ISnAP April 2017

Kevin Hong

WELCOME TO THE APRIL 2017 ISSUE OF ISNAP! THE SWISS AIR FORCE MUSEUM Hayman Tam NAF El Centro 2017 • Spring Photo Call Jeff Krueger, Chandler Feagin, Craig Swancy, Debra Hale, Denis Rouleau, Ed Faith, Jim Wilson, Stefan Seville Mi-24 Hind Craig Swancy The National Museum of the United States Air Force Erich Linder Avalon 2017 John Freedman Gold Addy!

John Slemp The Mighty Antonov John Slemp DACT: Dissimilar Air Combat Training Mike Green Meet The Members Jeff Krueger, Jerome Buescher, John Nash, Ken Snyder, Larry Ley, Max Gwaltney, Nigel Quick, Paul Csizmadia The North American F-107A - What Might Have Been Erik Simonsen Mystery Plane Silhouettes John Ford FRONT COVER PHOTO: Mike Green Spanish Air Force F-18 Hornet during a DACT exercise BACK COVER: Kevin Hong Coast Guard Grumman HU-16 Albatross owned by Connie Edwards landing on Lake Conroe at sunset

ISAP’s goal 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.

In this issue we are continuing to highlight ISAP members. I’m sure you will enjoy learning how your fellow ISAP members got started, as well as seeing some of their images and learning some tips. Remember that ISnAP is your publication to share your images, stories and tips with other members and the public. We look forward to each member sharing his or her stories with all of us.

Enjoy this issue of ISnAP! Sincerely, Larry Grace, President Kevin Hong, ISnAP Editor International Society for Aviation Photography www.aviationphoto.org • www.facebook.com/ISAPorg isnap@aviationphoto.org

Kevin Hong

w e l c o m e Hicks Milner Yama Yasuhiro Jim Froneberger Mark Bennett Mark Hrutkay Rodolfo Paiz Thakur Dalip Singh Joop Plaisier John Slemp Michael Gagarin Justin De Reuck Matt Booty John Freedman Herb Lingl Brian Loflin Abdullah Albalushi Steve Biggs Tom Pawlesh Michael Green

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Marcin Szpak Kenneth Dono Matt McVicker Charles Burin Andrew Krob Jeff Lambros Richard Spolar Eureco Blair Roy Deters David Stubbington Greg Drawbaugh Jason Jorgensen John Mortland Christopher Miller Bob Beresh John Corley Andy Lay Brian Stockton Craig Tisdale

r e t u r n i n g

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David Franks Denis Rouleau Eirik Ă˜stensjø Ian Frain John L Little II John Nash Keith Meachem Kena Schroeder Kenneth Snyder Kevin Atkins Lyle Devore Marc Schultz Markus Tatscher Max Gwaltney Michael Pliskin Nancy Gorell Nigel Quick Patrick Williams Rob Hynes

m e m b e r s Robert Bach Robert Lionel Rollo Watkins Shiro Trev Steve Burke Trevis Shiroma Christopher Ranney Jeffrey Krueger Michael Manz Rodney Cromer Robert Moser Steven Sumosky Philip Johnson Jan-Arie van der Linden Matt Savage Simon Fitall James Goggin Charles Daniels

The ISnAP 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.

S S I W M S U E S E U M H E T C R O F AIR Article

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Tam

In the past few years, I have begun to travel more extensively with an emphasis on Europe. During the travel itinerary planning, my wife knows me well enough to ask politely if there are any aviation museums that I want to visit. On my last trip I was fortunate to visit three museums, so allow me to introduce you to the first one.

Located on the outskirts of Zurich, Switzerland is the suburb of DĂźbendorf, which is also the location of the DĂźbendorf Air Base.

Besides the active units based here, this is also the peacetime location of the Swiss Air Force headquarters. The official Swiss Air Force Museum (Flieger-Flab-Museum) is also located here and I highly recommended this to any aviation fan.

The collection was founded in 1972 by the Office for Military Airfields and dedicated to the history of Swiss military aviation and air defense.

The museum collection numbers over forty airplanes and helicopters, with the collection grouped into chronological exhibits spanning from pre-WWI to recently retired first-line aircraft.

The collection is very comprehensive, showcasing many of the aircraft employed by the Swiss Air Force over the past century. While many

aircraft displayed were acquired from other countries, there is also a good representation of indigenous designs. It was surprising to see how many aircraft were manufactured under license in Switzerland, ranging from the Fokker D.VII in 1920 to the F/A-18 Hornet in 1996.

The Swiss keep their aircraft in top condition and keep them in service far longer than other nations. Several one-off prototypes are also in the collection, seeing unique aircraft is one of the pleasures of visiting aviation museums overseas.

A recent expansion now locates all their training aircraft together, along with a collection of cockpits being set up as a flight simulator attraction. Another adjoining building houses an impressive aircraft engine collection. Adult Admission is 15 Swiss Francs and there is a restaurant on site. Unfortunately most of the signage is in German.

Museum lighting conditions are a mix of natural and artificial light, large windows did make for some backlighting challenges depending on the angle. This was my first travel use of my new Nikon D500 paired with a Nikkor 18-200mm and a Tokina 10-17mm, with ISO rarely exceeding 1250.

A Northrop F-5E Tiger II, in Patrouille Suisse colors, soars above the Flieger Flab Museum entrance.

Hayman Tam

The Morane Saulnier MS.506 was license built as the D-3801, incorporating many Swiss improvements on the original French design.

Designated the D-3801, more than 300 of these Morane Saulnier MS.506 were license built in Switzerland by Dornier.

The ground attack C-3603 was produced by EKW (Eidgenoessische Konstruktionswerkstaette) and used in that role until the early 1950’s.

Seven of these Bücker Bü 181 Bestmann aircraft served in training roles.

Hayman Tam

The Messerschmitt Me-109E, along with the D-3801, were the frontline fighters fielded by the Swiss during WWII.

The Swiss-designed reconnaissance aircraft EKW C-35 was introduced in 1936, removed from front-line service in 1943 and finally retired in 1954.

Designed by Swiss aeronautical engineer August Häfeli, the DH-5 was a two-seat reconnaissance aircraft used from 1922-1940.

Designed by the chief engineer at EKW, six of these Häfeli DH-1 reconnaissance aircraft were produced in 1916 with three lost in accidents within a year.

Hayman Tam

The Hawker Hunter FB.58 was employed by the Swiss Air Force from 1958–1994 primarily in interceptor roles.

Discovery of wing cracks led to the rapid retirement of all Hunters in the 1990’s.

The de Havilland DH.115 Vampire two-seat trainer was in service from 1953-1990, being replaced by the BAe Hawk.

The new hall for training and utility aircraft.

The aircraft engine display hall

Hayman Tam

These aircraft, the Northrop F-5E Tiger & Dassault Mirage IIIS, reflect the modern era of the Swiss Air Force.

Nicknamed the “Flying Zebra Crossing�, the pre-WWII F+W C-3605 saw a new career as a target tug in 1968 with the upgrade to a turboprop powerplant, performing in this role until 1987.

Another view of the FFA P-16, one of five prototypes built. This surviving example was assembled from parts of two of the prototypes. The P-16 wing design lives on as the basis for the Learjet wing.

The Pilatus P-2 trainer aircraft was used by the Swiss Air Force from 1946 until 1981, the Pilatus P-3 primary/advanced trainer was in use from 1956-1983

Hayman Tam

The Swiss Air Force used the BĂźcker BĂź 133 Jungmeister as an advanced trainer until 1968.

The Swiss license-built these Fokker C.V-E biplanes for reconnaissance and bombing duties, later using them for target towing after the start of WWII.

Hayman Tam

Developed from the Vampire, de Havilland DH 112 Venom had a thin wing and more powerful engine for high altitude performance and was in service from 1954-1984.

Hayman Tam

Designed in the 1950’s, the EFW N-20 Aiguillon (Sting) was Switzerland’s first indigenous jet fighter aircraft.

This ambitious four-engined design was hobbled by engine development issues and only flew briefly once (during a taxi test) in 1952 before the program was canceled in favor of purchasing the de Havilland Vampire.

Hayman Tam

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The NAF El Centro photo call on February 16th, 2017, was my second military photo call. As I am not a professional aviation photographer which a number of our ISAP photo call group were, I was able to watch and learn a lot, when I didn’t have the camera pointed towards the sky. I thought I might pass on some of that learning and some of the experience itself. I know many of you are well versed in these opportunities, but perhaps there are a number of new members that are at the advanced hobbyist level like me that can benefit.

We all met up Wednesday evening for dinner and had fun getting to know our ISAP group. I’m happy to say in my opinion, we all clicked and made new friends between us. We planned our next day as far as departure time and went over all of the safety and base rules. These were all sent ahead of time but it was a good refresher.

First and foremost at NAF El Centro, don’t fall off the 20 foot high hay bales. It’s not only unprofessional, but it may hurt! We started the day at the hay bales which worked out perfectly as with the prevailing wind, the Blue Angels took off directly over us, and nobody fell off the hay bales! I was glad I grabbed my hearing protection which should always be with you.

