ISnAP December 2018

Kevin Hong

WELCOME TO THE DECEMBER 2018 ISSUE OF ISnAP! Bell Fort Worth Alliance Airshow 2018: Doin The Rain Dance in Texas Jan-Arie van der Linden, Bryan Stevens, Chandler Feagin, Charles Daniels, Craig Swancy, Gary Daniels, Hal Ticknor, Haydn Schroeder, Jeff Schroeder, Jim Wilson, John Ford, Larry Melby, Mark Lenz, Pat Nugent, Paul Millsaps, Paul Pritchett, Randy Dunn, Raymond Cervantes, Rod Cromer, Rollo Watkins, Amaya Warren, Bailey Killman, Gracie Tallent, Hannah O’ Bryant, Nathaniel Gaitan, Sam Brownlee, Thomas Nguyen Great Pacific Airshow Michael Bellinger Happy Birthday Dad! Scott Slingsby California International Airshow Salinas Haymond Tam California Screamin: California Capital Airshow Larry Grace, Bob Mantegani, Bob Marcy, David Mercier, Debbie Gale, Garry Everett, Larry Placido, Loic Severin, Michael Cozad, Michael Tessler, Philip Roina, Rob Tabor, Scott Grasso, Scott Mantegani, Steven Mantegani, Taggart Gorman, Tom Spanos MCAS Miramar Airshow 2018 Jason Skinner Michael Pliskin

Danish Museum of Science and Technology Mark Schultz Wings Over Wershofen Mark Schultz Behind the Camera Sony A9: MCAS Miramar Airshow 2018 Larry Grace Amtique Aircraft Association Brent Blue Waterkloof AAD 2018 Dylan van Graan Oregon: World-Class Aviation Vincent Trelut How I Got The Shot!

Keith Charlot Meet Our Members Dave Swartz Rob Tabor Taggart Gorman

Antique Aircraft Association Brent Blue FRONT COVER PHOTO: Keith Charlot

100th Fighter Squadron F-16s (piloted by Major Rich “Sheriff” Peace and Major Ray “Hollywood Fowler) BACK COVER: Larry Grace Night painting workshop at 2018 Bell Ft. Worth Alliance Airshow 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

n e w

a n d

r e t u r n i n g

i s a p

m e m b e r s

Dennis Biela

Rengifo Gonzalo

Hicks Milner

Tom Spanos

Brent Blue

Owen Hewitt

MIchael Pliskin

Rob Tabor

Sean Bravener

Steven Holzinger

Paul Pritchett

DeKevin Thornton

Chuck Burin

Michael Jackson

Nigel Quick

Vincent Trelut

Frank Crebas

Jeff Lambros

Jose Ramos

Michael Vines

Rusty Denham

Erich Linder

John Ringquist

Nir Ben-Yosef

Debbie Gale

Bob Marcy

Jeff Schroeder

Danielle Young

Taggart Gorman

Keith Meachem

Abhishek Singh

Mike Young

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.

BELL FORT WORTH ALLIANCE AIRSHOW 2018

Chandler Feagin

DOIN THE RAIN DANCE IN TEXAS

For several years ISAP has held a workshop at the Bell Fort Worth Alliance Airshow on Thursday and Friday. This year ISAP President Larry Grace invited students from a local area high school that were working with the airshow to join the ISAP workshop. It was an opportunity for the students to learn and photograph alongside ISAP members.

Northwest ISD - Northwest High School students join us for classroom and photography. We asked the students to share with our members and readers their images and words. It was a pleasure to have the students join us and look forward to future opportunities with this school and other schools in 2019.

Teachers: Leyla Padalecki, Josh Gaston Students: Amaya Warren, Bailey Killman, Gracie Tallent, Hannah O’Bryant, Nathaniel Gaitan, Sam Brownlee, Thomas Nguyen

Jan-Arie van der Linden

Jan-Arie van der Linden

Bryan Stevens

Bryan Stevens

Chandler Feagin

Chandler Feagin

Charles Daniels

Charles Daniels

Craig Swancy

Craig Swancy

Gary Daniels

Gary Daniels

Gary Daniels

Hal Ticknor

Hal Ticknor

Haydn Schroeder

Haydn Schroeder

Jeff Schroeder

Jeff Schroeder

Jeff Schroeder

Jim Wilson

Jim Wilson

Jim Wilson

John Ford

John Ford

Larry Melby

Larry Melby

Larry Melby

Mark Lenz

Mark Lenz

Mark Lenz

Pat Nugent

Pat Nugent

Pat Nugent

Paul Millsaps

Paul Millsaps

Paul Pritchett

Paul Pritchett

Randy Dunn

Randy Dunn

Raymond Cervantes

Raymond Cervantes

Rod Cromer

Rod Cromer

Rollo Watkins

Rollo Watkins

Gary Daniels

ISAP Workshop

Gary Daniels

Gary Daniels

Larry Grace

ISAP Workshop/Northwest High School Students

Pat Nugent

Pat Nugent

Thank you to the F-35 Heritage Flight Team for taking the time to visit with ISAP and the students.

Amaya Warren The time that I spent at the airshow was absolutely amazing! I always go to the airshow with my family, but this year was extra special. I was able to be hands on with ISAP photographers and they showed me how to take pictures when it is cloudy or when it is raining. They helped me with the challenges that came with shooting motion photography by giving great tips.

From the time that I was there, from Thursday to Sunday I felt welcomed and by the end of Sunday I felt like I knew more than I ever did before in photography. On Thursday I went to a critique class and was showed how to edit pictures like these in photoshop. On Thursday night I got the privilege to do night light painting which was so cool.

Then we got to go to the Pre-show and got amazing pictures. When Sunday came the weather was debatable but ended being a big turn out. This airshow was a special one that I will never forget.

Bailey Killman Over the three days that I had the privilege to work with ISAP at the Bell Fort Worth Alliance Air Show, I met and worked with some really amazing people. They taught me that aviation photography is all about taking the photo even if it doesn’t look “perfect” through the lens.

While taking photos at the airshow, I tried to capture the whole story, not just a singular part of it. I took pictures of static planes, planes in motion, and the families that were in attendance. Moreover, the photos capture the excitement and the opportunities that the show held.

The photographers and the general public got the chance to go in a Boeing KC-135, which is the primary air re fueler the air force uses. The crew chief and crew gave us a tour, and taught us all about the role of the plane in the success of long term missions. Being able to get on the plane was an experience like no other. Ultimately, there is something about being able to watch high speed planes flying, and seeing the reaction of the public that would make anyone want to smile.

While the Snowbirds were flying, I not only had the unique chance to get pictures of them, but also of a little boy and his father watching and enjoying the fight demo. Overall, being able to get up close to the runway and take pictures of the Thunderbirds, the F-35 flying above resulted in some of my best pictures of the event. Undoubtedly, this has been the one of the best air shows that I have ever attended. Even the rain couldn’t stop these awesome machines taking to the sky, nor could it stop the fans and everyone from having a great time and enjoying the show.

Gracie Tallent As a military brat, this absolutely was not my first airshow. I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Nellis Air Force Base, going to an airshow essentially every year. However, this one has been the most important to me by far.

I’ve always been interested in photography, but I was never serious about it until the beginning of this year in my photography one class.

