compensation / Reduction incorporated into the lens, only the Z9’s IBIS would be at play here. I decided to go for broke and start on the low end and work my way up if needed. After all this was not just a test of the lens, but a challenge of my own capabilities as well. So I set my Nikon Z9 to ISO 32, 1/80 shutter speed, Auto Aperture, and exposure compensation of -0.3 to avoid blowing specular highlights on the glossy dark blue airframe. As Thom brought the Wildcat up on our 4 o’clock position, I started firing away at 20 fps (Nikon does not throttle the camera’s performance when coupled with a third party lens) and after several bursts, I ducked low in the cockpit to check the results.

The results were better than expected. The prop blur was spot-on what I was going for and the Wildcat was sharp for a significantly higher number of images than I thought I’d get at a slow a shutter speed. Encouraged, I kept my settings the way they were and focused on getting a variety of images in the short amount of time we had left. I varied the focal length from 50mm up to 150mm, which almost put me right in the FM-2’s cockpit with Thom. Afterward, upon review, I found the images to be the sharpest I’d ever shot in similar situations. Together with the Z9, the Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 Di III VXD was a very solid rig, felt very secure in my hands, and had passed a very challenging test.

Portrait Session with the FM-2

My next run with the 35-150mm came Saturday morning in a more controlled setting of Thom with the FM-2, a more personal portrait of the man with the machine as the backdrop. Decked out in his signature CockpitUSA Avenger G1 jacket (seriously, he lives in that thing) I had Thom get up on the wing and do his best Bud Anderson impersonation. Lighting him with a Westcott FJ200 in the early morning light, I used my backup camera—the original Z6, due to forgetting the Z9 battery at home. There’s a lesson there and a tell of the chaos I had to deal with this year.

Despite the older body, everything performed flawlessly. Eye detection worked perfectly with the 35-150mm and performance was fast and sharp throughout. Most images were shot at 90mm, but I pushed in to 150mm for a few frames as the maximum focal length is usually the weak spot for many zooms. At no point did the Tamron let me down, they were among the sharpest portraits I’ve ever taken.

In short, the build quality is exceptional, zoom was smooth with the right amount of resistance, focus was fast and accurate, image color, contrast, and sharpness were the best I’d experienced. I’m sold.

Tamron 150-500mm F/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD

The next lens I wanted to try, and I did so at first reluctantly, was the 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD. I say reluctantly because my usual long lens starting to leave me a bit disillusioned when it came to shooting subjects at the extreme focal ranges. I’ve owned two super zooms in the 600mm range and to step back to 500mm did seem to be just that, a step back. In conversation with Kris, I decided to take up the 150-500mm on Friday and give it shot.

Though similar in weight to my usual long lens, the Tamron is more compact, about four inches shorter, though it does telescope out at its maximum focal length. With windy conditions, I put away the lens hood as I did not want the breeze tugging at the front of the lens and I had no fear of glare with the sun behind me. I set my Z9 to auto ISO and manual control for aperture and shutter speed. Aperture was wide

open but as I was rusty with panning, I set my shutter speeds around 1/2500–1/3200. At first, the keeper rate wasn’t great, but I noticed right away that the images had better color and contrast. As I found my rhythm, my results improved—and so did my opinion of the lens.

It’s sharp. Read-the-stenciling-on-the-aircraft sharp. I started enjoying myself again— part of my original despair at shooting the air show portion of the fly-in was that last year I was generally unsatisfied with any of my images. I questioned my lens, my camera, and myself. After a short time with the 150-500mm I was no longer questioning my camera and questioning myself just a bit less thanks to the Tamron. Appreciating its build quality and performance, I made arrangements with Kris to borrow the lens again for the next day.

Family Day on the Flightline

After finishing up with Thom and the FM-2 and retrieving my errant Z9 battery, I made my way to the Tamron tent where I borrowed the 150-500mm again, and Kris generously loaned my daughter the 50400mm F/4.5-6.3 VC VXD for her to use on the Z6. We made our way to the front of the crowd line where I divided my time between giving my daughter some pointers and photographing the TAC Demo teams. I primarily stayed locked in at 500mm, using Tamron’s innovative zoom clutch system that lets you disengage the zoom ring with a simple push and reengage with a simple pull—no realignment needed and it can be done at any focal length.

Most of the images shown here were shot at 500mm and presented as shot or only slightly cropped, showing that this lens delivers plenty of reach and accurate, sharp performance at its longest focal range. My daughter had great success with the 50-400mm and walked away with images she was truly proud of.

Both the 150-500mm and the 50-400mm feature Tamron’s premium VXD auto focus motors and Vibration Compensation, which offer different modes and pair beautifully with Nikon’s In Body Image Stabilization. The programmable function buttons can be customized via Tamron’s Lens Utility software, though I didn’t explore that feature.

Final Thoughts

There are plenty of technical reviews out there if you’re into MTF charts and pixel peeping, for these and many other Tamron lenses. My purpose here is to share my experience using these lenses in a real-world environment—and that experience was overwhelmingly positive. I was thrilled with the gear, beyond satisfied with the images, and grateful to share my passion for aviation photography with my daughter.

And I think that’s exactly why Tamron approached their Sun ‘n Fun sponsorship differently. They’re an everyday photographer’s brand— delivering pro-level products and results and made a very concerted effort to get that point across to a wider demographic than most imaging brands had tried in the past at Sun n’ Fun. And I feel they were heard. Word is, Tamron plans to return for the 2026 Fly-In and Expo with an even larger presence and may also be looking to take this format of sponsorship to other airshows. I hope they do.

