In a short period of time, the Lockheed 12A Electra Junior has become one of my favorite aircraft to photograph.  The elegant lines with a subtle yet distinctive touch of "art deco" renders it irresistible in my eyes.  I believe "eye candy" is the current phrase that sums up my feelings about this aircraft...it just seems "right".

Ron Alexander is well-known in aviation circles, and he loves the DC-3.  He's owned an original DC-3 for over twenty years now.  According to Ron, there were only about 300 aircraft built as true DC-3's.  The other 10,000+ aircraft were built as C-47's, the military version.  His was built as a passenger liner, and has remained so to this day.

Recently we had the opportunity to appear as a guest on the simpleflight.net internet radio program, hosted by Al Waterloo and Marc Epner. The archive version of the show is available below, in case you missed it.  I come in at about the 28 minute mark, and the interview lasts for almost an hour.  Enjoy!

With the tough job that the Transportation Security Administration has on their hands, and their (mostly deserved) reputation, imagine my surprise recently at the Milwaukee Airport just after going through security.  As I was putting my shoes back on, rethreading my belt, and stuffing the change back in my pockets, I happened to look up at a sign near the security area exit.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to fly a US Airways jet to Reno, Nevada for a conference.  Usually I'm a customer of AirTran or Delta, as I live in Atlanta, so this was a new carrier for me.  Since the media regularly broadcasts the latest shenanigans of the various airline "brain trusts", I was aware of the baggage surcharges that probably awaited me.  Since I was going to the conference to make pictures, I had a fair bit of photo gear in my bag, which put it over the 50 pound limit.

An Air France Boeing 777 is loaded on the ramp at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Spring 2010.

I write this entry today with the knowledge that General Aviation has taken a beating in the press lately, mostly as a convenient whipping boy. There is no rational reason for it, other than an unexplained bias that seems to be inherent in our media. Although only indirectly related to GA, what follows deals with military aviation, and with what a well trained, organized, and coordinated group can do, in a short time, and under extremely trying circumstances. Some of you may know that I'm an Army veteran, having served almost 11 years in various command and staff roles as an Armor officer, both in the USA and Germany. My dad was a Green Beret for most of his 22 years of service, including two tours of duty in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. My little brother followed in my dad's footsteps, and just retired two years ago, as a Green Beret, at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He commanded a Green Beret battalion in Afghanistan...twice. Needless to say, my family has an intimate knowledge of what it takes to serve, and we still follow with great interest the activities of our military.

Another Airventure has come and gone. This year the reported attendance was up to 575,000 for the week, the “North 40” campground was full on the first day, and there were more RV’s than Cessna’s for the first time ever. Some attribute the record breaking attendance to the poor economy, as there is some historical evidence that suggests when the economy is ailing, airshow attendance increases. Haven’t heard any definitive evidence, but there seems to be enough of a correlation that there might be some truth to that belief. In any event, the week was an overwhelming success, despite the economic doldrums.

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend the Women in Aviation International (WAI) Conference, held here in Atlanta. To say it was an “eye-opening” experience would be an understatement. Not only was it a good chance to network for the attendees, but it was a celebration of everything positive in aviation. One thing that I noticed right off was the fact that probably a third of the attendees were military flyers. While this is no surprise to me, having been in the military in the 70’s and 80’s, the ratio to the overall number of attendees (about a third...) was a bit of a surprise. It is obvious that the military has come a long way in offering positions of leadership and responsibility to women, and it was also obvious that they have more than met these challenges.. Rarely have I seen a more intelligent, competent, and motivated group.

One of the “cool” things about my job as a commercial photographer (and it’s definitely work, believe me…) is the sheer variety of subjects that come before my lens. Just last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Grant Wainscott, the Executive Director and Chief Curator of the newly created National Museum of Commercial Aviation, located just south of Atlanta. It’s mission is to preserve the rich history of commercial aviation, with a primary focus on Eastern and Delta Airlines.

For those in the know, just the mention of “Oshkosh” brings an instant glimmer of recognition. It is simply the “Mecca” of aviation, at least in the United States. The largest General Aviation (GA) show in the country, it is said that at any one time, 10% of the GA fleet in the USA is at Oshkosh during the week of the fly-in. It is a fly-in, a trade show, an airshow, but it is also much more.