So, this was a valuable opportunity for me to expand my skills in more of a one-on-one environment than our daily class. Both my personal teachers and airshow personnel helped me practice and improve my skills, regardless of the fact that I only attended one full day of the

airshow; I gained a better understanding of settings that were still mostly foreign to me and how to adjust them for certain situations and got to work with equipment we hadn’t even touched in class. I’m glad I took the chance to work in a situation that’s a more realistic demonstration of professional photography. But aside from the topic of photography, I did enjoy the airshow overall. The vendors and personnel were extremely kind and only enhanced something I’d been experiencing since childhood. I’d definitely attend another, hopefully with a bit more technique under my wing.

Hannah O’ Bryant The 2018 Bell Fort Worth Alliance Air Show was my first experience not only shooting the air show, but shooting action photography in the field. Those at ISAP provided a welcoming environment and were open to providing help and advice whenever we needed it. I never felt like I was imposing or getting in their way, and that made it incredibly easy to learn and adapt.

During the three days I spent watching and shooting the planes, I learned a lot of great skills for shooting moving objects in low light, as well as working with new equipment. Getting the perfect shot was difficult, and as someone who is used to shooting portraits and still images, I had trouble finding the shot I wanted. However, by the end of the weekend, I was not only comfortable but confident in my abilities as a photographer. With my pictures, it’s easy to see the dark and dramatic feeling portrayed by the cloudy sky and rain reflections on the runway.

Especially when looking at the Oracle plane, a bright red body against a dark and gloomy sky, a perfect contrast. I feel that no other picture shows a story more than the orange umbrella. A young woman standing just under the refueling planes wing, gazing up at the monster itself with a solemn tone. Even with the people in the background behind her, you can’t help but wonder what she’s thinking or feeling at that very moment. In my work, I strive to tell a story and capture a feeling, and I feel that these pictures capture a dark and fleeting feeling, while also portraying a sense of confidence and accomplishment. I continue to look forward to returning to the Air Show next year and hopefully capture more perfectly timed and moving images than I have this year.

Nathaniel Gaitan At the 2018 Bell Fort Worth Alliance Airshow I had one of the best times ever. I got to work with amazing photographers, photograph an amazing event, and go to my first airshow ever. The ISAP photographers I worked with gave me tremendous knowledge. I learned new Adobe Photoshop skills, new photography lingo, and new shooting techniques. I know what types of edits the photographers use often and how to perform them. I know how to use my cameras user options to make photos look better and what lenses are the best for airshows.

The critiques of the other photographers works also assisted in my learning. I got to hear and participate in their discussion. I know that I will be able to use everything I learned in order to grow as a photographer. As a photography event I found it very thrilling, enthralling, and fun. My experience was one to never forget. I was very grateful to have gone to my first airshow. Alongside ISAP I was taught so much, had interesting experiences, and grew my photography portfolio.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the planes and photographing the people as they enjoyed their time at the airshow. I will definitely be joining ISAP to participate in more airshow photography events in order to increase my portfolio. I thank ISAP for letting myself and the other students of Northwest High School work with them and get these opportunities.

Sam Brownlee The Bell Fort Worth Alliance Airshow was a huge opportunity for my classmates and I, providing valuable experience in photography and also helping develop social skills. Our specific assignment asked us to show how the airshow brought the community together, which required us to talk with individuals that might otherwise intimidate us. The lighting during the day constantly changed due to North Texas being so temperamental in the weather department which forced us to change certain settings on our cameras that we hadn’t really heavily used before. The airshow itself was quite interesting and, clearly, very loud. All and all I think that the experience was quite fun and educational.

Thomas Nguyen Even though this really forced me outside my comfort zone, I enjoyed taking pictures with ISAP during the Bell Fort Worth Alliance Airshow.

On Thursday, we had a group conversation with the ISAP members.

During the session, we received advice and tips to help us during the Friday shoot. We ended the session by practicing taking pictures of planes. We got to meet one member of the Thunderbirds! And they brought extra earplugs for us to protect our ears from the sonic boom.

The rain that occurred on Friday presented unique challenges that forced us to use different perspectives. I used the puddle to get a reflection shot of the men maintaining the planes. I got to try out one of the members massive lens. The ISAP photographers were helpful in making me feel more comfortable with aviation photography.

The rainy days at the 2018 Airshow gave me experiences and memories I will cherish.

Great Pacific Airshow Article and photos by Michael Bellinger

Huntington Beach isn’t known as “Surf City” for nothing. It’s nine and a half mile of sandy beaches is home to surf contests, volleyball tournaments and even a Concours d’Elegance. But for the last three years it has also been the home of the sounds of radial engines and screaming turbojets.

The 2016 inaugural Breitling Huntington Beach Airshow was a big hit headlined by the USAF Thunderbirds. 2017 saw the USN Blue Angels and the RCAF Snowbirds wow the crowds. This year, after Breitling dropped its sponsorship, it was renamed the Great Pacific Airshow, and welcomed back the Thunderbirds as the showstopper.

I would be hard pressed to think of a more scenic backdrop for an airshow than a California beach. You can literally dip your toes in the Pacific while watching warbirds soar over the surf. The only bad part?

Since the flying doesn’t start until mid-day, the lighting starts out kinda meh, and then gets worse and worse as the sun sets to the west, backlighting all of the aircraft.

I attended both the Friday practice, and the full show on Saturday.

Friday I saw a seven ship Thunderbirds formation, as the normal six were shadowed by a two seat F-16 which I could only assume was a media platform. Then on Saturday a mechanical problem half way through the show meant that they finished a jet down, so in two days it went from one extreme to the other!

There were flight demos from the Coast Guard, the Huntington Beach Police aerial unit, a civilian owned Blackhawk painted in Killer Whale colors, and a C-47 from the Lyons Air Museum. Aerobatic displays included Jeff Boerboon and the Yak-110 that wowed at AirVenture, “Sticky” Strickland with his L-39, Bill Stein, Michael Wiskus, Matt Chapman, and Sammy Mason. FedEx had a 757 show up.

The USAF displayed a C-17 and a KC-135. And then on Saturday there was a surprise flyby of the Virgin Orbit “Cosmic Girl” 747 rocket launch platform.

Hopefully the show will do nothing but grow as the years go on.

I’ve been to all three and the crowds seem to be getting bigger and bigger. Along with the Miramar, L.A. County, and Chino airshows, Southern California is really becoming a showcase for aviation.

Michael Bellinger

Michael Bellinger

Michael Bellinger

Happy birthday

Dad! Article and photos by Scott Slingsby

What do you give the man who has inspired your love of aviation for his 80th birthday? How about a ride in a P-51 Mustang? After all, he is the one who got me into flying almost 40 years ago.

I’m not sure how long my dad has had a love of aviation, but I know it started early. At the age of 18 he joined the Navy and was promptly assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Randolph. If he couldn’t fly, at least he’d be close to aviation. He spent his time on deck in a blue shirt as a plane handler/tractor driver.

The stories from that period are numerous, such as the time they were recovering a North American AJ Savage and the airplane broke in two when it hit the deck (this was actually common as they had a weak point just behind the cockpit) and the prop came off and buzzed by his head while he was on the catwalk.

But the story that has always stuck in my head was one about a P-51 Mustang. While ashore at NAS Oceana, a Mustang had a problem and landed gear up. They weren’t going to fix the old fighter and one day while dad and a few of his shipmates were checking it out, they said, “For $750 its yours!” All seven guys shrugged their shoulders and went about their day since no one had that kind of money. All these years I’ve imagined what it would have been like if he had bought it and let the airframe just sit in a hangar.