My thanks to Kristine Bosworth, Andre Constantini, Stacie Errera, Armando Flores, and Ken Hubbard for their support of Sun n’ Fun and being absolute troopers in the heat and sun on the warbird ramp as they loaned out gear and answered everyones questions. It was also a pleasure meeting Tamron Image Master David Akoubian and Ambassador Cecil Holmes who made an appearance at the Tamron booth during the weekend, adding their expertise to the experience. Until next year.

José Ramos

Sometimes things don’t always go according to plan but you always try to make the most of what you can. That was the mindset that I had envisioned for Tora practice this year. We came back to Muskogee, Oklahoma again since we had a great time and had lots of fun interacting with the community. This time more of the city came out to watch and we had a surprise for them at the end.

The more I come up to Oklahoma the more I understand that you never know what the weather will be like until you get there. This time I just made it into town before the rain and fierce 60 mph winds came in. I arrived on Thursday and most of the flying was over by mid-afternoon. Luckily the planes were all tucked away in the hangars. I was happy to see my airshow family and always happy to spend time with the Tora crew. I saw some new faces joining Tora this year and I was delighted to see some young new blood coming in to continue the legacy of the Tora Tora Tora act.

There are many elements of Tora and for three days we all come together to work on everything from logistics, flying, and marketing for the upcoming airshow season. With the Tora Bomb Squad doing

the pyro, narration, photos and videos for marketing and social media this is a time we all prepare to collaborate to create one well-oiled machine.

And on top of all that we even make time to autograph posters. I now understand why signatures change over time because we signed a ton while we were together.

This year due to the early flying airshow season some of the guys brought their own T-6s out to train and fly. I didn’t mind since it gave me an opportunity to shoot some different paint schemes. However, due to the overcast skies the entire weekend put a damper on getting some really great shots. With the people coming out to watch I’m sure they didn’t mind either to watch a Tora act with some pyro at the end.

That’s right this year we did a double wall of fire for the finale and the crowd went nuts. With the cool weather I’m sure they didn’t mind a few seconds of heat. Even though the weather wasn’t great I still love spending time with part of my airshow family. I hope to see everyone out there on the airshow circuit.

TORA PRACTICE 2025

Article and photos by Kevin Hong/Airspeed Editor

Kevin Hong

Utah had an active fire season this year. One of the largest fires was the Yellow Lake fire in North Eastern Utah. Part of the effort to fight this fire was to bring in various aviation assets. These included five Canadair CL-415EAF Super Scoopers and several Helicopters. I was able to go to the local reservoir they were using as their water source and photograph the planes scooping up the water. In addition to the fixed wing aircraft, they were also using the Kaman K-Max Intermeshing Double Rotor and a Blackhawk helicopter. Several other helicopters were in use but I was not able to photograph those.

The Yellow and Red Scoopers are operated by Bridger Aerospace based in Belgrad Montana and the White and Red Scoopers are operated by AeroFlite Aerial Firefighting based in Spokane, WA. The original Scoopers were purposely built to fight fires by Canadair then later by Bombardier and DeHavilland.

FIRE FIGHTING AVIATION

Article and photos by Brent Ovard

Brent Ovard

The 2025 California Capital Air Show offered an exceptional experience for airshow enthusiasts this year. It featured new seating options for guests and provided one of the best photo tour opportunities for photographers. The sunrise photo session, an aerial lift for 360-degree views of the grounds, and access to various locations to capture the airshow performances were just a few of the highlights.

This year’s performers included the renowned US Navy Blue Angels, the USMC F-35B Lightning II, the F-16 Viper Demo team, the USAF Heritage Flight, the C-17 Demo team, Tucker’s Air Patrol, U-2 and T-38 aircraft from Beale AFB, and an aerial display featuring the British Invasion. This display showcased the iconic DeHavilland Mosquito and Supermarine Spitfire, Britain’s World War II warbirds.

The airshow also featured a display of aircraft representing the Victory in Europe, featuring three P-51 Mustangs, a B-25 Mitchell, and a P-47 Thunderbolt. Additionally, the Victory in the Pacific aircraft, including the F4U Corsair, F4F Wildcat, TBM Avenger, SBD Dauntless, and B-25 PBJ Mitchell, were on display. Honoring the bravery of firefighters, the Cal Fire aircraft heroes were also featured in the airshow.

The airshow allowed me to reunite with the USN Blue Angels a week after my flight with the team at NAF El Centro. I also had the privilege of meeting a special guest who had flown in to witness the airshow— aviation legend Clay Lacy and friends.

The team at California Capital Airshow put on another fantastic show, and it’s an airshow that you should definitely add to your bucket list.

CaliforniaCapital Airshow 2025

Article

by Larry Grace/ISAP President

and photos

Larry Grace

A DAY AT THE MUSEUM MILITARY

AVIATION MUSEUM • VIRGINIA BEACH

Article and photos by John Slemp

Recently I had the opportunity to create images at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia at the invitation of Keegan Chetwynd, the Executive Director. The creative brief called for a combination of what might best be termed “corporate photography,” mixed in with a wide variety of aviation-related subject matter.

Jerry Yagen is the founder and the driving force behind the preservation of the warbirds in the museum’s collection, and he has turned over the reins to the foundation. Therefore, portraits of him were needed for various uses, which were created in his office, and on location at

the museum. His wife Elena joined him and was happily included in several of the images. It was obvious that their’s is a mutually supportive and loving relationship, which showed in the images.

Having never been to the museum previously, it was a pleasant surprise to not only see their extensive World War II collection in person, but especially so the wide variety of World War I aircraft on hand. From what I gather, most of the aircraft are in airworthy condition, and apparently Jerry used to fly most of them.

On most weekends you can find one of the many volunteer pilots on hand offering short rides to the public. Since there is a lovely stand of green trees on the far side of the grass runway, a lovely image was created of a bright yellow Stearman as it touched down. While this particular image was sharp (where it counted), most of the images before and after in the sequence were not. Of course one only needs one...and the rest are “part of the process.”

