A few days ago, a good friend called and mentioned that he had an open right seat in his twin-engined Navajo, for a quick trip down to Savannah. He asked if I’d was up for it, and of course, I said “Yes!”. He’s a good friend, and an excellent pilot, so I knew we’d have a great time, even if it was only a ride down and back. He had some quick business to take care of, so the plan was to fly down that afternoon, sign some papers, and return home to Atlanta. No big deal…

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.