After leaving the Navy in 1960, he’d take a lesson or two from time to time or go flying with friends. He got serious in 1974 when he came home and announced to the family that he had bought an airplane, a 1959 Cessna 150, and was going to start working on his license.

Unfortunately, he neglected to inform my mother of this endeavor prior to the purchase. Needless to say, she didn’t talk to him for the next two weeks.

Subsequent aircraft purchases were dis-

cussed with Mom first and she knew when the deal was complete, because he would come home with a nice bouquet of flowers for her.

We still reminisce fondly about the little straight tail, razorback Cessna, like the time he learned about mud daubers the hard way.

Seems the little wasps made a nest in the fuel vent of the 150 and the engine quit on him at a 100 feet over the runway. After a successful return, he noticed the fuel tanks on the top of the wing dished in. Soon thereafter, fuel vent covers were made.

Or the time when I was 10 years-old and he was pulling though the little Continental O-220 in the 150 and the engine started with the keys still in his pocket. Luckily, I was standing behind the strut and the plane was still tied down. Seems the P-lead on the magneto wasn’t grounded!

In the following years, he purchased a Cherokee 140, Piper Warrior and a Cessna 182 along with flowers for Mom each time. By the mid ‘80s I was flying more and more for other people and he decided to try something new, so he sold the 182 and purchased an RV. We were in the process of planning a trip to Oshkosh in 1988 in the RV when tragedy struck. Not feeling well, he went to the local hospital and the doctors found an aortic aneurysm. The day he was supposed to be transported to a Boston hospital for the operation, the aneurysm burst.

After 137 units of blood and plasma he was stabilized, but we were told to start planning the funeral because they only gave him a 10 percent chance to live. They had no idea who they were dealing with though.

His fight to survive was monumental. Day after day he kept improving, to the surprise of the doctors and nurses.

After a period of recovery that lasted well over a year, the call to skies once again beckoned. With nothing to lose, he decided to see if he could get his medical back. Armed with a file over two inches thick and

an incredible story for the examiner, he was granted the privilege to fly again. Seems the doctor and the FAA couldn’t find a reason to say no.

He started over again renting airplanes and then joined a flying club, but this wasn’t enough. The urge to own his own plane was back. This time he wanted me as a partner. It was early 1993 when he began the search for another plane. About a week after our discussion, I returned from a trip and my roommate said “Dad called, he found an airplane and bring your checkbook.” Another round of flowers for Mom and we had another Cherokee 140 in the family, the same one we still own today.

Scott Slingsby

All this leads up to our birthday flight. Early in February of this year, I was checking out Scott Slocum’s schedule for his Air to Air Adventures and saw he was planning to come to Worcester, MA the same week of Dad’s 80th birthday. This was also the same time the Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom tour was going to be there. At this point the wheels in my head started turning. What if we could get Dad up in the Mustang and me next to him in the Bonanza to capture part of his ride.

As the time grew closer, I decided to scrub the mission because the logistics were just getting too difficult. Trying to get everybody involved down to Worcester from NH was going to be monumental. Plan B, was enacted, and I schedule the ride from Laconia, NH, only 30 minutes from Dad’s house.

The day arrived with driving rain from the remnants of Hurricane Florence, but it was forecast to clear up by the afternoon. The weathermen called this one perfectly. We revealed the surprise and shortly thereafter were on our way to Laconia, Dad as excited a kid on Christmas morning.

However, upon check-in, we were informed that the plane was down for scheduled maintenance! Now what? The next opening was Friday afternoon in Worcester. I asked if he was up for the three hour drive, even though I already knew the answer. Nothing was going to stop him from getting the ride in the Mustang now. I shot a quick email to Scott to see if it was possible to go back to Plan A. It was, and we were good to go.

The day arrived with the skies looking a little gloomy but not enough for a cancellation. The Mustang was running beautifully for the previous couple of rides but I was still nervous. I wanted this to go off without a hitch. I strapped into the open-doored Bonanza and looked over to see how Dad was managing to get into the Mustang, but much to my surprise he was already belted in. I hope I’m that spry at 80.

With the run ups complete it was time to go. We made a left turn out of the pattern and as I looked back at the runway, I saw the Mustang on the roll, tail up, then airborne. All I could think was, “I can’t believe we’re going to pull it off. Finally.”

It wasn’t but a couple of minutes later and Scott said to me, “Have you got the Mustang in sight, because I can hear him.” I said, “Oh yeah, he’s here.” I could hear the prop tips as he was tucked in good and tight. All I wanted was some shots with a big smile on Dad’s face, and I wasn’t

disappointed. After taking up about ten minutes of Dad’s hour-long ride, the Mustang peeled off and they were on their way to have some fun.

To hear him tell of flying the old warbird when he returned was priceless. After leaving us, they headed for some breaks in the clouds and in no time were on top, putting the P-51 through its paces performing loops and rolls. It was worth every penny spent to see the smile on his face when they returned and the canopy was rolled back.

He even brought his logbook with him to make it official. He now has 1.1 hours of Mustang time and I have the pictures to prove it.

Happy birthday Dad! I have to thank Scott Slocum and Rob Collings for making this possible and Mustang pilot Robert Pinkston for giving Dad the ride of a lifetime.

Scott Slingsby

Scott Slingsby

Obtained in 2007, the Alenia C-27J Spartan was retired in 2012 due to budget cuts before finding a new home with the U.S. Coast Guard.

We all know that organizing an airshow is no small effort. Now imagine organizing one every year for 38 years, that is a lofty milestone for any airshow to reach, especially in challenging fiscal environments that have impacted many airshows.

The California International Airshow (CIA) Salinas has always tried to set themselves apart, starting with the name. International performers have typically been featured in the Salinas event, although that would not be the case this year. Although there were plenty of performances during the day, the only international flavor would be two Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft on static display.

Civilian performers in the lineup included Chuck Coleman in his Extra 300, Vicky Benzing with her distinctive scarlet Stearman, and airshow newcomer Tony Higa piloting his Pitts S1S.

were operating from nearby Monterey airport, which has a requisite 7,000 ft runway. Other military aircraft were onsite for display, ranging from the Travis-based C-5M Super Galaxy at one end of the tarmac to the NAS Lemoore VFA-122 F/A-18F Super Hornet at the other end.

A fair number of civilian static displays were on hand including Cal Fire aircraft, a replica Nakajima torpedo bomber, and a smattering of vintage general aviation planes.

Kudos to airshow organizers for providing one of the nicest media photo pits I’ve seen, complete with elevated shooting location. Note that for 2019, the show is being moved up to the weekend of March 23-24 and will feature the Blue Angels.

Warbird fans were rewarded with a duo of P-51 Mustangs and the Commemorative Air Force’s B-17G “Sentimental Journey” which performed flight demonstrations. Those wanting a bit more power enjoyed the performances by Jerry Conley in his sinister all-black de Havilland DH-115 Vampire jet trainer, and Greg Colyer with his T-33 Shooting Star “Ace Maker II”.

Military flybys were conducted by a USAF C-130H Hercules from the Kentucky ANG and a USCG C-27J Spartan. All of the day’s flying, including some very-low level flight by monster trucks, led up to the headliner appearance by the USAF Thunderbirds. The T-birds

California International

Airshow Salinas

Article and photos by Hayman Tam

Hayman Tam

A visiting RCAF Bombardier CT-142 used for navigation training, the extended nose earned this aircraft the nickname “Gonzo�.

