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.

Upon seeing these images, a friend asked how long I had waited for that light. My response was "Yea, sure...waited for days!"  Well, we did in a way, because this was just after the torrential rains that we had this fall in Atlanta. The Chattahoochee River is just behind the far trees in the background, and was still very much above flood stage.

It is not often that one has the opportunity to literally “step back into history”, but that chance occurred this last week when EAA’s B-17 Aluminum Overcast was in town on it’s fall tour stop. I got up early (twice!) to make photos as the first light of day broke over the horizon. Not only was it possible to take a “ground tour” of the aircraft, but it was also possible to take a half-hour ride.

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.

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.

I’m pleased to say that I had the chance to spend an hour with him last summer, at the invitation of a mutual friend.

Bob "Punchy" Powell, who holds a piece of the cowling from his crashed P-51 Mustang.