After the first Blues practice run, we cooled our heels and had a good opportunity to mingle with the other individuals and groups participating for the day. I think we all met new people and were able to catch up with folks we already knew.

From there, we were bussed on to the base and met with the new CO, (whose wife is a photographer) and had our briefing before heading onto the tarmac.

The afternoon started with the Blue Angels taxiing past us and although the noon sun didn’t do much for good lighting overall, we were able to get some good shots of the pilots as they passed, all giving us the high sign! As my first photo call last year was not as successful as I would have hoped image wise (my fault, not the surroundings), I made a number of technical adjustments to insure better results, so I was able to focus on getting the shots I wanted.

President Larry Grace tried to instill up front. It’s not just about the aircraft, tell a story! While I knew this, it’s just so darn easy to get tied up with the aircraft and flight, I again fell into the “get the cool shot” mode and didn’t really think outside the box and shoot the bigger picture. I realized this as I went through my images and saw a few from seasoned pros. However, I do think I got some pretty good images and I am happy with many of them.

We were treated to some great photo opportunities as they did their practice run, nearly an hour, and as they knew we were there, did play a bit to the cameras on several passes. We had some decent clouds off and on which helped a lot.

Hopefully there will be a next time and I can pay more attention to a wider view of the opportunity and work more on incorporating aircraft into a story beyond just the plane itself. I can’t say enough about our group of ISAP photographers and the opportunity that NAF El Centro and our host PAO Kris Hough provided.

Jeff Krueger

From there, we were bussed to the flight line to watch and photograph normal air operations, which included a contingent from the Canadian military who are apparently wintering at El Centro. While there wasn’t a huge amount of activity, there was significant opportunity to get some great shots. This is where I learned, after the fact, about what ISAP

Jeff Krueger

Jeff Krueger

Jeff Krueger

Jeff Krueger

Chandler Feagin

Chandler Feagin

Chandler Feagin

Chandler Feagin

Craig Swancy

This ISAP Photo Call for NAF El Centro was an extremely productive trip. ISAP Vice President Jim Wilson led our group of photographers, I can say we were well prepared for the days’ events.

The early Blue Angels Practice was photographed from the legendary “Hay Bales” with a very good result. The Angels kept us busy as they seemed to perform many maneuvers directly in front of our position.

This small group of ISAP Members seemed to hit it off well and visited while keeping up with the Angels performance.

Moving inside NAF El Centro we were briefed by Kris Haugh the Base PAO as to the ground rules for this photo shoot. I can say all there obeyed the rules and had a very productive experience out on the airfield safe area. The mid-day performance of the Angels gave all of us a completely different angle to shoot from. We captured the pilots and aircraft as they rolled by and then changed positions quickly on the airfield for the takeoffs and show. Again the ISAP Members compared notes as they shot the show.

Moving yet again to the final position near the Main Runway and duly remembering our prior briefing; we went to work walking a quarter of a mile stretch next to the runway being ever careful to avoid the “Line of Death” chalk stripe provided for our protection and safety.

The take-offs and landings were routine and offered some good shots as the mixture of blue skies and clouds provided a fine background.

Kris allowed us to work through the golden hour and even past sunset by his permission. This yielded many fine photographs with that wonderful lighting.

All tired, we again manned the buses to be driven off the airfield to a well deserved break before leaving NAF El Centro in our rear view mirror.

As tradition dictates, we all went to “Burgers and Beer” in downtown El Centro to have the obvious and talk about the day’s work. A splendid time was had by all.

Craig Swancy

Craig Swancy

Craig Swancy

Craig Swancy

Craig Swancy

Craig Swancy

Craig Swancy

Debra Hale

I have a couple of favorite things will always and forever remain at the top of my list of favorite things. One is sunset, that sweet time of day when the sun dips below the horizon or the mountains or the sea, and the color of the earth and sky transforms through rainbow shades until the dark of night takes over. The other is the sound of an F-18, poised at the end of the runway turning up the volume of the engines until the pilot sends it screaming down the runway into powerful flight, and I can feel it flow from my ears into my heart and soul. Then my two favorite things happen together in harmony. That’s magic.

I would like to express my sincerest and deepest thanks to all the Navy personnel at NAS El Centro who decided that on February 16, 2017 six F-18 Hornets should depart between 1730 and 1745 filling my bucket to the brim and overflowing. What a beautiful sight, what a beautiful sound, what an amazing photo opportunity!

This was the incredible grand finale to an already splendid day. It began with an early morning gathering of photographers perched on top of strategically placed hay bales that afforded us the perfect view up the centerline of the east west runway.

From this vantage point we savored every moment of the Blue Angels early morning flight, capturing their grace and beauty while they painted the sky with smoke trails.

By late morning we assembled at the main gate, awaiting our escorts onto the base and ultimately to the flight line where we would be up close and personal for the remainder of the flights that day. The rest of the adventure that day is documented by far too many megabytes for me to count, and a lot of great conversation with fellow photographers whose passion is aviation. I made new friends and cherished time spent with old ones. I savored the opportunity to think only about the moment at hand – shutter speeds and apertures and sharp focus when I pan‌

Debra Hale

Debra Hale

Debra Hale

Debra Hale

Denis Rouleau

Denis Rouleau

As it was my first El Centro Photo Call, I was feeling the excitement on my way from Sacramento, California. I was supposed to meet a few of the ISAP members outside the fence on the East side of the base the day prior to the photo call; we were hoping to catch the Blue Angels practicing.

I arrived on the East side, in front of the runway but could not find Jim Wilson nor the others. But luck was with me as two Blue Angels were taxing to my end of the runway and three other BA were at the other end, getting ready to take off! I already had my two cameras on my harness, ready to shoot. I opened the trunk of my car and stood on the lid to take pictures of the three already rolling on the runway, side by side. I have a good view over the fence. That was exciting to see them coming my way.

Then I noticed that I did not have any ear protection on and they were over me! That was really loud and the power from those six engines was scary!

A few minutes later, Jim arrived with a few other members. They were at the other runway.

It was great meeting them and then we got on top of the hay bales stacked right in front of the runway. Jeff and Chandler modified the configuration so that it was easier to climb to the top, a great feature!

We got a few good shots of the BA and then spent part of the evening at a restaurant.

Early the next day, we met at the hay bales again for the morning practice.

More people were there but there was plenty of space on the hay bales.

This time, the BA were four wide at take-off.

And then, the time came to go to the parking lot outside the base and be bussed on the base. We were given a last safety briefing before being bussed out to the tarmac where we had the chance to see up close the Blue Angels taxiing for their take off. The show was great but you know they are still practicing when they repeat several of their passes. That was handy though because I missed on the first one!

They landed and we were bussed to the flight line of the active runway for the remaining of the afternoon. Life goes on and the pilots had to take-off for their practices or missions. A bunch of Hornets and Super Hornets took off before we could be on the flight line but once we were in position, we saw more take off and land.

That was my first time taking pictures this close to the runway and that was exciting! I love Hornets and, still more, Super Hornets so I was in paradise! I would have loved to see an EA-18G but that was not in the cards that day.

I shoot Nikon with a D810 and a D500. I brought a bunch of lenses but was using mostly my new Nikon 400 mm / 2,8 when the plane was further away and my Nikon 80-400 when they were closer. I also used a Nikon 24-70 on the D500 to do some panning at slow shutter speeds; when I get it right, that gives a great picture with a lot of movement/ action thanks to the blurred background.

Being Canadian, I was pleased to see half a dozen training jets from the Royal Canadian Air Force, the CT-155 Hawk. They took off and disappeared to their practice area.

Most if not all of the F-18s were from VFA-106 NAS Oceana and there was one Hornet with a nice paint scheme.

I saw only one McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk and that’s a shame.

I wanted to see more of them.

We were supposed to quit around 17:15. The last hour was pretty dry; no plane! We heard a few engines running but the shut down after a while; just a practice or test run. The Hawks came back. Ten minutes or so left to go and three F-18s started making noise. Were they going to leave soon! It always takes a good deal of time to get a plane ready.

Our time was up but somebody came our way to tell us that our PAO, Kristopher Haugh, gave us some time to see the planes take-off! That was great of him!

Some people were already back to the buses; they came back to the flight line to enjoy the last planes.

The sun was low and it was getting dark; that is the right time to get impressive pictures at take-off mostly thanks to the afterburners. I had my Sigma 50-100 f/1,8 on the D500; it is fast and the range was good for when the plane would pass in front of me.

So three Super Hornets taxi to the end of the runway and take-off, one after the other. I was dragging the shutter on the D500 to get a horizontally blurred background. Then I switched to the 400 mm when the planes got farther, trying to catch the beautifully colored sky.

We were done and started walking toward the buses. I was pretty far from them and I had to walk for several minutes. In the meantime, another group of Super Hornets were rolling toward the runway! I was lucky enough to photograph them taking-off before I was in the bus!