Cal Fire has been operating these Vietnam veteran Super Hueys since 1990, this one sports a 360 gallon underfuselage tank instead of a Bambi bucket.

This classic Mustang once belonged to David Gilmore of Pink Floyd fame, hence the name “Comfortably Numb�.

Vicky Benzing makes a low pass in her stock 1940 Boeing Stearman. In 1946 this airplane was sold from the War Assets Administration for $770.

Hayman Tam

Jerry Conley brings his pristine de Havilland DH-115 Vampire jet trainer past show center.

The Swiss Air Force operated these until 1990.

In 2009 the Thunderbirds transitioned to the F-16 Block 52 that brings the Thunderbird fleet into alignment with the rest of the worldwide F-16 fleet.

Greg Colyer is unique in performing in military aircraft without the benefit of active military flight experience. Greg acquired his first T-33 in 2008.

The rear fuselage of a Vultee BT-13 Valiant was grafted to the front of a North American T-6 Texan to produce this replica Nakajima B3N Kate torpedo bomber for the movie Tora! Tora! Tora!.

California Screamin’ California Capital Airshow 2018 Text by Bruce Boehm • Photos by Larry Grace

Established in 2004, the California Capital Airshow has become one of the largest and highly respected shows in the nation. As part of its community relations, the non-profit organization awards scholarships to deserving students from the region with an interest in aviation, aerospace, aeronautics and STEM-related fields. The California Capital Airshow strives to honor the past while inspiring future leaders.

The California Capital airshow launched a Photo Tour in 2010, which has grown to become internationally recognized and consistently draws photographers from around the world. Photographers relish the experience of pre-show arrivals, early morning and evening access, incredible shooting locations, the camaraderie of meeting other aviation photography enthusiasts and phenomenal customer service. The California Capital Airshow Photo Tour embraces photographers of all skill levels.

California Capital Airshow has enjoyed having ISAP members attending and this year we had ISAP President Larry Grace join us and with his help and discussion on airshow and aviation photography to the attending photographers was an add on to our Photo Tour.

Join us next year as we will host the US Navy Blue Angels and other airshow performers on October 5 & 6, 2019. www.californiacapitalairshow.com

Larry Grace

Larry Grace

Larry Grace

Bob Marcy

Bob Mantegani

Debbie Gale

David Mercier

Larry Placido

Garry Everett

Michael Cozad

Loic Severin

Philip Roina

Michael Tessler

Scott Grasso

Rob Tabor

Steven Mantegani

Scott Mantegani

Tom Spanos

Taggart Gorman

MCAS Miramar

A I R S H O W 2 0 1 8

Article and photos by Jason Skinner

I first came to Miramar three years ago, drawn to what was billed as America’s #1 air show. That year had an impressive lineup including: the Blue Angels, the Breitling Jet Team and the Patriots Jet Team. And something I had never heard of before: MAGTF. I was just starting to photograph air shows seriously and this seemed like one of the best opportunities in the United States to get the most out of one weekend.

I was not disappointed.

MAGTF. It’s like an air show within an air show. Marine Air Ground Task Force presents the scope of Marine Force Projection. You will see both the broad range of aviation elements like Hornets, Harriers, Vipers, Venom, Ospreys, and a C-130 as well as components of the ground warfare including: the M1 Abrams tank, Light Armored Vehicles and Artillery. A very impressive group of Marines that trains together and can be deployed anywhere in the world very quickly.

What an impressive lineup. I lived and breathed that air show for the whole three day weekend. I made sure to make a stop at the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum and catch up on the history of the U.S.M.C. in the area. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar deserves recognition for being so very welcoming. The tradition then and now is to open the Officers Club to the public for a social gathering after the show. A perfect way to end my time there able to meet and interact with the people who brought it together (the Third Marine Air Wing Marines), and the people who performed the show.

This year again was jam packed. Opening ceremonies with the 3rd MAW Band and both the U.S. Army Golden Knights and U.S. Navy Leap Frogs got things started. Diverse acts from Paragliders based locally at Torey Pines to a very special appearance from a Beale AFB U-2 Dragon Lady. Civilian performers Kent Pietsch, Sean D. Tucker, Jacquie B, John Collver and Shockwave were some of the other excitement over the weekend.

Needless to say, I’m hooked. The MCAS Miramar Air Show is one of the best in the country. Until next year, Semper Fi, Marines!

Jason Skinner

Jason Skinner

Jason Skinner

Michael Pliskin

My parents took me to my first air show when I was less than two years old. It was on a hot summer day at the former Stewart Air Force Base in Newburgh, New York, about 60 miles north of Manhattan. Those were the days of loud, smoky F-86 Sabres, and I remember being scared to my core by those deafening jets. I think perhaps that experience early in life inspired me to become an aviation photographer.

Years later, when I was working for Nikon at the dawn of the age of autofocus SLR cameras, part of my job responsibilities was to test new photo products to see what the limitations were beyond the published factory specs. So, when the first autofocus Nikon SLR came out, I took it to an air show at the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro to see if this new-fangled camera could focus on a fast-moving fighter jet.

Even though the technology was primitive by today’s standards, the results amazed me. After that, every time a new AF SLR camera body

or Auto-Focus telephoto lens came out, I would put it to the test at an air show at one of the many bases near Los Angeles at that time. I soon developed a reputation as an aviation photographer, which led to a freelance career after I left Nikon.

The most recent air show I attended was in late September at MCAS Miramar near San Diego, CA. Miramar had been a Naval Air Station where the legendary Top Gun School was developed and where the popular “Top Gun” movie starring Tom Cruise was filmed. In October 1997, after MCAS El Toro and its neighboring Tustin helicopter facility were closed, the Third Marine Aircraft Wing moved to Miramar and it officially became Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing’s mission is the Aviation Combat Element of the First Marine Expeditionary Force, providing combat-ready

aircraft forces capable of short-notice worldwide deployment.

Their aircraft consist of AV-8B Harriers, F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, F/A-18 Hornets, KC-130J Super Hercules, as well as CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopters, MV-22 Ospreys, AH-1Z Super Cobra/Viper attack helicopters, and UH-1Y Huey Venom utility helicopters.

The 3rd MAW has always staged great air shows every year, dating back to their days at El Toro. It is always a mix of civilian daredevil performers and current military aircraft. But what makes the 3rd MAW’s shows special is the MAGTF (Marine Air-Ground Task Force) demonstration mid-way through the show. It is basically a combat demonstration involving the 3rd MAW and expeditionary Marine Infantry from nearby Camp Pendleton involving all the aircraft types stationed at Miramar, along with Abrams tanks and other mechanized armor, simulating the securing of a base from the enemy. It starts with two AH-1Y Super Cobras flying cover as two UH-1Y Venom Hueys drop a team of scouts onto the airfield. As the Cobras hover above, the Hueys return to extract the scouts, who have all attached themselves to a recovery cable.

They attach the cable to one of the Hueys and it takes off, dangling the scouts below on the cable like fish on an angler’s string.

Then the Harriers and Hornets charge in to pound the “enemy” as pyro charges go off in succession between the runways. The noise, flames and smoke add to the realism and excitement. Following the strafing and bombing runs by the jets, three MV-22 Ospreys swoop in and land, disgorging several squads of heavily armed Marine Infantry troops, who spread out to secure the airfield.