One of the images that Jerry seemed particularly keen on having made was of this original German”Enigma” coding machine from WWII. He was born in Hamburg, Germany right after the war, and came to this country as a young child, so he has an extremely strong connection to Germany. Jerry mentioned that when they were bringing the coding machine into the USA, the customs officers were told it was a “German typewriter,” a ruse he took great delight in. It has a place of honor in his office to this day, and is still functional.

Part of the museum’s mission is to train new A&P (Airframe and Powerplant) mechanics on how to work on antique warbirds. To that end, we spent the better part of a day photographing in what is termed the “Fighter Factory.” While we were there, they were replacing the fuel bladders on a B-24 bomber, rewiring an AT-11 trainer, doing engine work on a P-51 Mustang and a British Mosquito. Six new mechanics were part of the overall workforce, and all were quite enthusiastic about their opportunity to work on such rare aircraft. It was a wonderful opportunity to create portraits “in situ,” something I especially enjoy doing.

Since Virginia Beach is a “Navy town,” a large number of the museum’s volunteers are retired Navy folks, including Dave Parsons, who flew the famous F-14 “Tomcat.” Dave is also the co-author of Hell Bent for Leather, a book about A-2 and G-1 flight jackets published in 1990. We had spoken several times on the phone and were finally able to meet during my visit there. He was kind enough to invite a couple of his buddies to bring their Navy G-1 jackets to the museum for me to photograph. One of my favorite images is this one that belongs to R.R. “Boom” Powell, a former Navy pilot who was an LSO (Landing Safety Officer). He brought along his “paddles” which I included in one of the images.

Dave and I met largely as a result of the exhibition currently at the museum of several of the “bomber jackets” I photographed as part of my book Bomber Boys: WWII Flight Jacket Art. Installed last November, the exhibition has been well received, and is due to remain on display through the end of the year. If you have a chance, stop on by and tell Keegan I said “Hello!”

John Slemp

It’s not every day you get to walk on a bomber base nonetheless be able to see a B-52 fly around. But at Barksdale AFB there are plenty of them and every two years for their airshow I get the opportunity to get up and personal with the BUFFs. It’s a privilege and an honor to work with the men and women of Global Strike Command. Jim Wilson, Vice President of ISAP decided to join me and I think he had some fun as well shooting with a new RF 200-800mm lens.

Even though the airshow staff changes every two years for the airshow I enjoy working with the Public Affairs office of the 2nd Bomb Wing and teaching their young airmen how to be better photographers out in the field sharing my knowledge.

This year the weather didn’t exactly cooperate but we were able to get all of the flying done except for the twilight show which is always awesome to watch. Some of the special acts this year was a special formation with the B-25 and B-52 as well as four Mig-17s thanks to Randy Ball. It’s the first time flying four Migs over not just a military base but an original SAC base that brought a nostalgic feeling of the Cold War especially when they flew by the flightline of B-52s.

There were some rare opportunities to catch some other acts that brought some historical significance to aviation. The Sky Soldiers came with their Hueys and Cobras and man I missed the old thumping sounds of the army helicopters. Richard Dawe brought the BAC Jet Provost flashing the colors of the British RAF performing aerobatics.

And among some of the most popular airshow acts were the Red Bull Air Force-hometown boy Kevin Coleman flying with Aaron Fitzgerald in the Red Bull Helicopter, Titan Aerobatic Team, US Army Golden Knights, Hot Streak jet truck, P-51 Quick Silver, Ghostwriter Airshows, Jeremy Holt, CAF Centex Wing with B-25 Yellow Rose and C-47 That’s All Brother let’s not forget the CAF Blastards who always brings the heat with the pyro. On the modern military side the KC-135, KC-46, and C-17 all performed demos as well along with the headliners the Thunderbirds.

People also had a great opportunity to not just catch planes flying in the air but also on the ground as well. There were a lot of things to do for the kids including a big STEM Expo area where hundreds of kids from the surrounding areas of Shreveport and had a chance to meet some of the Thunderbirds.

It was a amazing to see how the community came out to support the military. No only did the of people from Bossier City and Shreveport come out but also State representatives from Louisiana made an appearance where I was able to get a photo of them with the Commander of Global Strike Command.

The weather didn’t work out with sunny skies this time but I can tell you there’s nothing like seeing a line of B-52s all lined up and watching a smoke trail for miles as they take off and land. If you’ve never been to the Defenders of Liberty Airshow at Barksdale AFB you may want to put this one on your schedule for 2027.

Defenders

Show 2025

Article and photos by Kevin Hong/Airspeed Editor and Jim Wilson/ISAP Vice President

Kevin Hong

JIM WILSON / ISAP VICE PRESIDENT

Jim Wilson

Living and working here in the Antelope Valley, or what has become affectionately known as The Center of the Aerospace Testing Universe, is nothing short of an aviation photographer’s dream come true. In this area, we have Palmdale Plant 42, Edwards AFB, Mojave Air and Space Port, and William J. Fox Field. Other nearby aerospace hot spots are NAWS China Lake, Southern California Logistics Airport (formerly George AFB), and the Sidewinder Low Level Route.

As you might imagine, with such a lineup, the number and variety of aircraft that come through here, is mind-boggling. Even more amazing is the uniqueness of some of the local aircraft “celebrities”.

Aircraft such as Scaled Composites Model 281 Proteus, Scaled Composites Model 151 ARES, NASA S.O.F.I.A. (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy), NASA DC-8 Airborne Science Laboratory, Boeing 757-FTB “Catfish”, Boeing 727-223 Raytheon Flight Test Bed, and the Boom Technology XB-1 are the favorites

around here. Some are residents and some stop by from time to time to do some testing or just to do a few approaches. Either way, we’re always glad to see them.