The day ended with a big fireworks of afterburners at dusk! Beautiful and exciting ending!

The ISAP members finished that great day at Burgers and Beers; we were split around two tables and I was sharing the second table with Jeff, Stefan and Debra. We had a great time!

My first photo call at El Centro proved to be a success. I met great people and saw awesome planes in action. For this, I would like to thank the people at NAF El Centro, in particular our PAO, Kristopher Haugh.

Denis Rouleau

Denis Rouleau

Denis Rouleau

Denis Rouleau

Denis Rouleau

Ed Faith If I had to sum up the experience in one word: WOW! I have been a member of ISAP for approximately two years and I am more impressed with each event. I have been fortunate to attend a Fall Photo Call however; this was my first “Blue Angel” trip to NAF El Centro and definitely goes down as one of the best aviation photo calls I have experienced.

The emphasis for the 2017 Spring Photo Call was more than just a quick run and shoot. Larry Grace and Jim Wilson put together an agenda that allowed the selected photographers and opportunity to meet, share experiences and truly enjoy the gathering. Jim did a wonderful job of overseeing the group.

The SoCal Weather could not have been better; near perfect temperatures and beautiful skies welcomed the group for this February shoot.

Ed Faith

Our group actually coordinated a rendezvous the day prior to the official Photo Call to meet and explore photo locations. As luck would have it, a local farmer had hay bales located at the end of Runway 21/30: perfect location to catch the Blue Angel takeoffs and landings. When practice time came, the Blues didn’t disappoint. Their first departure

was directly at the group and low resulting in an experience that is beyond words. This we determined would be our spot for the following morning while we awaited the official show time for the primary event.

The main event was similar to previous NAF El Centro Photo Calls; the NAF Public Affairs Officer (PAO), Kris, did an excellent job of prepping the group for the days events. A highlight of this event was the introduction of the recently appointed base commander.

Capt. Alfonzo welcomed the group and stated that he was glad to carry on the Photo Call tradition.

Today’s event would allow the group time to shoot from two vantage points: show center while the Blue Angels practice their routine and runway perimeter for normal operations. In addition to photographing aircraft, the event is a social gathering of sorts. Individuals of all ability levels discuss techniques, locations and best practices in a non-competitive atmosphere. This type of gathering allows everyone to get something from the event.

The 2017 Air Show Season is quickly approaching. I can’t wait to participate in more ISAP Sponsored Events; hope to see you there.

Denis Ed Faith Rouleau

Denis Ed Faith Rouleau

Jim Wilson

We’ve all had opportunities over the years to capture great images at air shows around the country, but being part of an event like the NAS El Centro/ISAP Photo Call is a whole other animal entirely. Your first clue is that even though you are all geared up with foam ear plugs and noise attenuating headsets, when your subjects roar by you it’s barely enough. The thunder from an F-18’s twin afterburners hits you in the chest like a drop kick as the aircraft scream by your lens and rocket into the sky. The sounds, the heat, the speed, the adrenaline, no, this is not just another air show. The photographers who attend this event, and ISAP events like it are hand picked for their professionalism, their discipline, their experience in and around the exhilarating, but dangerous close in flightline.

When it’s all said and done, and the thank you’s have been said, the photographers who had this opportunity will be flying home with some of the most incredible images they have ever captured, and with this group, that’s saying something. Events like this aren’t all about the noise and speed though, it might surprise you, but the opportunity to fellowship with people from all over the world who are dedicated to the same craft is probably the biggest draw.

Early morning breakfast gatherings where participants brainstorm locations, lighting, and the gear they plan to use, tail gate lunches, group dinners where everyone is sharing the big ones that did not get away, that’s what makes an ISAP event like this so special.

I’ve been an ISAP member for over a decade, Vice Chairman for the last four years, and the reason I stay involved and put in the time, is the people. I’ve watched our events over the years, the relationships that have been built, seen photographers at the top of their game and the industry twist off a ten thousand dollar lens and hand it to someone they barely know, just so they can see what it’s like to shoot with something like that. I had the privilege of leading this event with a fellow member, Craig Swancy, and together we marveled at the talent and experience of the group that was selected to participate. Nice to see, that in an extremely competitive industry, our members don’t bring their egos, just their love of the craft, and aviation, for a few wonderful days, nothing else really seems to matter.

This Photo Call was very special for me, because I had one of my Grandson’s at my side, can’t really even find the words to describe what that meant to me. Chandler is barely 16, but he’s already building relationships within our organization, and it warms my heart that our members, my friends and colleagues, have gone out of their way to make him feel welcome. A few years ago Chandler was with me at an ISAP symposium and we were waiting out a Spring thunderstorm before heading back to the flightline. I looked up to see our good friend and lifelong National Geographic photographer, Jim Sugar, snapping a portrait of us. That’s the spirit of ISAP, doesn’t matter who you are, where you reside on the photographic food chain, everyone is there for the very same reason. These days there are precious few gatherings that aren’t spoiled by one kind of division or another, very rare indeed.

So, to the members who help make ISAP what it is, thank you, and to everyone else who loves photography and especially aviation photography, come join us and help us make ISAP even better.

Denis Jim Wilson Rouleau

Denis Jim Wilson Rouleau

Denis Jim Wilson Rouleau

Denis Jim Wilson Rouleau

Denis Jim Wilson Rouleau

Denis Jim Wilson Rouleau

Jim Wilson

Stefan Seville

You’re in TSA limbo - you’ve been through the fancy space-age swirling contraband detector, your bag through the X-ray machine, yet you’re still separated from your belongings by a chest-high barrier. Opposite you stands a blue-clad agent of Homeland Security, pulling every last item from your case for inspection. You casually mention that your flight started boarding 5 minutes ago, and the disgruntled officer begins haphazardly cramming things back into the bag. Of course it won’t close when they try to move the zipper, since it took a 3 hour packing/prayer session the night before to convince the zipper’s teeth to mesh. You regain possession of your wheeled companion and look down in dismay at the chaos within its confines. This is a perfect illustration of what standing on the edge of NAF El Centro’s active runway does to the contents of your torso, thanks mostly to the afterburning engines of US Navy F/A-18s.

There’s no proper way to describe the impact of the sound (other than perhaps ‘damaging’), but the thunder traveling up through the soles of your dusty shoes needs no words - it’s awe-inspiring and leaves you begging for the next round.

ISAP affords many special opportunities to photographers, and photographing from spitting distance of the runway is no exception.

Thanks to Jim Wilson (and Larry Grace, though he could not join us) for orchestrating our outing.

Denis Rouleau Stefan Seville

Denis Rouleau Stefan Seville

Stefan Seville

THE MI-24

HIND Photos and article by Craig Swancy

One day of the two-day symposium was spent at Lancaster Field south of Dallas, Texas. It rained and thundered as a heavy Texas Thunderstorm moved directly through the airport. We took shelter in the Cold War Museum’s hangar to weather the storm. Several airplanes were provided for photography but we were waiting for the Mil MI-24 Hind to appear. It was on it’s way from an air show in Oklahoma returning home to Lancaster Field.

Keeping an eye to the North and watching the storm move East, kept us on our toes due to air to ground lighting. After about a 45 minute wait we heard the MI-24 approach. A totally different prop sound from any Bell or Sikorsky and a very distinct recognizable blade to air vibration, the Hind approached beating the air into submission. This is a large

helicopter and very impressive upon first sight. I now understand why our soldiers referred to it as a flying tank.

The crew slowed the aircraft and allowed the photographers on the ground the rare opportunity to catch an MI-24 in the air. For several minutes the ship pasted before us then landed, taxied to its final place on the tarmac. I never thought the opportunity to photograph this ship would ever happen.

All ISAP members got their shots and had a great time the rest of the afternoon working with the other aircraft provided. But we did get the big one and it’s checked off the “Bucket List” now.

The MI-24 Hind is, simply put, a beast. 12 metric tons of armor-plated, 200 mph helicopter with a quad 12.7mm articulated machine gun in the nose; it’s not the sort of aircraft you want to run into under unfriendly circumstances.

The Cold War Air Museum has three Krokodiles in its inventory. Two in flying condition, and one on static display as a gate guard. As far as we know, these are the only MI-24s on public display in the United States.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS • Crew: 3 (pilot, weapons system officer and technician) • Capacity: 8 troops or 4 stretchers • Length: 17.5 m (57 ft 4 in) • Rotor diameter: 17.3 m (56 ft 7 in) • Height: 6.5 m (21 ft 3 in) • Disc area: 235 m² (2,530 ft²) • Empty weight: 8,500 kg (18,740 lb) • Max takeoff weight: 12,000 kg (26,500 lb)

• Powerplant: 2× Isotov TV3-117 turbines, 1,600 kW (2,200 hp) each

• Wingspan: 6.5 m (21 ft 3 in)

PERFORMANCE • Maximum speed: 335 km/h (208 mph) • Range: 450 km (280 miles) • Service ceiling: 4,500 m (14,750 ft) Cold War Museum 850 Ferris Rd • Lancaster, TX 75146 (972) 218-9700 • coldwarairmuseum.com This is a must place to visit when in the area. Call ahead to make sure someone is there. Be sure and take your camera.