As the Ospreys are unloading their troops, a convoy of tanks, armored personnel carriers and other armored vehicles race onto the field while a CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift chopper brings in another Humvee dangling from its winch. It is always a fun, loud and exciting demonstration that has not changed much from those earlier days when I first saw it at MCAS El Toro. The hardware is newer as the old MH-46 Sea Knights have been replaced by Ospreys… but it still makes for some fun photography.

One of the challenges of photography at Miramar is that the main runway is south of the base and runs east to west. So, photographers are shooting into the sun all day. This, combined with the hazy mornings on the two days I was there this year proved a real challenge in getting good aircraft images. The humidity did make for some nice vapor-overthe-wing shots, even if they were back-lit.

The U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane did arrive on Friday and stayed for the weekend. Talk about a challenge to photograph – the U-2 is all black to begin with! Combined with the backlighting and haze, it made for some interesting shots. This fascinating Cold War relic is the second oldest aircraft still currently active. (The B-52 is a few years its senior.)

Another treat was seeing the Blue Angels’ C-130 Hercules “Fat Albert” fly during the show. It took off early and carried up the Army Golden Knights and Navy SEAL Leapfrog parachute teams, who jumped out of Fat Albert and parachuted down to open the show. Sean D. Tucker flew his red Team Oracle biplane in spirals around the last two paratroopers as they carried a large American flag down from 12,000 feet.

In addition to Team Oracle, there were several other civilian stunt plane acts, such as Jon Melby in his Hangar 24 Pitts S-1-11B biplane. Melby tried to race the Shockwave jet-powered semi truck which is powered by three P&W J84-48 jet engines producing 36,000 horsepower and 21,000 pounds of thrust. The truck won the race.

Kent Pietsch, known as the Jelly Belly Guy, flew stunts in a slow-flying, 90 horsepower, 1942 Interstate Cadet, which looks like an old Piper Cub and weighs just 800 lbs. At one point during his show he landed the plane on the top of a truck driving down the runway.

The Patriots civilian jet formation team followed, consisting of six black L-39 Albatross jets flown by former Blue Angels, Thunderbirds and Snowbirds pilots, who some impressive maneuvers. All the Patriot pilots volunteer their time, according to the show announcers.

The Blue Angels, of course, were the stars of the show. I was finally able to nail the famed knife-edge pass photo that I have been trying to get for so many years. This is where the two opposing solo planes fly towards each other from either end of the field at speeds of about 500 mph each. They pass each other belly-to-belly or canopy-to-canopy

at an effective crossing speed of 1000 mph over show center. Even with the camera set to high-speed motordrive, it happens so fast that it is easy to miss. Thursday was their practice day, so I had extra opportunities to try to hone my timing.

All-in-all it was a fun air show. One major takeaway I had after reviewing my 3000-plus images shot over two days is that I should probably invest in a gyro-stabilizer to get a higher percentage of crisp images when shooting aircraft with props or rotors. I have been photographing aircraft for over thirty years and I still have difficulty getting great shots at slow shutter speeds. It is really easy to get nice, crisp images when using high shutter speeds. But the planes and helicopters don’t look right when the props and rotors are frozen. But slowing down the shutter speed also tends to blur everything else besides the prop or rotor. And it is impossible to shoot fast-moving aircraft with a long telephoto lens when the camera is mounted on a tripod.

The other takeaway is to shoot at more airfields where the sun is behind me…

Michael Pliskin

The Marine’s 3rd Air Wing Band played the National Anthem and the Navy and Marine Corps hymns, as well as standard John Philip Sousa favorites, before the welcoming speeches by Base Commander Colonel Charles B, Dockery and Major General Kevin M. Liams, Commanding General of the 3rd Air Wing. This year’s show was dedicated to honoring 100 years of service by women in the U. S. Marine Corps.

Michael Pliskin

Danish Museum of Science and Technology Article and photos by Mark Schultz

Based in an industrial estate of Helsingoer in Denmark, the Danish Museum of Science and Technology has an impressive collection of steam engines, inventions, electric appliances, bicycles, cars and also a rather extensive aviation department that covers around 30 different types of aircraft that have landmarked Danish Aviation History.

Copenhagen to Cairo via Düsseldorf, Vienna and Athens. The Caravelle’s final sortie was flown on August 21, 1974 from Stockholm-Arlanda to Copenhagen. “Ulf Viking” had 29.845 flying-hours and 30.004 Landings at the time of its retirement. After being on display at the Danske Flyvemuseum in Billund, she had been moved to Helsingoer in October 1998 and is there open to the public since May 2000.

The Museum is located in Elsinore and it takes about 20 minutes by train from Copenhagen’s Central Station to get there. Types on displays include light- and military- aircraft, gyrocopters, helicopters and a complete SAS Caravelle airliner from the 1960s. The Museum’s Caravelle, registered OY-KRD, flew for the first time on July 26, 1960 and was delivered to SAS on July 30, 1960 under the name “Ulf Viking”.

The first commercial flight took place on August 8, 1960 from

Also on exhibit is a real historic airplane from the ‘Danish Edison’ inventor J.C. Ellehammer, who, at least in the eyes of several Danes, was the first to fly in Europe in 1906. Actually this had never been acknowledged as the first European flight. At the time these shots were taken (October 2018), a team of volunteers was building an exact replica of the first Danish traffic airplane, the Friedrichshafen F.F 49C.

List of aircraft on display (excerpt): Blohm & Voss BV 13 de Havilland DH89 Dragon Rapide de Havilland DH.82a Tiger Moth Douglas C-47A Dakota Douglas DC-7C (cockpit) Ellehammer 1906 Ellehammer 1909 Ellehammer Helicopter Fairchild 24R9 Argus II Fairchild PT-26 ‘Trainer’ Farman – Svendsens Glenten Friedrichshafen FF.49C General Aircraft Ltd. ST-25 Monosp Gloster Meteor F.4 Lockheed CF-104 Starfighter Lockheed T-33A Nielsen & Winter AA Orlogsvaerft Flying Boat Percival P34 Proctor III Republic F-84G Thunderjet Saab B17A Saab J29F Tunan (currently not on display) Saab F-35 Draken SAI KZ IIT SAI KZ III SAI KZ IV Sikorsky S-55C Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III Westland Sioux HT.2

Mark Schultz

Mark Schultz

More than 6.000 visitors attended the rather small airfield at Wershofen at the northern outskirts of the Eifel area in Germany on the first weekend in September. Wershofen airfield is home of the Segelfluggruppe (Soaring Club) Wershofen and the place is widely known for its good soaring conditions. On September 2 - 3 a Fly-In was hosted by the club with great enthusiasm and professionalism.

The 2018 “Flugtag“ had a strong impact on historic Cessna Aircraft.

George and Shey Acosta from Northfield, Minnesota probably had the longest trip to Wershofen. The Airbus pilot flies a Cessna 195 in his spare time. How did he learn about the event? “It was pure luck!”, as he pointed out. There had been an entry in the forum of the International Cessna Association and consequently he had announced his intention to attend the Classic Cessna Meeting in Germany.