However, there’s one aircraft that stands out for me. Scaled Composites Model 351 Stratolaunch or “ROC” is an aircraft built by Scaled Composites for Stratolaunch Systems to carry air-launch-to-orbit rockets, and subsequently re-purposed to offer air launch hypersonic flight testing after a change of ownership.

Billed as the largest aircraft in the world it boasts a wingspan of 385 feet and weighs in at a max gross weight of 1.3 million pounds. Quite the behemoth!

As you can see from some of the images, a “ROC” launch draws quite a crowd and the whole event ends up as a brief, but memorable party.

Scaled Composites Model 351

STRATOLAUNCH

Article and photos by James Reeder

STRATOLAUNCH

James Reeder

The National Museum of the US Air Force

Article and photos by John Ford

I got an opportunity to visit the storage hanger at The National Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton Ohio, and its an amazing space to wander through. Aircraft, engines, instruments, you name it they’ve got it. There is even a wooden crate marked “Japanese Zero Parts”. One wall has 10 or 15 engines lined up against it. The history of many of these aircraft is locked away. Others, the history is well known, like the North American F-107, or the Republic XF-91 Thundercepter, and the is a B-23 Dragon a few aircraft over. The aircraft are placed any old which way and shots are abundant, however time isn’t. I had a very enjoyable couple of hours working my way amongst the aircraft. I came away with some images I am very happy with and I would love to go back.

John Ford

AVIATION NATION NELLIS AFB 2025

HOME OF THE THUNDERBIRDS

Article and photos by Kevin Hong/Airspeed Editor

For many years Aviation Nation at Nellis AFB was always on my list of airshows to visit. This year I talked with Larry Grace/ISAP President and decided to come along and work the airshow with him. Fellow members Jeff Krueger and Rob Tabor were also attending the show as well. I am happy to say there were some unique opportunities that arose and even though the statics were a little light this year it was never a dull moment visiting the home of Red Flag.

There was a good lineup of performers including a Combined Arms Demo (CAD) by the Nellis AFB units and closing out the show of course at their home were the USAF Thunderbirds. Wasn’t sure what to expect with the mountains as a back drop or the weather but everything turned out to be great.

Throughout the weekend from early morning and into the night you could hear a fighter jet flying and yes even on Sunday we had a

few surprises takeoff including some Typhoons from Saudi Arabia. There were also some other fighters from foreign countries on the field as well from some of the spotters that attended the show.

Even though there were not a lot of heavies on the ramp for people to walk through there were some interesting statics. The Air Force flew in the new L3 Harris OA-1K Skyraider II and the F-15EX came in as well as some cool planes from Scaled Composites - Model 281 Proteus and Model 401 Sierra.

I had a great time at the show and able to shoot a show with some mountain in the background. I would love to come back since I didn’t even get a chance to go hunting for challenge coins. Hopefully there will be more time to play next time.

Kevin Hong

I recently traveled to Washington, DC and went to the Smithsonian National Air And Space Museum. Honestly, I’m not much of a museum guy, but I was totally impressed by this visit! Currently the museum is undergoing a monumental multi-year renovation with some exhibits having opened in 2022 and the remaining to be opened in phases from spring of 2025 through 2026. Unfortunately, this means some of the exhibit areas were closed, but the three hours I spent there were not enough time to cover what was open.

Some of the photos below show a few of the iconic and significant artifacts on display. They represent a few that were the most impressive and photogenic to me. The museum hosts a Planetarium and an IMAX theater, which at the time was showing the new release of the Blue Angels movie.

Upon entering, I was first impressed with the EXCALIBUR III hanging right in full view from the crosswalk. A P-51C modified for racing with extra internal fuel tanks in the wings. Stated on the museum website, “Nearly every flight that was made by Excalibur III broke some kind of record,” according to this Mustang’s last pilot/owner, Captain Charles F. Blair, Jr.” Behind this you get a glimpse of the myriad of other exhibits in just that wing of the museum.

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Article and photos by Peter Keller

I was surprised to see the B-29 Superfortress bomber, ENOLA GAY prominently displayed. This B-29 is of course the aircraft that dropped the first atomic weapon used in combat on Hiroshima, Japan, August 6, 1945.

Peter Keller

There is also the Preservation and Restoration Unit (PRU). Ongoing work in the PRU can be observed from an overlook in the museum. Currently, a significant project undertaking is that of the Martin B-26B Marauder Flak-Bait. This medium bomber is iconic to World War II in that its crews survived over 200 missions over Europe, more than any other American combat aircraft in World War II.

Peter Keller

Off in a corner sits this unique aircraft, the Messerschmitt Me 163 B-1a Komet, along with the rocket motor that powered this aircraft. One of the most remarkable aircraft produced by Nazi Germany during World War II.

Peter Keller

The Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery last flew in 2011 and in April of 2012, NASA transferred Discovery to the Smithsonian. It is truly an impressive artifact to be able to walk around.

Peter Keller

Last, but certainly not least, the SR-71 on display looks good from just about any angle. This is the Blackbird that set a speed record on its last flight, March 6, 1990, by flying from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds, averaging 2,124 miles per hour. At the flight’s conclusion, they landed at Washington-Dulles International Airport and turned the airplane over to the Smithsonian.

Peter Keller

Gone West… Steve Zimmermann

We are always sad when we find out one of our ISAP members passed away, especially a member who loved flying and aviation photography. Steve Zimmermann passed away in February earlier this year but before then he sent one last article. We want to share with everyone the article and his Meet the Member profile he sent to us when he first joined ISAP along with some photos he has contributed over the years to the Airspeed magazine. We will miss you. Blue skies and tailwinds forever.