Denis Swancy Craig Rouleau

Craig Swancy

Eric Linder

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

Article and photos by Erich Linder

The sole surviving XB-70 in place for display, the centerpiece of the R&D Gallery. Designed as a high altitude nuclear bomber that could fly at Mach 3, only 2 were built and used for testing.

The National Museum of the United States Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, spans multiple buildings and has one of the worlds largest collections of aircraft and missiles. It is filled with displays and artifacts ranging from the time of observation balloons in the US Civil War to the F-22 Raptor and from Robert Goddard’s research to the Space Shuttle. It boasts an extensive museum restoration facility, the pride of which at the moment is the B-17 Memphis Belle, due to be completed and on display May 17, 2018. It is also one of the most photographer friendly museums I have ever seen, going so far as to recommend bringing a tripod and giving tips on film and white balance settings due to lighting differences in the various buildings.

I have visited this museum several times in the past and after numerous days there have still not seen everything. There seems to be something new around every corner, and indeed, they recently added many new corners! The primary reason for my most recent visit was to explore the new fourth building housing the Research And Development, Space, Global Reach, and Presidential galleries. Previously the aircraft that comprise these collections were housed on base in a controlled access area which required visitors to board buses to drive to the hangers.

The addition attached to the main museum allowed these aircraft to be moved to the general access areas. Indeed, that very move afforded aviation enthusiasts the unique opportunity to see these aircraft outdoors and on the move for what is likely to be the last time they see the light of day.

the aircraft used by President Kennedy to fly to Dallas that fateful day, upon which Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as President following the assassination, and which brought both the new President and the former President’s body back to Washington.

As for the camera, so far I am very impressed by the image quality both at the normal 20MP level and the high resolution modes. The micro 4/3 sensor with its crop factor of 2 yields a much larger depth of field for a given aperture setting than the larger sensors. This aids significantly in situations such as this museum where you are frequently limited in how far away from the aircraft you can get for composition. The added resolution makes resized images that much crisper as well as allowing significantly more freedom in cropping. Can it really equal the likes of the full frame 36MP Nikon D810 or 50MP Canon 5D? Likely not in many situations, but considering my gear bag will weigh less than half for the full kit of equivalent lenses and the output will be almost indistinguishable for many applications, the smaller sensor system is a compromise I can work with. I won’t be ditching my Nikons gear any time soon, but I may more often take the Olympus as I walk out the door. All the photos inside the new building presented here were taken with the Olympus camera and lenses.

For more information visit the extensive museum website at www.nationalmuseum.af.mil

A secondary reason for the visit was to evaluate a new camera, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk2. While traditional DSLRs and big heavy glass still rule fast action and low light applications, mirrorless cameras are beginning to make inroads with many photographers. How many of us have groaned at the weight when lifting our gear bags? I purchased the Olympus m4/3 system to supplement my primary Nikon kit not only for the smaller body, but for the available high quality smaller lightweight lenses. This camera also has a unique feature, a high resolution mode in which the camera shifts the micro four thirds sized (MFT or m4/3) 20MP sensor to take multiple exposures a the various positions and then internally combines them into a 25 or 50MP JPG image and an 80MP raw image. Since this feature is currently only useable from a tripod or fixed position, a museum would be the perfect application to test it.

Before entering the new building, there is an elevator that gives access to an elevated area from which the entire display can be seen. This perspective allows you to see so many aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and displays at once that it is immediately obvious how immense the new building is. This addition also utilizes a new LED based lighting system, making it significantly brighter and more evenly lit than the older buildings. Handheld photography is possible here, whereas it can be a challenge in the older buildings.

The R&D Gallery houses more experimental, research, prototype, and high performance aircraft than I have ever seen in one place. Towering over this area is the sole surviving XB-70A Valkyrie. The Space Gallery includes a Titan lV rocket, Mercury, Gemini, Apollo capsules, as well as the Space Shuttle Crew Compartment Trainer. This was used by crews to learn and practice procedures needed prior to their journeys into orbit and later to build the International Space Station. The Global Reach Gallery includes the Lockheed C-141C “Hanoi Taxi”, the plane that few into Hanoi at the end of the war to bring the POWs back home.

The Presidential Gallery includes several aircraft used to transport the President and various VIPs. The center of this collection is SAM 26000,

The unusual Ryan X-13 Vertijet proved the concept that a jet could take off vertically, fly horizontally in conventional flight, and then land again vertically. While validating the VTOL idea, its practicality left much to be desired.

As planes were taken from the old hanger to the new they were left outside a short time so that US Air Force photographers and the general public could take photos.

Erich Linder

The original artwork was left in place when the restoration of Memphis Belle was begun, seen here in 2012.

Erich Linder

The XB-70 being pushed back during her trip in 2015 to the new museum addition.

Seeing this huge plane up close in the open was a real treat.

Entering the hanger, likely the last time she will be in motion.

Martin Marietta X-24A and X-24B lifting body designs paved the way with research eventually used on the Space Shuttle.

The Space Shuttle Crew Compartment Trainer (CCT) number 1 of 3 built, brought here from Houston where it was used to train astronauts.

Erich Linder

The high fidelity Shuttle cockpit inside the CCT1.

This North American X-15A-2/AF sported external fuel tanks and an ablative coating when it flew to a record Mach 6.7 in 1967 after being dropped from its B-52 mothership.

Similar to the X-1A which first broke the sound barrier, the X-1B had a number of refinements used to explore thermal heating during high speed flight up to Mach 2.3 from 1954 to 1958.

Engine development problems kept the Douglas X-3 Stiletto from reaching its designed Mach 2 speeds, it nevertheless provided useful information used to develop the Lockheed F-104 with its similar small trapezoidal wing.

Erich Linder

Forerunner to the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, this sole remaining example of the YF-12A was conceived as a Mach 3 interceptor. In 1965 it set speed and altitude records of 2,070 MPH and 80,257 feet.

The Grumman X-29A was built to investigate forward swept wings, canards, inherent instability, and the computer fly by wire systems now in commonplace use.

This Constellation airliner based Lockheed VC-121E “Columbine III” served as President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s official aircraft.

Inside the cockpit of the Columbine III

Erich Linder

Ushering in the Jet Age to presidential aircraft, this Boeing-707 derived VC-137C plane served 8 presidents over a span of 36 years.

After being replaced by another VC-137C designated SAM 27000, this airframe continued to serve as a backup for the president and VIPs.

Inside the cockpit of SAM 26000

While both cameras feature the state of the art in 20MP sensors, the size and weight differences are obvious between this full frame Nikon D5 with 24-70mm f/2.8 lens and the MFT Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk2 with 24-80mm (equivalent) f/2.8 lens.

Erich Linder

How much resolution is that? Here is a 100% crop from the above image.

This cropped photo was taken in high resolution mode, resulting in an 80MP raw file with a size of 10,368 x 7,776 pixels.

This year’s Australian International Airshow was a chance for the Australian Defence Force to showcase some of its newest assets to the public. It was the first appearance of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, the Boeing EA-18G Growler, the Boeing P-8A Poseidon as well as the C-27A Spartan and PC-21 Trainer.

With these aircraft and the current stable of F/A-18F Super Hornets, E-7 Wedgetail AWAC, C-17As and Airbus KC-30As; Australia has one of the most modern fleets of any air force around the globe. These aircraft performed as part of the Airpower show with Australian Army ARH Tiger, RAN Romeo Seahawk, and MRH Taipan helicopters.

Held every two years; the show has trade days from Tuesday to Friday where international aerospace companies compete with local businesses. There is a short flying program in the afternoon. The public show starts Friday night, and continues over the weekend. It is the largest airshow in the region.

The show had something for most fans, with the RAAF Museum providing their Sopwith Pup replica, DH Tigermoth, and the SNIPE. The Temora Aviation Museum brought their Spitfire Mk.VIII, CA-13 Boomerang, Wirraway trainer, Hudson and Meteor, which flew with Doug Hamilton’s P-40 Kittyhawk. The HARS Super Constellation flew with a DHA Drover and Jeff Trappett’s C-47 Dakota. There was a display by the RNZAF C-130H as well as static displays by the Singaporeans with their KC-135, F-15s and C-130s. The USAF brought a B-1B in and the F-16C and F-22 Raptor did amazing displays.

There were spectacular aerobatics by Skip Stewart, and Jurgis Kairys, and locals Paul Bennet, Glenn Graham and Glenn Collins. Bob Carlton performed in the Sonix Jet. The night show culminated with a spectacular twin RAAF C-130J Hercules flare drop.