There had been quite a number of other historic aircraft in the static and flying display, among them a very rare 1936 DFS (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug) “Habicht“ glider, one of only three existing replicas. A group of enthusiast from the “Segelflugmuseum Wasserkuppe“ presented this unique glider on the ground and in the air. Being fully aerobatic, the Habicht had also been used to train Messerschmidt 163 “Komet“ pilots during WW II. Among numerous historic Cessna aircraft had been a variety of different models like the 120, 140, 150, 152, 170, 172, 175, 177, 180, 182, L-19 and, as a special highlight, a beautifully restored Model 145 “Airmaster“ that had been built in 1939. Real “crowd-pleasers“ rounded up the flying display in the form of two aircraft from the warbird-section: a Yakowlew Yak-3UPW from Lelystad in Holland and a Commonwealth CA-13 Boomerang from Antwerp in Belgium.

The next Wershofen Fly-In is planned for 2020 and definitely worth a visit. For more information check www.flugtag-wershofen.de

Wings over Wershofen Article and photos by Mark Schultz

Mark Schultz

Mark Schultz

BEHIND THE CAMERA SONY A9

MCAS Miramar

The 2018 Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Airshow honors 100 years of women in the Marine Corps. Since World War I, women have served in the Marine Corps contributing to the U.S. victory of multiple wars, battles and conflicts. This year’s airshow was a chance to recognize the accomplishments of women Marines in the past 100 years.

I had the opportunity to photograph the MCAS Miramar Air Show with several journalists to work with the Sony A9 and the 400mm f/2.8 lens. This was my first opportunity to photograph an airshow with a mirrorless camera. Fellow aviation photographer and ISAP member Frank Crebas was invited as well to try out Sony A9 mirrorless camera and lenses. We were both excited to try the camera and share our knowledge on aviation photography with the other journalists.

This photo essay is to share the images I captured with the A9 and the FE 400mm 2.8 GM OSS lens. I also used a Sony 1.4x Tele-converter to give me the reach of a 560mm lens. The Sony A9 with its stacked CMOS sensor is capable of shooting raw files at 20 frames a second with no blackout in the viewfinder. The camera can adjust the autofocus up to 60 times a second. Both features were something I wanted to test in an airshow environment.

The Sony A9 camera was fun to use and I would need to work with it more in order to understand it and its mirrorless feature. I only had a total of 12 hours over two days with this setup and there are so many features to work with and to get a feel for how I would shoot with it at airshows.

Thank you to Sony USA and the journalists I met during the MCAS Miramar airshow. I look forward to additional opportunities to shoot with the Sony A9 and lenses at an airshow in 2019.

For reviews and videos on Sony A9 camera check out the following: Photographing the Blue Angels with the Sony A9 www.youtube.com/watch?v=neazWk2kjTc&feature=youtu.be Photographing the Blue Angels with the Sony A9 - Sony Mirrorless Pro https://sonymirrorlesspro.com/photographing-the-blue-angelswith-the-sony-a9/ Self-Assigned Challenge: Miramar Air Show • Digital Photo Pro www.digitalphotopro.com/blog/self-assigned-challenge-miramarair-show/

Airshow 2018

Article and photos by Larry Grace

Larry Grace

Larry Grace

Larry Grace

Larry Grace

Antique Aircraft Association Article and photos by Brent Blue

The Antique Aircraft Association has its annual fly-in Labor Day weekend. It is a plethora of great aircraft and photo opportunities are abundant. Weather held the attendance to about half of normal but was still a great event.

Brent Blue

Brent Blue

WATERKLOOF AAD 2018

Article and photos by Dylan van Graan

It is said that all good things must come to an end, it also happens to be true for events that are not as good. In the case of the former, “endings” happen all too soon whilst the latter is often an altogether different kettle of fish.

The African Aerospace and Defense Show is a biannual event hosted at the Waterkloof Air Force Base close to where I live here in South Africa, the primary purpose of which is to create a platform for players in the defense sector to display their goods and talk shop for about five days every second or third weekend in September of the year in question.

Attached to the commercial side is one of the largest airshows in the country, if not the continent and spans over the weekend following the first three commercial days.

I’ve been seriously shooting the event since 2012 and have on occasion had the privilege to cover AAD for this publication as a member of the press. Believe me having that tag really helps finding a decent spot to park!

2018 has been a bit unusual in some ways, the first being in that the weekend on which the show was scheduled, happened to be over a long weekend, meaning that the Monday after the show was a national public holiday. This bode well for the numbers expected to attend and proven correct, judging by the queues at the gates on Saturday morning,

The next morning at 05:45 I eased my car into the queue at gate 6 and enjoyed my first cup of coffee while watching the line of cars get longer behind me. By the time a friend and his son arrived they were roughly 60 cars back from my position. Some time after confirming their arrival the gates opened to the flood of cars awaiting entry. It became a free for all in the rush to get though the entrance into the base proper and I was happy to finally park in a decent spot. Car parked, gear collected and security checks done a brisk walk brought us to our spot, just to miss one of the largest fighter formations I’ve ever had the pleasure to see and the displeasure to miss from a photographic point of view. Luckily I managed to fire off four shots on the next pass, only a single frame being somewhat usable.

We quickly set up our gear, poured a coffee and gorged on a chocolate muffin before the next display and thus our day next to the flight line started.

All things considered I would likely not rate 2018 as my best experience at AAD. For one the lens jammed again twice and focusing was unreliable in the extreme (still awaiting the outcome of my refund request) and atmospheric conditions were not conducive to beautiful photography. Add to this a less than ideal lineup, at least compared to prior years, made this show a hard one.

We can’t always have it all our own way can we? Sometimes one needs to work for results one can be proud of and are worthy for public consumption. I’ll let the images do the rest of the talking.

O, before I forget. Quite possibly one of the most graceful displays of formation flying I have ever seen happened at the very end of the show.

The “Flying Lions” performed a closing display at dusk that I felt very fortunate to witness. Close your eyes and imagine four AT-6 Texans flying in close formation in the waning light performing slow, sweeping turns with radials rumbling and trailing display smoke forming perfect “tubes” in their wake, the air so still that you can actually see the wake turbulence causing the smoke to roll in on itself and becoming so dense that the four ship appeared from a bank of dense smoke like ghosts on their final pass.

Any images from the display? Nope, I packed up all my gear just prior of the surprise display so I just sat down and enjoyed the experience.

more on this in a minute. The second was that for some reason unbeknown to me my application for press accreditation was denied.

No easy parking and shorter queues then......

The lack of accreditation also meant a single day of shooting over the weekend as not being on the press also meant no access on validation day the Friday prior to the show.

I’ve developed a liking in the Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di USD G2 and after using it at a show in 2017 decided to rent another lens for this event. I took some time off on Friday to collect the unit and while testing at the supplier the lens locked up with some error regarding the connection to the camera. Firmware updates were done on both the camera and lens at the shop and no further errors were encountered.

Going home I stopped off at the air base and hung around in an open field just outside in an attempt to steal some images of aircraft passing on approach but the sky was terribly hazy and I didn’t have much success.

Truly, good things pass much to soon…

Dylan van Graan

Dylan van Graan

Dylan van Graan

OREGON:

Oregon is famous for its natural beauties, its climate, good food, hipsters, etc. It is also a world-class destination for any aviation enthusiast!

I had the opportunity to travel to Oregon after attending Oshkosh 2018, on my way to Tokyo. I decided to spend a few days in the Portland area.