Kevin J. Hong Airspeed Editor

STEVE ZIMMERMANN

I’m a self-taught photographer (aren’t we all, really?), in the sense that I have no formal training, academic or otherwise. But I started young: my grandmother handed me a Brownie box camera when I was about seven years old. My father, who shot with a Hasselblad that I still own, gave me a Miranda 35mm SLR and taught me darkroom techniques when I was in high school.

The other early experience that informs my photography, more than any other single thing, was growing up in and around airplanes: my parents were both pilots. In fact, my mother was pregnant with me when she learned to fly. The perspective shift that occurs when I leave the ground behind is fundamental to how I make visual sense of the world around me. I grew up in the northeast—Pennsylvania, mostly—but have lived in Colorado since 1975, attracted to the mountains and the high desert climate: both, not coincidentally, were important to my development both as a pilot and a photographer. After a career in high tech I retired in 2005 and started a small photography business. I have a shooting studio in the basement of my home, complete with an ‘infinity wall’; my professional work includes a variety of things, but my first love is aviation: images of flying machines, and images I shoot while flying; the latter are often semi-abstract landscapes.

My camera bag these days displays a split personality, with both Canon and Nikon gear: I bought my first Canon DSLR, a 5D, in late 2005, and over the years assembled a collection of Canon bodies and lenses, cul minating in the 1DX and a 5D2 backup (I’m a big believer in FF bodies). The lenses I go to most often are the indispensable EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM, the unmatched EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM II, and the quirky but lov able TS-E 17mm f/4, which as a wide-angle, manual focus, tilt/shift lens makes a really engaging choice as a walking-around lens for city/travel photography. For air shows I generally borrow or rent a long lens—the 500 f/4 IS or, more recently, the 200-400 f/4L IS + TC—though I have been known to make do with my 300 f/4L IS plus the TC 1.4x on a cropframe 1D4. Oh, yes: the split personality thing?

At ISAP XI in Virginia Beach I had the chance to handle a Nikon D800 and fell in love with the images it produces. So my bags now include the D800 and a small collection of really wonderful Nikkor glass: AF-S 2470mm f/2.8G, AF-S 70-200 f/2.8G II, AF-S 85mm f/1.4G, and TC 1.7x. Much of my recent air-to-ground and air-to-air imagery was shot with the D800 + 24-70 f/2.8, mounted on a Kenyon Labs KS 4x4, dual-axis gyro stabilizer: with that rig and some care I can get tack sharp, 36MP RAW images shot from the open door of an airplane at shutter speeds down to 1/20sec.

I always shoot RAW unless there’s a compelling reason not to…and I rarely find a reason that’s compelling enough. For me, the multiple benefits of working with RAW images in post far outweigh any consid erations of storage space, compute horsepower or extra editing time. Look at it this way: why let the camera decide for you which eight bits are the important ones, out of the twelve or fourteen bits of data the sensor captures at each pixel site? When you’re working with subjects that are a) in motion and b) unlikely ever to grace your field of view again in exactly the same way, why not store everything the sensor records and sort it out later in the calm comfort of your editing room? It just

makes sense. I spend about 80% of my editing time in Lightroom 5, and the other 20% in Photoshop CC, Photomatix Pro and Silver Efex Pro 2. I prefer not to take an image into Photoshop unless I see a need for masking and layers.

I attended Oshkosh in 2010 and on the flight line there I met a number of ISAP members, including Larry Grace. Almost the first words out of Larry’s mouth were “Have you heard of ISAP?” and after a little research I joined the organization. I’ve been to every annual ISAP conference since; you owe it to yourself to get to the next one, especially if you haven’t been to one before.

In no particular order, I’m an engineer and a photographer and a pilot and a teacher. I love to help people learn to use their equipment better. Enthusiast/pro camera gear is dauntingly complex; many people buy more camera than they’re comfortable with, so they stick with the P mode (I’ve heard it said, “‘P’ stands for ‘Pro’, right?”) and are too intimidated to learn the few basics that will give their photography a boost to the next level. If someone has a desire to be a better photographer, often all it takes is my spending an hour or two with them to help them understand the control they have over the process of making an image. Then they’re off and running: experience really is the best teacher. Another thing you can do is to offer to judge/critique the images that members submit for your local photography club’s monthly meeting; that is, once you’ve earned the respect of the membership.

Steve Zimmermann

Alaskan Aviation: Round Engine Roundup

Steve Zimmermann

Aviation in Alaska is, shall we say, different. Unique, even. It’s the vast emptiness of the place; it’s the challenging climate and ever-changing weather; it’s the gravel airstrips…or no airstrips at all; it’s the old radial-engine propliners still doing the hard work of supplying remote communities with essential supplies; it’s the multitude of seaplanes and bush planes crisscrossing the state in all weathers. And it’s Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), a stopover for hundreds of daily cargo flights traversing polar routes between North America, Europe and the Far East.

A lot of the general aviation activity in Alaska is water flying. Floatplanes and flying boats ply routes using Alaska’s innumerable lakes and rivers as runways. Anchorage’s Lake Hood Seaplane Base is home to several hundred floatplanes and has a decades-long waiting list for

wannabe tenants. You can even taxi an amphibious float plane from a water landing on Lake Hood, up onto dry land, through a couple of road crossings, and then mix it up with heavy jets on the ramps and runways of the adjacent ANC.

Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska, by far. But it is far from a pretty place, having grown haphazardly through boom and bust (building codes were not introduced until 1972) between the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet, flood zones and all. Its saving grace is that Anchorage serves as the jumping-off place to the rest of Alaska.

“Anchorage…might be a sorry town, but it has the greatest out-oftown any town has ever had.”