There are not many airshows that have military aviation operating in front of you showing off their capabilities. You can get the helicopters flying in, transports deploying armoured vehicles and soldiers, and fighter jets doing mock dogfights including popping flares. It was an awesome show, and a great opportunity to catch up with great friends that I only get to see every two years. So if you did not get there this year, you now have two years to plan to attend the next one, see you there!!

A V A L O N 2 0 1 7 AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW Article and photos by John Freedman

John Freedman

DenisFreedman John Rouleau

DenisFreedman John Rouleau

DenisFreedman John Rouleau

DenisFreedman John Rouleau

John Freedman

GOLD ADDY! Article and photos by John Slemp

Just recently discovered that the Phillips 66 Aviation Fuels website won a Gold Addy in 2016, which I created the images for in late 2014.

The Addy’s are a big deal in the advertising world, and although most agencies won’t admit it, they really like to win them.

While awards are nice, it was not on my mind when we were creating the images for their advertising needs.

What was I thinking about? In no particular order, they were…

1. Creating arresting images 2. Make sure the images communicate the client’s message 3. Concentrate on the client’s list of images primarily, and create other images as time allows 4. Make sure the support team is well coordinated to maximize the client’s ROI 5. Keep everybody hydrated and well fed. It was hot out there!

6. Be especially attentive to suggestions from the art director Originally, we were contracted to create 24 distinctly different images over the course of two days, in Opa-locka, Florida, in mid-September.

In the end, 32 different images were delivered. Of the 24 selected for

inclusion in their marketing/website efforts, almost half were images created as the ideas popped into my head that were not originally on the shot list, created at no additional expense.

It should be mentioned that there was a team of seven (digital tech, first and second assistant, producer, stylist, makeup artist, caterer), 5 paid models with strict time limits, and of course the team from the agency and client. In all, I think there were 13 people on set at any given time.

The folks at Fontainebleau Aviation were most helpful, and largely due to their cooperation, there were no logistical problems.

After the shoot, I received a note from the agency art director telling me that I had done a “good job.” This meant a lot…and we are still in touch, even though he has moved to another agency.

One of the things I really enjoy about this whole process is collaborating with the client. Once I know what they have in mind, my imagination kicks in, and I’m happy to offer visual suggestions they may not have envisioned. It usually works out for all concerned...and adds to the creative possibilities available to the agency/client in crafting their marketing message.

DenisSlemp John Rouleau

John Slemp

John Slemp

THE M

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Article and photos by John Slemp

IGHTY

ONOV As you may have seen in recent news reports, the country of Chile has been suffering from an unprecedented series of fires. It is summer in the southern hemisphere, and this country that relies on their forests for wood products and vineyards for wine production is in desperate need of help.

As it happens, Helicopter Express, a local Atlanta company that specializes in fire-fighting has been hired by the Chilean government to bring four helicopters, a large maintenance truck/trailer combo, pilots and ground support personnel to Santiago, Chile, to help in that fight. To that end, the massive Antonov AN-124-100, from the Volga-Dnepr Unique Air Cargo company was hired for that task.

The Antonov is Russia’s answer to the American Lockheed C-5M Galaxy cargo aircraft that I was familiar with. After a quick visit to Wikipedia, I learned that the Antonov can carry about 20% more than a C-5, and has an internal 20-ton crane system. Since the C-5 has never been sold for civilian use, the Antonov fleet stays busy worldwide carrying outsized and extremely heavy cargo for a wide variety of clients, including oil and gas companies, automobiles with a special double-deck system, heavy earth moving and military equipment, and disaster relief supplies. It can reportedly carry up to 330,000 pounds of cargo! This particular load was about 26 tons, so I’m sure the Antonov wasn’t even straining hard when it lifted off.

John Slemp

It has 24 tires landing gear tires, four in the front, and ten on each side.

Spare tires and other maintenance items are carried aboard routinely, as the aircraft often operates from airfields that otherwise have no support capabilities for such a large aircraft.

The aircraft opens at both the front and the rear, and can “kneel down” in front to allow vehicles to drive on via an internal ramp. The floor plates are made from titanium, making it very strong, but lightweight.

Anchor points distributed across the floor allows cargo to be fastened securely, and special blocks can be anchored where needed so the internal 100 ton winch can pull cargo aboard.

In addition to cargo, there is a passenger compartment in the upper rear of the aircraft that allows for up to 88 passengers to be carried

along with the cargo load. A flight crew of six is needed to operate the aircraft, including two pilots, two flight engineers, a radio operator, and a navigator. Future upgrades will reduce the crew to four. Additionally, it is common to carry at least six crewmen to manage the loading and unloading of the aircraft. For this 11 hour flight, the aircraft took on 46,000 gallons of fuel. At maximum take off weight, the aircraft requires 8,270 feet of runway, or about a mile and a half. The auxiliary power unit is located low in the fuselage, behind the main landing gear, and the exhaust heat can cause serious damage if the pavement is not protected.

Make it a priority, if you ever get the chance to see one. While it’s not the prettiest aircraft ever designed, it certainly is one of the mightiest, and will most likely redefine you idea of “large.”

DenisSlemp John Rouleau

John Slemp

John Slemp

DACT Dissimilar Air Combat Training Gran Canaria Article and photos by Mike Green

Each year the air base at Gando, Gran Canaria, plays host to a large number of aircraft from various Spanish Air Force units, together with invited nations, to participate in an exercise known simply as ‘DACT’.

DACT initially started off as an exercise involving Spanish Air Force units only, but over the years it has seen participation from the Spanish Navy, Belgian Air Component, French Air Force, German Air Force, United States Air Force and the NATO Airborne Early Warning Force.

Of course the involvement of foreign nations operating types not in the Spanish inventory means that the DACT theme becomes even more realistic. DACT 2017 saw participation from the Italian Air Force and NATO Airborne Early Warning Force, with units from the Spanish mainland.

Held between 13-27th January, the first DACT was first held in 2004 and is designed to hone the fighter pilots skills in the art of aerial combat. With the fighter units and airborne early warning assets based at Gando for the period of the exercise, the electronic warfare and

aerial refueling aircraft operate out of Aerodromo Militar de Lanzarote.

Whilst it may seem strange to conduct such an exercise from a chain of islands located some 1,700 km from the Spanish mainland, the Canarian archipelago provides ideal circumstances for fast-jet operations.

Low commercial traffic levels at Gando, combined with a large area south of the Islands with unrestricted air space, enables the aircraft to fly at supersonic speeds, at any altitude, without the fear of incursions from civilian traffic. The Combat Air Command (El Mando Aéreo de Combate/MACOM) is responsible for the planning, direction and execution of the exercise, as well as its subsequent evaluation. The purpose of the exercise is to test the command and control structure of MACOM and the means available to NATO for the defence of the Canaries; providing advanced training in a variety of missions, with a gradual increase in both the number of participating aircraft and the difficulty of the mission, in the most realistic possible environment.

Each year the air base at Gando, Gran Canaria, plays host to a large number of aircraft from various Spanish Air Force units, together with invited nations, to participate in an exercise known simply as ‘DACT’.

DACT initially started off as an exercise involving Spanish Air Force units only, but over the years it has seen participation from the Spanish Navy, Belgian Air Component, French Air Force, German Air Force, United States Air Force Missions initially commence on a 1v1 basis involving basic Air Combat Manoeuvres (ACM). As the exercise evolves, the missions become more complex, with more aircraft involved, allowing 6v6 and 6v8 scenarios, which include Offensive Counter-Air, Defensive Counter-Air and Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missions involving up to 26 aircraft. The missions are also flown in conjunction with High Value Assets such as aerial refuelers, airborne early warning aircraft and other ‘slow movers’. Search & Rescue (SAR) aircraft, both fixed-wing and rotary-wing also participate in the exercise; and with Gando operating two parallel runways, aircraft are able to conduct missions almost unhindered by the civilian traffic operating into and out of the airport.

Participants for DACT 2017 came from every Spanish Air Force fighter wing; with Ala.12 and Ala.15 each providing six EF-18M Hornets, Ala.11 and Ala.14 bringing three and eight BAe Typhoons respectively; and the Gando-based Ala.46 utilizing their fleet of FA-18As during the exercise.

Alongside the fighters, Ala.31 provided one KC-130H Hercules for aerial refueling, Grupo 47 provided a single Dassault Falcon 20ECM in the electronic countermeasures role; and 802 Esc provided a single AS.332 Super Puma and a single Casa 235MPA for Search and Rescue (SAR), Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR); and Personnel Recovery (PR).

Alongside the ‘home’ team were a single NATO Boeing E-3A AWACS and three Italian Air Force Typhoons; one each from 4º Stormo, 36º Stormo and 37º Stormo.

With 25 visiting fast-jets adding to the resident Ala.46 Hornets, the ramps at Gando were a constant hive of activity. Once the preliminaries had been dealt with over the first few days and the exercise commenced in earnest, missions were flown twice daily. Both morning and afternoon sorties commenced with the departure of the NATO E-3A Sentry, followed by the fighters, the SAR C.235MPA also departing with the fast-jets. The afternoon missions followed a similar pattern, other than the Lockheed KC-130H Hercules would fly in from Lanzarote, before taking-off to provide the opportunity for the fighters to practice air-to-air refueling. The morning missions would normally start around mid-day, the afternoon ones commencing around 3pm local time.