I discovered many aviation themed attractions: the first one was the B-17 alliance at Salem, with a huge undertaking to restore Art Lacey’s B-17 G “Lacey Lady” to flying condition. I then headed to the Tillamook Air Museum, a unique collection housed in a massive airship hangar at the former Tillamook naval base, located near scenic Netarts and Cape Meares. After that I spent one day driving to Hood River where the Western Antique Auto & Aviation Museum is located: a huge collection of vintage aircraft and cars. The next step of the drive was the famous Erickson warbird collection at Madras, after admiring Mount Hood and the Warm Springs canyon on the way.

Most of the many aircraft in these two museums are airworthy!

I continued by spending one more day at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum at McMinnville: this is a campus with 3 enormous facilities, not only the home of Howard Hughes’ H-4 Hercules, but also an incredible collection of planes, rockets and spacecraft from all times! Before leaving I also visited the Pearson Air Museum at Fort Vancouver: it is very close to Portland, houses an interesting collection of antique military aircraft and has a very respectable history, having been an active airfield since 1905.

Overall, I was amazed by the variety, quality and size of the aircraft collections. All of these museums are located close to Portland and deserve at least one visit, given the uniqueness and the high quality of their exhibits. Furthermore, people are very friendly and landscapes are magnificent!

WORLD-CLASS AVIATION! Article and photos by Vincent Trelut

Vincent Trelut

Vincent Trelut

Vincent Trelut

How I got the shot!

Article and photo by Keith Charlot

Equipment Used Camera: Nikon D7100 Lens: Nikon 15-50mm f/2.8

On September 6, 2018 I was apart of a special dissimilar formation flight honoring the Tuskegee Airmen past, present and future. The formation included the 301st Fighter Squadron F-22 (piloted by Maj. Paul “Loco” Lopez), 100th Fighter Squadron F-16s (piloted by Maj. Rich “Sheriff” Peace and Maj. Ray “Hollywood Fowler) and Red Tail P-51 (piloted by CAF member and Tuskegee Airman descendant Brad Lang).

The 100th Fighter Squadron was one of the Tuskegee Airmen squadrons during World War II, a famous all African-American squadron from the 332d Fighter Group, activated on Feb 19, 1942 at Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama. It was returned to duty in 2007 as a replacement of the Alabama Air National Guard’s 160th Fighter Squadron so the state could honor the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.

The Tuskegee Airmen

The Legacy Continues...

Keith Charlot

The Last Dance!

Sean D. Tucker’s Final Performance

Article and photos by Kevin Hong On October 21, 2018 Sean D. Tucker ended his solo career performing in the Oracle III Challenger at the Commemorative Air Force Wings Over Houston Airshow at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas.

Watching the poles rise one last time for his triple ribbon cut filled my heart with happiness. Indeed this was a special occasion not just for Sean but for me as well. The first time I saw Sean perform was here in Houston when I was young and to watch him one last time was even more special.

Sunday morning the stage was set for Sean’s final performance.

During pilot brief the time was given for Sean to perform and afterwards a surprise would take place at show center. I met with fellow photographer Suresh Atapattu and part of the Oracle Team to go over the surprise ceremony.

Anticipation was building as Sean started spiraling down performing his high energy aerobatics and hearing the high pitched sound of the Challenger’s engine. After years of watching him perform you never get tired of looking at the ballet in the sky that only Sean D. Tucker can do and can’t help scream his phrase Yeah Baby!

After being pumped up it was time to focus on getting the shots.

Lining up to get the three ribbon cuts was not an easy task. With the speed and angle Sean was coming I had to make some decisions on how wide to shoot and what shots would look the best. Needless to say you hope the SD card in your camera is fast enough to catch every movement at every ribbon while catching the final moment Sean cuts the last ribbon. While you always cross your fingers what looks good on the camera would look good on the computer

actually worked. We were in suspense since Sean missed the last ribbon and had to run through to cut the third ribbon again. Seeing the ribbon routine twice was even more enjoyable since we wouldn’t be able to see it done ever again.

After catching the final pass it was a mad dash to get to show center for the arrival of Sean. After taxiing by the crowd, the Oracle Team, Sean’s family and 13 members of the Blue Angels were waiting for him. The exhilarating journey came to an end when Sean got out and waved to the crowd. American flags were given to the crowd ahead of time and were proudly flying as Sean made his way to the announcers stand.

The crowd cheered as Sean stood up in front of the entire airshow and gave his inspirational speech and said, “As long as you have joy in the cockpit, you’re making the right decisions. As long as you have joy in your life, you’re making the right decisions. And what gives me joy is to be right here in Houston to share the magic of life.”

It was a great ceremony to honor the career of one of the greatest aerobatic pilots in the airshow industry. Congratulations to Sean D. Tucker and Team Oracle.

Kevin Hong

Kevin Hong

Congratulations Sean D. Tucker!

-Yeah Baby!

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MEET OUR MEMBERS

MEET OUR MEMBER

Dave Swartz

I was introduced to photography at an early age. My grandfather was a master photographer and I learned many things from his work and darkroom techniques. Fast forward to the early 1980’s and I bought my first SLR Canon AE-1. Gradually, my skill set afforded me to shoot for pay. Much of my education was by doing, reading and enrolling in mail order courses.

Over the years I’ve been successful in many disciplines and love them all. I turned pro about 15 years ago. I shoot wildlife, landscapes, weddings, events, portraits and aviation. My wife and I moved to a residential airpark in Webster, Minnesota a few years ago and the photo opportunities provided for a new photographic love.

My camera bodies are all Canon (7D, 5D MK III, 1D MK IV) and have a variety of lenses from Tamron, Sigma and Canon. Typically for airshows I use the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS, sometimes with a 1.4 TC, the 24-105 L IS, and now have recently purchased the Sigma 150-600 Contemporary.

This lens is now my go to lens for ground to air aviation. Air to Air I use the 24-105 and 70-200 on different bodies.

I shoot RAW only as it affords me the ability for greater editing techniques. I use Lightroom and Photoshop with many plug-ins, actions and presets. These tools allow for faster edits and the variety my style demands.

I joined ISAP with the encouragement of Larry Grace and look forward to learning new skills, sharing ideas, settings, flight plans and safety procedures with air to air shoots. I love to share ideas with like minded people who have the same passion and am more than willing to share the things I’ve learned. To the new photographers, I would convey that some of the learning seems slow, incremental but stay with it. The skills will come with experience and you have excellent role models here at ISAP!

DenisSwartz Dave Rouleau

DenisSwartz Dave Rouleau

MEET OUR MEMBER

Rob Tabor

My name is Rob Tabor and I’m an advanced amateur residing in Northern California. The majority of my photographic knowledge has been gained through self study, but I have taken film photography courses at the Community College level. My first real interest in aviation photography started when I began my Air Force flying career as a KC-135 Boom Operator.

I shoot Nikon. My favorite combinations for air shows are the D500/ D850 with either the Nikon 200-400mm f4 or the 500mm f4. I always shoot RAW, this gives me the most latitude when editing. I’m still a Nikon Capture NX2 holdout (I blame Larry for getting me hooked on it in the first place) but since Nikon is no longer supporting the NX2 platform, I am making the switch to Lightroom CC. I first joined ISAP somewhere around 2007. After I retired from the Air Force in 2009 and started a new career, I took a break from Photography for a few years, so I let my membership lapse. I really started to miss aviation photography and I’m back at it. After running into Larry at the Sacramento Air Show photo tour I decided it was time to renew my membership. I first became aware of ISAP from the now defunct Fencecheck.com website.