- John McPhee, Coming into the Country

Article and photos by

Excited by the prospect of witnessing and photographing all this aviation activity I signed up for a Centre of Aviation Photography trip to Alaska in June of 2022, ably orchestrated by Rich Cooper and Dietmar Schreiber. Over the course of a week, our small and congenial band of like-minded av-geeks traveled throughout the Kenai-Anchorage-Matanuska region to meet up with the people who maintain and fly classic multi-engine cargo haulers such as the Douglas DC-3, DC-4, and DC-6; the Curtiss C-46 Commando; and the Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar. In addition, we were able to photograph the legendary de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver (on straight floats, of course) and a gorgeous, privately owned Cessna 195. Taking advantage of 20-hour days—it never really gets dark in mid-June—we drove to airfields and lakes wherever and whenever there was a possibility of roundengine flight operations. One memorable day we made the six-hour,

round-trip drive from Anchorage to Kenai, twice, only arriving back at our lodgings at 1:00 am during the extended northern twilight.

We flew air-to-air photo missions from a diverse set of aircraft: a Cessna 206, several Cessna Caravans, a Douglas DC-3, and a de Havilland Beaver. We flew in a Piper Navajo out to a remote gravel airstrip at a gold mine north of the Alaska Range, to see the remains of a DC-6 that suffered an engine fire on the ground in 2004 and never flew again. Through it all we drank in the incomparable expanse of wild Alaska, with its endless panoply of mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers, tidal estuaries, boreal forests, and tundra. It was a memorable trip.

Steve Zimmermann

NORTHERN RESCUE HELICOPTER OPERATIONS AT NORDDEICH

Article and photos by Marc Schultz

A deep roar fills the clear winter air at Norddeich airfield as the red and white rescue helicopter ‘Northern Rescue 01’ elegantly touches down on runway 34. The rotor blades whirl up dust and sand as the Airbus H-155 finally touches down with precise ease. It is a technical stopover on the way back to its home base in St. Peter-Ording - and an unexpected highlight of my visit to the NHC station in Norddeich.

At the end of February, I had the opportunity to document flight operations of ‘Northern Helicopter - NHC’ at Norddeich airfield on the East Frisian coast at close range. It was a fascinating spectacle in bright

afternoon sunshine: transport and training missions in perfection, the interaction between experienced pilots, medical and technical staff and state-of-the-art technology - up close and personal.

Here, Northern Helicopter performs daily precision work at the interface between the North German mainland and the North Sea. Whether ambulance flights, emergency rescue operations at sea or the transport of sea-pilots and offshore technicians - the missions are as varied as the challenges that North and Baltic Sea present. But what goes on behind the scenes of this highly specialized company? A look

at the people, machines and missions of NHC reveals a world in which precision, speed and, above all, maximum safety must be guaranteed at all times.

Northern Helicopter: Air rescue over the North and Baltic Seasprecision in extreme situations

High above the waves of the North and Baltic Seas, where wind farms and harsh weather conditions dominate the landscape, Northern Helicopter GmbH is in its element. Based in Emden in Northern Germany, the company has established itself as a leading provider

Special missions over the waves: The helicopter fleet No two missions are the same - and yet all operations are characterized by a common denominator: precision and reliability. To fulfill these requirements, NHC relies exclusively on state-of-the-art helicopters from the European manufacturer Airbus Helicopters.

At the time of my visit to Norddeich in spring 2025, NHC had a modern and versatile helicopter fleet consisting of the following types:

• 6 Airbus Helicopters H155

• 3 MBB BK 117 C1

• 1 MBB BK117 B2

• 4 Airbus Helicopters H145 D-2

These aircraft are not only powerful, but also equipped with the latest medical and aeronautical technology. Perfectly tailored to the often unpredictable conditions over the open sea, they are life insurance for people needing rapid assistance. The modern and versatile fleet enables NHC to offer the wide range of their service portfolio.

of transport and air rescue services in the offshore industry - an indispensable player in an industry where fast and precise assistance can save lives.

As a subsidiary of DRF Luftrettung in Filderstadt, NHC covers an impressively wide range of missions. Whether emergencies on the high seas, offshore air rescue, specialized ambulance flights, passenger transport, emergency evacuations, research flights or sea-pilot transfers - the experienced crews are always ready to deliver top performance under extreme conditions.

Ready for action around the clock - from the German coast to the Arctic With four strategically located bases along the German coast, NHC guarantees remarkably short response times. The Northern Rescue 01 and 02 offshore rescue helicopters are on standby around the clock at the stations in Sankt Peter-Ording and Güttin on Rügen. NHC helicopters from Norden-Norddeich routinely fly patients from the East Frisian Islands or, if necessary, from offshore wind farms to hospitals on land. NHC also carries out sea-pilot transfers for the Elbe, Weser, Jade and Ems rivers from the Wilhelmshaven Mariensiel station - an essential service for the region’s maritime economy.

However, the helicopters are not only used in domestic waters, but also in the most extreme regions of the world: on expeditions of the research vessel ‘Polarstern’, they accompany the ship on its missions to the Arctic and Antarctic waters with the proven BK-117. In icy temperatures and difficult weather conditions, maximum precision and experience are required - challenges that the NHC crews on the ‘Polarstern’ routinely master.

Highest safety and quality standards

Safety is not just a buzzword at NHC, but a lived practice. Every mission follows the strictest safety and quality guidelines, and every pilot

and crew undergoes intensive training. Regular audits by independent certification bodies emphasize the company’s claim: the highest level of professionalism in every situation.

NHC also focuses on sustainable growth and the targeted promotion of young talents. A wide range of career and further training opportunities give employees the chance to continuously develop their skills - an investment in the future that benefits both the company and the people NHC helps every day.