With the latest DACT ending on 27th January, it was expected that the next exercise would be held over a similar period in 2018. However, according to the Ejército del Aire website, the next DACT is scheduled for November 2018.

Mike Green

DenisGreen Mike Rouleau

DenisGreen Mike Rouleau

DenisGreen Mike Rouleau

DenisGreen Mike Rouleau

Mike Green

Mike Green

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MEET OUR MEMBERS

MEET OUR MEMBER As far as post processing, I do 90% of my work in Lightroom CC. I’m not anywhere near proficient with Photoshop and in fact know just enough to be dangerous. With that said, I do use some Photoshop CC features that either are better than or not available in Lightroom. I have ON1 however I haven’t taken any time as yet to learn it. With the filing system in Lightroom and the plug-ins available, I am able to do pretty much everything I need all within Lightroom.

Jeff Krueger

In 2013 I retired from a corporate career and we relocated to Green Valley, Arizona. I guess I would classify myself as a semi-pro as I do shoot real estate photography for a number of local real estate agents and have sold some landscape photos.

I’ve been involved with photography since 1968 starting out with a Canon AT1 and learning black and white darkroom skills. While in school, I took a number of photography classes and over the years have taken color processing classes at the Rochester Institute of Technology and completed the Professional Photography course at NYIP. When I was younger and a SCUBA diver, I became a certified PADI underwater photography instructor. Many years ago, a friend got his private pilot’s license and took me up a number of times which led me to complete ground school. Unfortunately, at the time I couldn’t afford flying lessons and never completed the process, something I still regret!

Living in the Chicago area and later in the Fond du Lac and Oshkosh, Wisconsin areas, I became a member of EAA and Warbirds of American. In fact I’ve been an EAA member since 1979. I’ve always had a passion for aircraft, mostly WW II warbirds, but pretty much everything that takes to the air. Being able to attend the EAA Airventure every year allowed me the opportunity to improve my aviation photography skills. I’ve been shooting air shows for many years but all of my opportunities have been from the ground. I’m still waiting for the opportunity to try my hand at air to air.

Being a Canon shooter since I first started photography in 1968, I shoot a 5D MkIII and 7D MkII. When I shoot air shows ground to air, I use my 7D MkII with a Canon 100-400mm L IS USM II. When needed, I’ll add my Canon 1.4X Extender III. I keep the 5D MkIII with a Canon 70-200mm IS L II. When I wander around an air show I’ll usually put my Canon 24-105mm on the 5D MkIII. Of course, in the heat of the action, combinations change. Half the fun is choosing what to use for any given situation.

I’ve gone to shooting only RAW so that I have all of the image data to work with in post processing. While my intent is to get it as right as I can in camera, I know that there can always be some image improvement if you have all the information in the file. For a while I shot both RAW and .JPG, but found most of the time I just deleted the .JPG file anyway so why waste the space on the card. I also like to shoot 16 or 32 gig cards and change cards during an event so “just in case” a card has a problem, all is not lost. I haven’t had that issue, but you never know.

Having had a long time interest, and perhaps passion for both airplanes and photography I decided to do some searching and found the International Society for Aviation Photography in a web search. I really liked what I read and joined in 2012, in time to attend the ISAP Symposium in Norfolk, Va. Although basically an amateur aviation photographer, I was welcomed by all and met a number of professional members that gave me a lot of great information. I was able to attend the Symposium in Tampa and got to know more members during that event. I was encouraged to put a portfolio on the ISAP web site and have had the opportunity to shoot an NAS photo call. Currently, ISAP is the only professional organization I belong to.

After retiring and relocating to the Tucson, Arizona area, I became involved in the local community photography club. Along with helping club members from novice to experienced, I have set up a monthly education night were we present a specific photographic topic, from basic camera operations to using post processing software. We have also started sessions on composition and action shooting. Having the Pima County Air Museum and Davis Monthan AFB in our backyard, I have had the ability to introduce a number of people to the world of aviation photography.

When we discuss aviation and air show photography, I try to suggest that they work first on knowing your camera and technique, then determine what equipment will help them achieve what they are wanting to accomplish.

Yes, the greatest gift of photography is sharing, whether it’s an image, experience or technique. My advice to anyone new to shooting aviation is simply to find what inspires you, talk with others who share your passion and shoot often.

DenisKrueger Jeff Rouleau

DenisKrueger Jeff Rouleau

MEET OUR MEMBER I am happy to help others learn about photography, though I really consider myself a novice. I think the best advice I could offer someone wanting to get into aviation photography is, if you are going to an event like an airshow or fly-in, go early and stay late. Doing so lets you capture subjects in the best golden-hour light, and presents opportunities to catch activities and subjects from perspectives that are unavailable during an event.

Jerome Buescher

I am an amateur photographer living in Charlottesville, Va with my over-affectionate hound dog, Bellanca. I have no formal photography training beyond a high school photography class. I have had a borderline-obsessive interest in aviation all of my life, inherited along with interest in aviation photography, from my Dad. We lived in Houston, TX when I was a little kid, and some of my first memories are of visiting the Wings Over Houston Airshow and other smaller airshows in southeast Texas in the late 1980s; Dad would take pictures and tell my brothers and me about the airplanes we saw. We moved to Virginia Beach, Va in the early 1990s, and lived only a few miles from NAS Oceana. I spent the next several years watching Intruders and Tomcats, and then Hornets, in the landing pattern nearly every day. When I was a teenager, my Dad gave me my first SLR and taught me the basics of using a manual camera.

I started shooting, and once I graduated from college, began using my vacation time to travel to airshows and take pictures.

Over the past 5 years or so I have focused on learning more about photography in hopes of improving my results.

SBD-5 Dauntless, Commemorative Air Force; Virginia Beach, Va May 2015; 1/80 sec, F9, ISO 100

I use Canon equipment; my first DSLR was the original Digital Rebel, and over the past 13 years I have continued to upgrade and accumulate equipment. At airshows, I most often use a 7D Mark II with a 100-400mm IS USM lens. I find that the lens-camera combination focuses quickly and accurately. The lens’ stabilization allows me to get the right amount of propeller and background blur and the body’s controls are well set up for quick changes to the exposure and focus settings.

I usually shoot JPEGs rather than RAW for flying subjects because JPEG file size makes the most of the body’s limited buffer. However, recently I have been experimenting with shooting RAW with faster memory cards so that I can take advantage of the post processing advantages of the RAW data. I use Photoshop for post processing not because of any major preference, but because I am familiar with the software.

I joined ISAP in January 2017 to learn and draw inspiration from other photographers to improve my own work, as well as to associate with other people who share my interest in aviation photography. I am not a member of any other professional photography organizations but was immediately interested when I stumbled across the ISAP website.

Dragon Rapide, Military Aviation Museum; Virginia Beach, Va May 2013; 1/100 sec, F9, ISO 100

B-25J Mitchell, Texas Flying Legends; Oshkosh, WI; July, 2016; 1/200 sec, F5.6, ISO 100

TF-51D Mustang, Collings Foundation; Shenandoah Regional Airport, Va; October, 2016; 1/80 sec, F18, ISO 100

Denis Rouleau Jerome Buescher

F-22 Raptor, 1st Fighter Wing; Oshkosh, WI; July 2015; 1/320 sec, F8, ISO 100

F/A-18F Super Hornet, VFA-106; NAS Oceana, VA; September 2012; 1/500 sec, F11, ISO 200

CF-5B Freedom Fighter; Lakeland, Fl; April 2015; 1/200 sec, F5.6, ISO 100

T-28 Trojans, Trojan Horsemen Display Team; Langley AFB, Va; May 2011; 1/60 sec, F20, ISO 100

Jerome Buescher

F4U-5N Corsair, Collings Foundation, and F/A-18C Hornet, VFA-106; Langley AFB, Va; April 2009; 1/400 sec, F9, ISO 100

Jerome Buescher

F-14D Tomcat, VF-11; NAS Oceana, Va; September 2004; 1/800 sec, F10, ISO 100

MEET OUR MEMBER

John Nash

I am an advanced amateur photographer from the Gold Coast, Australia and although I have no formal photography training, I regularly peruse books and videos from people far more knowledgeable in the aviation photography field than myself.

MRH-90 Taipan operated by the Royal Australian Army (RAA).

Photograph taken at 2016 T150 Air Show at Townsville in Far North Queensland to celebrate Townsville’s 150th birthday.

For as long as I can remember, I have always had an interest in aviation - perhaps it was accompanying my father to air shows as a child that established my passion.

I purchased my first 35mm SLR camera, a Practica MTL3 as a teenager, and quickly found myself focusing (pardon the pun) on the genre of aviation photography.