I’m always happy to share what little knowledge I have, even though I’m not quite sure if what I have to say constitutes “good advice”.

The single most important thing I would tell anyone new to aviation photography, Is what I often have to remind myself of, and that’s to relax and have fun!

Rob Tabor

Rob Tabor

Rob Tabor

MEET OUR MEMBER

Nikon D810 with Nikon 70-200. 122mm; 1/80s at f/5.6 and ISO 400

Taggart Gorman

Hello, my name is Taggart Gorman. I am an amateur photographer from Alameda, CA. I’ve been interested in aviation since I was a boy, building plastic models and always looking up at the sky when a plane flies overhead. I’ve learned photography through years of practice and learning from mistakes. I enjoy meeting with other photographers to learn, teach and share stories.

I use Nikon cameras for my photography. My airshow setup is a Nikon D5 and a Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6. For static displays I use a Nikon D810 with 14-24mm, 24-700mm and 70-200mm Nikon lenses.

I shoot RAW for all my images since disk space is cheap and I built my custom PC to handle large files. I use Adobe Lightroom Classic CC

to catalog and edit most photos. I will occasionally use Photoshop on photos that need extra work, but I find myself needing to do that less and less.

I learned about ISAP when Larry Grace attended the California Capital Airshow in Sacramento in September of 2018. I enjoy the comradery of other aviation enthusiasts, so I was excited to learn about the society.

I am always happy to talk about photography techniques. My best advice is to not worry about how “good” your gear is and to shoot, shoot, shoot. Batteries can be recharged and disk space is cheap, so there’s no excuse not to press the shutter and to keep learning.

Nikon D7100 with Nikon 70-200mm and 1.4x teleconverter. 280mm; 1/800s at f/5.6 and ISO 100

Nikon D810 with Tamron 150-600mm. 600mm; 1/1250s at f/8 and ISO 640

Nikon D810 with Nikon 24-70mm. 70mm; 1/200s at f/8 and ISO 64

Taggart Gorman

Nikon D5 with Nikon 200-500mm. 500mm; 1/1000s at f/8 and ISO 220

Nikon D5 with Nikon 200-500mm. 500mm; 1/1000s at f/8 and ISO 125

Nikon D5 with Nikon 200-500mm. 500mm; 1/200s at f/11 and ISO 100

Nikon D5 with Nikon 200-500mm. 500mm; 1/1600s at f/5.6 and ISO 110

Taggart Gorman

Nikon D5 with Nikon 200-500mm. 380mm; 1/1250s at f/8 and ISO 100

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The Art of Air to Air

Aviation Photography: Post Processing

Aviation Photography: Warbirds and the Men Who Flew Them

VISIT WWW.KELBYONE.COM TO VIEW ALL INSTRUCTORS, GET MORE INFO & BECOME A MEMBER Adobe, Photoshop, and Lightroom are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Incorporated. All images courtesy of Moose Peterson.

Home of one of the world’s largest collections of flying vintage military aircraft.

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Sold separately.

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Handcrafted in Japan. Our entire line-up on sigmaphoto.com. USA 4-Year Service Protection SIGMA Corporation of America | 15 Fleetwood Court | Ronkonkoma, NY 11779, U.S.A. | Tel: (631) 585-1144 Follow us on Instagram @sigmaphoto and Facebook.com/sigmacorporationofamerica

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LIOE Design is a product company that manufactures their own product designs. Located in Seattle, WA all their products are aviation inspired from their Aero Ti Chopsticks Every product has a story. A reason why a product looks the way it does from function and practicality to aesthetics. All our products are designed with the belief that everyday goods can be extraordinary. We strive to ensure the user is getting the most unique experience and to create a everyday item in a completely re-imagined way. We design to spark imagination and creativity even in the most creative people.

Creating products that inspire design.

1) Air Squadron playing cards This deck of cards has artwork of modern jets and aircraft.

The inspiration was to create a deck of cards unlike other cards, the Kings and Queens are B-2 Bomber and SR-71. The Jokers are the A-10 and F-22. Every card is unique creating the perfect deck for an aviation enthusiast or card collector! 2) Stealth Pen The Stealth Pen has a unique, aluminum uni-body design with four total components making it lightweight as well as easy to assemble and disassemble. The slotted design offers a futuristic touch and cuts down on the weight of the pen while allowing the user a glance at the inside ink cartridge.

3) Titan Business card holder The Titan is aero-inspired minimalist light-weight card holder. The pattern on the front of the card holder is reminisce of a futuristic space door and inspired by the nose of the B29 Super Fortress. Titan has a dark gunmetal gray color and is made from aircraft grade 6061-T6 Aluminum.

We have a couple of new products: Delta 7 EDC Multi-Tool and D-Tie Bar (an abstract aircraft wing - this one will be available in late November).

LIOEDESIGN.COM Visit their website to learn more about their products

Special Holiday 20% discount for ISAP members

For details visit the ISAP newsletter or member log-in section of the ISAP website.

Jim Wilson Photography

International Distributor for Kenyon Stabilizing Products

214-796-9743

JW@JIMWILSONPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Special Offer for ISAP Members

For the special offers visit the ISAP newsletter or member log-in section of the ISAP website.

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 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/HelpCenter/NYSuperStore08. jsp?About_Us-The_Professionals_Source pays 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.

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, as we moved to our SuperStore: www.bhphotovideo.com/find/HelpCenter/NYSuperStore08. jsp?About_Us-History on 34th Street and opened our cyber-doors at www.bhphotovideo.com. We continue to expand to meet your needs with showrooms, classes, educational and social media, and more.

ISAP Merchandise

If you wish to purchase any ISAP merchandise please email info@aviationphoto.org Send your name and current address and you will be invoiced via PayPal. Shipping cost will be added to your invoice.

Members with an international address will have a higher shipping rate.

ISAP Challenge coin - $10 + shipping ISAP safety vest (Small to X-Large) - $38 + shipping (An additional $10.00 will be charged for a 2X-4X size vest) ISAP membership patch - $5 + shipping Limited patch version with Velcro backing - $10 + shipping

Visit the new ISAP online store for your ISAP shirts, hats, bags and more!

ISAP SUMMER SPECIAL

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ISAP Board Members President and Board Chairman Larry Grace Vice President and Vice Chairman Jim Wilson Treasurer Gary Edwards Past Treasurer Bonnie Kratz Secretary Mike Collins ISAP Board Member George Kounis ISAP Board Member Kevin Hong ISAP Staff Member John Sepp ISAP Staff Member Craig Swancy Chairman Emeritus Jay Miller ISnAP Editor Kevin Hong ISnAP International Editor Mike Green The ISnAP 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, isnap@aviationphoto.org or isappresident@aviationphoto.org ISnAP is a publication to showcase our members work in capturing aviation events. Anytime you have images or would like to inquire on doing an article for ISnAP contact us via email at isnap@aviationphoto.org Images should be sized at 2150 x 1500 @ 300 dpi (5� x 7�) in a landscape format only. Submit up to 10 images per article and submit your text in a word document and email a link by using www.wetransfer.com and send info@aviationphoto.org (Up to 2GB). You can also submit images for review for a future cover or back page display. If any questions you can email us as well to isnap@aviationphoto.org.

We look forward to your submission and to showcase your articles and images.