Essential partner for the offshore world

With no doubt Northern Helicopter stands for fast, reliable and precise air rescue in the most demanding operational areas. With a team of highly qualified specialists and a state-of-the-art fleet, the company not only saves lives, but also makes a significant contribution to making the offshore world a little safer.

My special thanks goes to Anke Rieckmann and Björn Chmielecki as well as the entire NHC crew at Norddeich for their excellent support and supervision during the realization of this photo report.

Marc Schultz

B-29 Doc is one of 1644 B-29’s built at the Boeing Wichita plant during World War II. Doc was delivered to the army in March 1945, five months later another B-29, the Enola Gay dropped the first atomic weapon on Japan, effectively ending the war and preventing a prolonged ground campaign on the Japanese homeland.

Doc was assigned to a radar calibration duty in July of 1951 where it served until May of 1955 when it was assigned to target-towing duty.

In March 1956 Doc was sent to China Lake California to become a target for the Navy. In 1987, Tony Mazzolini found Doc and began a 12 year negotiation process with the U.S. Government. Finally in April of 1998 Tony and a group of volunteers towed Doc off the bombing range to Inyokern Airport. Upon inspection it was realized that it would take much more extensive resources than anticipated to return Doc to flying condition and the decision was made to send the B-29 to Wichita. In May 2000, Doc arrived in Wichita on 7 flat bed trailers where, a few hundred feet from where it first rolled off the assembly line, volunteers began the 16 year restoration.

In July of 2016 B-29 Doc once again took to the air. The following April, Doc began the next phase of its mission to Honor, Educate and Connect as it began to tour.

In 2017, B-29 Doc began touring the country attending airshows and tour stops. Today it continues to operate as a flying museum allowing visitors the opportunity to see, tour, and even fly this living piece of history.

Please follow www.b29doc.com for all the up to date information regarding tour stops and appearances for 2025.

In May of 2017, B-29 Doc began touring. The first tour stop was the air show at Barksdale AFB. Doc is seen flying an airshow pass with the B-52.

Article and

B-29 Doc Celebrates 80 years!

by Brett Schauf

photos

On July 17, 2016, B-29 Doc once again took to the air. It was the first flight since being retired to China Lake as a target on the bombing range in March 1956.

At the Wings Over Houston Air Show in 2022 B-29 Doc was able to do a formation flight with a couple of Blue Angels. The photo ship for the mission was a Beechcraft Bonanza flown by Scott Slocum.

Brett Schauf

While at a tour stop in Camarillo, California, October 2024, Doc was invited to join Aviation PhotoCrew for an air to air photo mission.

Brett Schauf

December 2024 is the 80th Birthday for B-29 Doc. As part of the celebration I was able to do a short evening photo shoot. Image taken with a Nikon Z9 and 24-120 lens at 26 mm. ISO 200 with a 1/50th exposure at f/9. The plane was lit with 4 Godox strobes. Camera support was the Platyball mounted on a Platypod Extreme.

Brett Schauf

ISAP MEMBER’S SHOWCASE

Photo by Kevin Hong/Airspeed Editor

Vicky Benzing flying the beautiful P-51 Mustang at Aviation Nation at Nellis AFB. Camera: Canon R6 Mk II Lens: Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM ISO: 100 Shutter speed: 1/320 Exposure: f/11

RAW images processed in Adobe in Photoshop

Robin Guess

Based in Birmingham, Alabama, I’m a photographer with a lifelong love for documenting meaningful moments, especially in the world of aviation. Growing up with a father who was a prior photographer, my interest in the craft started early. My specific passion for aviation photography sparked while I was assigned to Charlie Company (DUSTOFF), 3-10 General Support Aviation Battalion, as a Flight Paramedic. There, I witnessed firsthand the power and precision of aircraft and developed a deep appreciation for the stories of the people behind the scenes.

I began my formal photography education at Arizona State University, where I studied photography for two years before transferring to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I’m currently studying art studio with a minor in film. While pursuing my education, I’m also aspiring to make a name for myself in aviation photography, using my background and technical skills to bring dynamic, high-stakes perspectives to my work.

When photographing air shows or capturing aviation imagery, my go-to gear is a Sony A7iv paired primarily with a Sony G OSS 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. I also carry a Sony G 50mm f/1.4 for more intimate shots. As an

advocate for flexibility in post-production, I shoot in RAW to give me the most room for editing in Adobe Lightroom. I enjoy manipulating deep earth tones and use custom LUTs to achieve unique looks, making my photos stand out.

Joining the International Society of Aviation Photographers (ISAP) in February 2025 was a natural next step for me after receiving a recommendation from a fellow professional photographer. I learned more about the organization from Chad Slattery, and I’m excited to be part of a community that elevates the visibility of aviation photography. I take pride in teaching others about photography, and have enjoyed seeing my family and friends learn new skills and shoot along with me. I also helped a few of my colleagues in Charlie Company learn to capture high-quality photos for the unit, ensuring that an appreciation of the craft would be shared and continued.

To those new to aviation photography, my advice is simple: things move fast. Understanding exposure properly and knowing when to freeze motion or convey it is essential. While the machines are incredible, remember that the humans who operate them are just as important. Their stories matter, too.

Joshua Epps

I’m Jennifer Santorelly, and I am an amateur photographer. I’ve never had formal training, I’ve honed my skills through various internet courses, fitting them in whenever I can.

I reside in the town of Glen Saint Mary in North Florida with my husband, Vince, and our three cats. We relocated to this fly-in community (Cuyler Field, FD27) two and a half years ago after spending nearly 30 years in New Smyrna Beach. My love for photography began at the age of ten when my parents gave me my first camera. Over the years, my passion for photography has only grown. I met Vince over 35 years ago at Weeks Air Museum in Miami, while I was attending flight school and he was restoring WWII airplanes as a mechanic. Our shared love for aviation has been a constant throughout our journey together. We honeymooned at Oshkosh in ’93.