I use Sony camera bodies and predominantly Sigma lenses.

My preferred equipment is the A77II body and Sigma 70-200mm, F2.8 lens. Ultimately, I am looking at upgrading to full frame at some time in the future.

Traditionally I have shot in JPG, however now find myself utilizing RAW more often. I currently use Adobe Camera Raw and Elements for image processing due to its relative simplicity.

I learned about ISAP whilst looking on the internet for organizations that were specific to aviation photography. Recognizing that ISAP’s philosophy to aviation photography sat well with my own approaches, I joined ISAP in 2017.

BAE Hawk 127 operated by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Photograph taken at 2016 T150 Air Show.

Whilst I don’t set out to formally teach others about aviation photography - I feel there are people far more capable; I am always prepared to help new aviation photographers where I can.

My advice to new aviation photographers would be to follow your passion, learn as much as you can with the time you have available and most of all - enjoy yourself.

C-130J Hercules operated by the RAAF. Photographed at the 2016 T150 Air Show.

RAAF F-18 Hornet departing RAAF Base Townsville.

RAAF P-3C Orion photographed during T150 Air Show.

DenisNash John Rouleau

Boeing Stearman photographed at Southport Airport on the Gold Coast.

Virgin Australia Boeing 737 at Sydney International Airport.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 at Sydney International Airport.

USAF KC-10A departing Brisbane International Airport.

John Nash

The sun sets on a Bombardier BD-700-1A10 at Gold Coast Airport.

MEET OUR MEMBER everything from importing to storing to editing to exporting. And, in recent years, the price has come down so that it’s easy on the budget as well.

As far as I’m concerned, Lightroom offers the best bang for your buck.

ISAP, which I learned about several years ago through web searching, is the only professional organization I belong to at this point. I finally pulled the trigger on joining in early December, 2016. I have just over ten years left in my airline career and I’d like to turn photography into more than just a hobby. ISAP offers a wealth of resources, both members and documents, to help me take my photography to a higher level. And, I hope, given my experience as a pilot as well as a photographer, I hope I’ll be able to help others with their photography as well.

Ken Snyder

I’m an advanced amateur from Spring, Texas. My interest in aviation started when I was about four or five—Dad flew KC-135’s out of Carswell in Fort Worth—and my interest in photography began about ten years later. I bought a Pentax K1000 with my first paycheck and combining aviation and photography was a no-brainer.

I knew I wanted to be a pilot and, with my limited budget, my flying career took precedence and photography was very much a hobby.

At first paying for flying time was a priority over paying for film and processing. Later, with a wife and kids, rent and food became more important.

My interest in photography morphed into a passion in the early 2000’s when I got a Nikon D50, and I haven’t looked back. I haven’t taken any formal training beyond a couple of seminars and a lot of reading, visiting photographer’s blogs and websites, and learning all I can from other photographers when I have the chance to interact with them.

The D50 is now retired, and I’ve upgraded equipment as budget, necessity, and opportunity have allowed. The bulk of my photos were taken using a Nikon D300 with a battery grip, which I bought new in 2007. For wide shots I used a Tamron 17-50 f2.8 and for telephoto shots either a Nikon 80-200 f2.8 or Tamron 70-300 f4-5.6. In early 2013 I got a deal on a D700 with an MB-D10 battery grip, so my son inherited the D300. My walk around lens on the full frame is a Nikon 24-120 f4 and I picked up a Sigma 150-500 a few years back as my go-to lens for airshows or the Reno Air Races. Just last week I found a good deal on a Nikon D3S body, and I think my upgrades have come to an end for awhile. I’ve taken the D3 out to a spotting area just east of Houston Intercontinental and played with it and the Sigma 150-500 and I will say I’m very impressed. I’m looking forward to being able to have a wide lens on one body and the long lens on another during airshow season.

I generally shoot static displays and people in RAW and I shoot airshow action in JPEG. I prefer the RAW format because you get all the data the camera takes in—there’s nothing lost through compression during file saving. I shoot the air action in JPEG purely as a space-saving measure. The smaller file size of the JPEG means I’m not having to change cards as often, and the quality of the photo is still excellent.

As far as editing goes, I’ve been a fan of Lightroom for many years now—I discovered LR back on version 2 I believe. It’s easy to use, does an excellent job, and is pretty much one-stop shopping for

I absolutely love teaching and sharing my passions for aviation and photography with others. I’ve had a number of friends and coworkers ask for advice about photography and I’m currently working on a short guide that gives the fundamentals—something short, sweet, and to the point that explains the basics like what an f stop is, what ISO means, depth of field, and that sort of thing. A guide to get them out of the “AUTO” mode, if you will.

My advice to someone new to aviation photography is: Don’t worry about having the best equipment—do the best you can with the equipment you have. Upgrade as your budget allows and don’t be afraid of used equipment. Wait til a manufacturer comes out with a new model then look for a good clean body or lens that someone traded in on the latest and greatest. Still excellent equipment and much easier on the budget.

As far as technique goes, “pan pan pan”. Go to a general aviation field and shoot airplanes in the traffic pattern to work on your panning technique. Make sure you have a slow enough shutter speed to get some prop blur, yet fast enough to get a sharp photo. And at airshows…don’t just concentrate on the airplanes. Look around at the people as well— look for emotion—one of my favorite Reno Air Race pictures is a shot not of an airplane, but of one of the race pilots kissing his wife before a race.

Another is of Steve Hinton Jr. kneeling down and taking with a young fan. The one thing I wish I’d done differently over the course of my flying career is gotten more photos of the people…

DenisSnyder Ken Rouleau

Ken Snyder

Ken Snyder

MEET OUR MEMBER

Larry Ley

I am a lifelong resident of Dallas - well at least since moving to Dallas from Midland in 1958 at the age of eight. Coincidentally I was actually born in Roswell, New Mexico about the same time the UFO landed near Roswell which may explain my lifelong interest in aviation. After a 44 year career as a banker and commercial lender in Dallas, I retired from banking in 2016 to start my own debt and equity advisory firm. This transition has allowed me to devote more time to my interest in photography and doing volunteer work for the Commemorative Air Force. I currently serve as Community Outreach Volunteer Chairman for the CAF, serve on the Wings Over Dallas airshow planning committee, and I am a member of the CAF’s DFW Wing.

I would consider myself to be a semi-advanced amateur when it comes to photography and I am mostly self-taught. I have always been interested in aviation, especially World War II era aircraft, so when I learned that the CAF had relocated to Dallas it gave me a great opportunity to become involved with the CAF. This has given me many opportunities to satisfy my aviation photography interests with trips to Oshkosh, formation flying clinics, and the Wings Over Dallas airshow to name a few.

I recently upgraded from a Canon Rebel T3 camera to a Canon EOS 80D, and I typically use a 18-270mm lens at airshows. I think my feel for composition, camera angles, etc. serves me well – but I still have much to learn on the technical side. So far I have limited myself to JPG shooting but I look forward to experimenting with RAW shooting soon. I enjoy composing photos with a particular emphasis on the context or surroundings, as well as photos that feature crew members and their planes.

Lucky for me - I am in the process of organizing a series of aviation photography workshops for the CAF so I will be able to tailor workshops that will cater to other aspiring photographers who, like me, need that extra bit of formal instruction. We expect to kick off the series in April, and in May we will have an opportunity to refine our skills at the CAF’s “Large Plane’ formation flying clinic.

DenisLey Larry Rouleau

Larry Ley

MEET OUR MEMBER opportunities that they would not normally be exposed to without the benefit of an organization. I look forward meeting the members of ISAP. The best tip I can provide to someone just starting out in aviation photography is to practice as much as possible. Visit your local airport to get experience tracking, panning and composing your images.

Max Gwaltney

Hello, I’m Max Gwaltney, I live in the Atlanta Metropolitan area and I consider myself an advanced amateur photographer. I have gained my knowledge of photography from others I have met over the years and my own personal experience. I have been interested in aviation and history for as long as I can remember. As many of people, I began building models when I was young. I used the money I made from my first job to purchase a Minolta SLR and entry-level telephoto lens and would attend airshows and hang out at the local air base on the weekends to see what aircraft would arrive. This was in the 1980’s so there was a wide variety of military aircraft still in the inventory, so you never knew what to expect.

As I was able to afford it, I moved to Nikon equipment and had a Nikon FE2 and FM, with several prime lens and 300mm telephoto. I currently use a Nikon D810, Sigma 120-300mm f2.8, Sigma 150-600mm Sport, Nikon 24-120mm, and Nikon 20mm f1.8. I find the use of the D810/Sigma 120-300 very difficult to beat. The clarity and sharpness are incredible. The combination is a bit heavy and requires some getting used to, but the benefits far outweigh any negatives caused by the weight. It is very versatile, even if a large crop is required; the sharpness is still there. The Sigma 150-600 Sport is also quite sharp; stabilization is more of an issue with this lens. It requires a little faster shutter speed, which can produce negative effects when capturing images of propeller aircraft. It is an incredible lens when a lot of “reach” is required.