Our lives took a turn after Hurricane Andrew forced us to leave Miami and relocate to New Smyrna Beach. In 2000, I embarked on a career as a stenographer, eventually establishing my own court reporting agency, which I later sold to one of the largest agencies in the country and where I still currently work as a Director of Operations. The daily demands of being a stenographer did not allow me time to really take pictures. Had a few point and shoot cameras over the years, but nothing really of quality.

During the COVID pandemic, I rekindled my love for photography, picking up my camera once again. I had bought a Canon camera a couple of years before wanting to really shoot again and it sat on the shelf collecting dust. It still had the same couple of pictures on the card when I turned it on. We lived near the beach and some great parks so I was able to go out and shoot wildlife shots even during the shutdown.

Now I exclusively shoot with Canon equipment, having upgraded to a 90D right before Oshkosh 2022. I’m considering switching to a mirrorless camera, perhaps before this year’s Oshkosh event. I shoot in RAW and use Photoshop, but have never been a big picture editor. I enjoy taking photographs more than editing them.

In addition to aviation photography, I have a passion for capturing wildlife, always on the hunt for that perfect white pelican shot. Vince remains deeply involved in aviation, currently restoring a L-4 Grasshopper with his company, Santorelly Aviation.

Not sure our neighbors knew what to think when we moved out here and often seeing me at the runway’s edge, photographing their flights. Now though I sometimes even get requests from them for impromptu photoshoots. We recently turned these photos into a calendar to raise funds for our EAA Chapter 1349, which currently I serve as the president and newsletter editor.

I joined the group after seeing the recent story on Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. Loved all the great pictures featured in the magazine and the overall quality of the magazine.

I’m grateful to have rediscovered my love for photography and am always eager to find my next photo opportunity. #crazyflyingmonkeystravel #santorellyaviation

Jennifer Santorelly

I’m Robin Guess. I currently reside in Mesa, Arizona. I am a semi-pro freelance editorial photographer with a passion for Aviation and Motorsports. Recently I have started to venture into landscape, wildlife and travel photography. My work has been published in various Aviation and Motorcycle publications, as well as editorial content for web sites.

Growing up an Air Force brat I developed a love for aviation. At the age of 12 my sister gave me her Pentax SLR camera and the photo bug bit. Working at a newspaper one of the staff photographers let me handle his Nikon F4 and shortly after that I switched over to Nikon and have been shooting with them ever since.

Currently my primary body is the Z9 with the Nikkor Z 180-600mm lens for in flight photos and the Nikkor Z 24-70mm S for static subjects. Recently added a Z50II to be used as a second body. Most of my photo training has been through experimentation other than a black and white photography class in high school. I shoot RAW and post process in DXO PureRaw and Adobe Photoshop.

For new photographers I would encourage them to network with other photographers that way you can learn from others and you might even teach them a trick or two. Now that we are in the digital age it is much more simple to experiment and push the envelope. I like to go out to the local airport and shoot commercial aviation while different angles, lighting and camera settings, when an airshow comes around I now have an understanding of what will and won’t work at the show.

Robin Guess

KelbyOne is an online education community for creative people to help them create the type of images they’ve always wanted.

We are driven by a passion to provide incredible training, with over 800 courses. Our HD-quality lessons, are available to stream 24/7 and taught by world-class industry instructors. Online Access also includes digital editions of Photoshop User magazine and Lightroom Magazine, guided learning tracks, a community forum, brushes, presets and so much more.

AIRPLANE SILHOUETTES

by John Ford

Identify these aircraft. The answers are found next to the Kenyon Gyro Ad.

The Professionals Source

Professionals in the world of imaging rely on the professionals of B&H for their equipment needs. We have experts ready to give courteous service with a phone call, a click of the mouse or a personal visit.

Our SuperStore

We pay tribute to the wealth of possibilities available for photography, videography and other media industries. We make the wonders of technology available through our complete lines of photo, video, audio, lighting, pro accessories, computers, data storage, optics, entertainment, projection and surveillance devices, to which we add a wonderful, personal experience for professionals, hobbyists and consumers alike.

Jim Wilson Photography International Distributor for Kenyon Stabilizing Products 214-796-9743

jw@jimwilsonphotography.com

Answers to Airplane Silhouettes

1. Curtiss P-40F Warhawk

2. Douglas A-1J Skyraider

3. Douglas C-47 Skytrain

4. F-86D

History

We opened our original storefront in 1973. Our reputation for extensive inventory and intelligent conversation about photography began with our first customer. We grew from a small photography shop in Manhattan’s Financial District to a major supplier of photo, video and audio equipment on 17th Street, with customers returning again and again for our low pricing and high reliability. The new millennium’s explosion of affordable technology for pros and consumers alike brought new lines of computers, home entertainment, and consumer devices at our location or online at www.bhphotovideo.com

We continue to expand to meet your needs with showrooms, classes, educational and social media, and more.

Photo by John E– PAUL’S Team member

ISAP Board Members

President and Board Chairman Larry Grace

Vice President and Vice Chairman Jim Wilson

Treasurer Gary Edwards

ISAP Board Member

ISAP Staff Member

Kevin Hong

John Sepp

Chairman Emeritus Jay Miller

Airspeed Editor Kevin Hong

Airspeed is a periodic publication of the International Society for Aviation Photography (ISAP) and is used to communicate news, functions, convention information, and other information of interest on the local, regional, and national scenes. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and should not be construed as the views or opinions of the International Society for Aviation Photography (ISAP). Please contact us at info@aviationphoto.org

Airspeed is a publication to showcase our members’ work capturing aviation.