My interests are diverse relating to aviation photography; I am attracted to the military and vintage aircraft, but also enjoy ballooning, and commercial aviation.

I shoot in RAW almost exclusively; it provides much greater opportunity to manage the images that are being processed. It also allows correction to “operator induced” errors, such as exposure (over/under), which can occur when capturing images of aircraft, caused by clouds, aircraft color and background.

I have used Photoshop and Lightroom and both are excellent programs, a year ago I transitioned to Affinity Photo. I have been very happy with the application; also it is a one-time purchase versus a subscription, which is better for my situation. The application is very intuitive and forgiving of errors without affecting the original image.

I was recently searching to locate aviation photography organization on the Internet and found ISAP. It looks like an organization that can provide individuals with an interest in aviation photography

DenisGwaltney Max Rouleau

MEET OUR MEMBER

Nigel Quick

I am based in Jersey in the Channel Islands. I am 57 years old and although I had an interest in photography in my teenage years I never had the funds to pursue it seriously. Having spent the intervening years taking nothing but holiday snaps I was looking for something to get me away from being desk bound at work and a slight change in my financial circumstances presented me with an opportunity. Having no formal training but a penchant for research I dug around to learn a little more about digital photography.

I guess most people would have started with a basic camera and worked their way back in but always one for a challenge I alighted upon the Nikon D800 which I realized very early on is not a body for those who don’t know what they’re doing! Perseverance has meant I have made progress and after 4 years and a two day course to reintroduce me to the basics I’m slowly getting somewhere – I guess that makes me very much in the enthusiastic amateur category.

I am very fortunate to have the Jersey International Air Display taking place less than a mile from my home in September every year. My two working lenses for aviation are a Nikon 300mm F.4 and the relatively new Nikon 200-500mm F5.6.

The pro who did my basic training quickly realized that I didn’t mind a challenge and the idea of working from RAW appealed. She suggested Lightroom and I have learned to love it over the couple of years that I have been using it. I still have a lot to learn although the temptation of Photoshop has been too great so I am now using both.

Previous to Lightroom I was using Apple’s Aperture.

I had dug around your web site since joining and realized that I had probably plunged into joining your Society a little quicker than my skill level warrants. I had originally found you and another group called the Centre of Aviation Photography (British based) and joined both just for the fun of it. I am also a member of the Nikonians group which also has opportunities for people to post their aviation photos.

I would only be able to help an absolute beginner. I guess I’d advise anyone to be patient and realize that you might spend hours/days and still not get the shot you want. Getting out there might be daunting but meeting other photographers is huge fun and a good way to learn.

Denis Quick Nigel Rouleau

MEET OUR MEMBER

Paul Csizmadia

I am a self taught professional photographer living in Lorain, OH which is just about 30 miles West of Cleveland. I’ve had a lifelong love of Aviation dating back to the early 60’s watching the early 727’s and 707’s headed westward flying over my house. That interest evolved into an Aeronautical Engineering path in college followed by a diversion into Computer Technology. While my career path took a slight change it did provide for the opportunity to become a very frequent flier all over the country and at least getting into the air in a lot of great aircraft. My Aviation Photography interest came about around 1999 with the early digital cameras. I love the challenge of trying to get the best shot I can given that there are a lot of factors that we have no control over. In addition to client projects I try to capture a good number of airshows along with commercial and general aviation across Ohio and Michigan with frequent visits to DFW. My main gear for an Airshow is a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with Tamron 150-600 for air shots along with 2 EOS Canon 7Dís with Tamron 24-70 2.8 and Tamron 10-24 for static and wide angle shots.

I have been shooting RAW exclusively for about 10 years. The flexibility of being able to capture a shot and the flexibility to process and work with the data without quality loss is a big plus. Especially when you have no control over things like weather and lighting and you may not have optimal exposure conditions when you take the shot.

Iíve been using Lightroom since 4.0 and am now on Lightroom CC. Prior to that it was Canonís Digital Photo Professional. While there are a few quirks in Lightroom it gets the job done for what I need.

I joined ISAP with the goal of meeting and learning from others with the same interests combining Aviation and Photography. I came across ISAP as a result of a web search about 3 years ago. I guess I was a closet ISAP member for a couple of years and then decided to join in May of 2016.

In my travels Iíve had the opportunity to not only learn from others but also share the information that I have acquired. Itís always a joy to share that info with others that are just starting out. The main tips that I always share is shoot, shoot, shoot. The more you practice and work on your technique, the more natural it becomes. Work beyond the profile and roster type of shot and never leave home without your camera.

DenisCsizmadia Paul Rouleau

Paul Csizmadia

The North American F-107A – What Might Have Been

Article and photo/illustrations by Erik Simonsen

Chapter five of, “A Complete History of U.S. Combat Aircraft Fly-Off Competitions” features the Cold War Tactical Fighter competition.

However, the legendary 1950s contest that pitted the Republic Aviation YF-105A Thunderchief against North American Aviation’s F-107A (no official name), never materialized into a formal competition.

Republic was proceeding with a fighter-bomber contract, and concurrently North American Aviation was progressing with an interceptor concept F-100B (F-107A) that would be a vast improvement over the F-100 Super Sabre. As time evolved, the NAA design moved closer to a fighter-bomber configuration, and basically the two programs converged into an indirect competition. The winning nuclear-capable tactical fighter would perform as a Cold War guardian.

Ironically, the winning Republic F-105 design never performed its intended Cold War tactical nuclear mission, but went on to serve during the Vietnam War, executing a conventional tactical bombing mission it was not designed for. Each chapter of the book includes a section reserved for “what might have been”, thus the F-107A is examined.

There is intense interest in the concept of “what if”, and a large following for the losing contenders in the realm of aviation history.

The early 1950s were tough times for military budgets. The situation was best described by NAA’s Equipment Supervisor for the F-100B Interceptor Project Group Dave Wisted, “The F-107A itself was not derived from the F-100B. The only reason for the F-100B designation was that the Air Force was having a much easier time finding money for modifications to fleet aircraft, rather than a new program.” Basically, applying the F-107A designation too early in the process would have killed it outright.

As the Air Force contract negotiations were taking place, NAA engineers were already at work improving the F-100B configuration.

They had arrived at a promising solution in February 1955. The new configuration featured a recessed mid-fuselage centerline area that held a semi-recessed weapon store. As opposed to an internal bay this design was less complex, increased internal space, and also

helped to reduce drag. To facilitate this weapons location area and future avionics expansion, the lower lip F-100B style inlet duct was moved to the top on the fuselage just aft of the cockpit. The aircraft was also equipped with a Variable-Area Inlet Duct (VAID) system.

This sophisticated inlet featured a forward fixed wedge, followed by a stepped first and second movable ramp panels. On top of the intake structure were exits for ramp boundary layer control bleed air.

In addition to easing the transition to high-Mach flight, a side benefit of the ducts on top of the aircraft, was the lessoned potential for Foreign Object Damage (FOD) ingestion during ground engine runs.

The F-100B’s configuration had now substantially changed, and on April 20, 1955 in an Air Force letter agreed to by NAA, the designation was ‘officially’ switched from F-100B to F-107A. Since the NAA F-100B was already a production aircraft, the “YF” (prototype) or “XF” (experimental) designation was not required for the F-107A.

The F-107A took to the air on August 16, 1956, achieving Mach 1.13 on its first flight. During the following November the F-107A hit Mach 2+. Despite some Air Force officials wanting to develop the F-107A concurrently with the F-105A, funding was eventually cut. Only three F-107As were built from an original order of 33 aircraft. NAA was officially notified on March 22, 1957 of the official F-107A termination.

Terms included the continued testing of the first two aircraft under NACA (later NASA) until the funding expired.

Through the decades there have been numerous uneducated theories criticizing the location of the F-107A’s upper fuselage intake - as if NAA had just arbitrarily placed it there. Or, suggesting that ejecting from the F-107A meant certain death with the intake in that upper position.

There were critical requirement parameters that resulted that configuration, as requested by the Air Force - it was not a random decision. Additionally, the ejection seat system was thoroughly tested up to 1,075.2 mph (947.34 knots) mounted in a full-scale cockpit/ nose section, on a high-speed rocket sled at Edwards AFB. Testing determined the overhead intake would not present any problems for emergency escape.

On a low-level reconnaissance mission and just prior to jettisoning its drop tanks, a conceptual USAF/NAA RF-107C goes into afterburner.

The RF-107C tactical reconnaissance variant would have been equipped with cameras only, and its four M-39E 20mm canons were removed.

A hypothetical view of a camouflaged operational USAF/NAA F-107D carrying an AGM-12B Bullpup, and a F-107A prototype painted in original red accent markings. Although only three F-107A prototypes were built, had North American Aviation won the competition, the Air Force may have ordered additional “A” models for training. This F-107A is aircraft number five (t/n 55122). Photo/illustration Erik Simonsen

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