Not my normal bird in flight shot however I thought it was worth sharing this photo of the Thunderbirds at one of the premier airshows in north America. Yes, I am a nature and wildlife lover but to be honest I've always been drawn to power and speed beginning with horses then muscle cars, NASCAR and air shows. It's been a long while since attending this or any social event for that matter so it was a welcomed change from everyday home life.

After the event I pondered the cost of such a demonstration and did a bit of snooping on the internet. What I gathered was: The average cost of jet fuel here is approximately $7 per gallon. The average time the Thunderbirds are in the air is 15 minutes flying at 700mph. There were 6 jets so approximately 1200 gallons of fuel were used in the air.

It's reported that this display is used to recruit enlistments and it must work otherwise moving from one show to another with complete ground crews, pilots, food and housing at such an enormous cost it wouldn't make any sense. That being said with the current push for electric vehicles to reduce oil consumption it struck me as being one of those little life oxymorons. Even with this info I must say I get a rush from the sights, sounds and admire the precision maneuvers these pilots do.

Another picture from this weekends display of The Red Arrows.

Caroline and I took up our positions on The Leas and watched the Red Arrows do their thing.

Having not even picked up a DLSR camera for a number of months I wasn't even sure I could remember to turn it on.

Probably a very familiar move, I love the lines the Red Arrows form during their displays..

February 13 2012; St. Maarten SXM

1945 Goodyear Vought FG-1D Corsair N46RL C/N 92508 United States Navy with BuNo 92508 Marked up as Jolly Rogers Fighting Squadron 17 VF-17

Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA July 2022

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Macro Mondays theme National

This is a lapel pin which I picked up at the Polish War Museum in Gdańsk in September when we were there.

My connection with this symbol is my dad was a Polish avaition historian and was the World's leading Authority on events that occured in WW2. Apart from the many books and articles to his name, he was commissioned to write the official history of the Polish Airforce specifically between the years of 1939-1945. He also had the largest historic photographic archive of aeroplanes (airplanes) globally, which is now housed in Krakow and other places around the World.

The lapel pin is 0.9cm wide. The entire width of the frame is just over 4cm.

Happy Macro Monday! 😊

Goodyear Vought FG-1D Corsair N46RL C/N 92508

United States Navy with BuNo 92508 USN Jolly Rogers Fighting Squadron 17 VF-17

Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA July 2022

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This is the plane I really want to get some good shots of - I was really pleased to see a couple at low level regardless. From what I understand the Eagle first flew in 1972 and is still a mainstay of the USAF today.

I've a feeling this is a Strike Eagle however I'm not 100%.

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Beijing Daxing livery

Clean Seas, Mirpuri Foundation Livery.

RAF Supermarine Spitfire LF MkVb Spitfire EP120 G-LFVB AE-A 402 Squadron City of Winnipeg RCAF

Aircraft was constructed in 1942 at the castle Bromwich factory in the UK and has served with sevral different squadron’s but while serving with 501 squadron scored 6 of its confirmed kills with squadron leader Geoffrey Northcott as the pilot.

Aircraft is now in the colours of 402 Squadron City of Winnipeg RCAF

From 1968 to 1989 the Spitfire was a Gate Guardian at RAF Wattisham, I used to go past this most days from 1971 as I used to work on the Base

Airshow Theme VE Day

Photo taken at the Imperial War Museum Duxford Cambridgeshire on the 7th May 2022

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Goodyear Vought FG-1D Corsair N46RL C/N 92508

United States Navy with BuNo 92508 USN Jolly Rogers Fighting Squadron 17 VF-17

Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA July 2022

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Grumman F7F Tigercat N700F Tail Code (D3) US Navy Here Kitty Kitty US Navy Here Kitty Kitty NX700F

Grumman F7F Tigercat NX700F Tail Code (D3) 80390 USN

Called Here Kitty Kitty The first flight by a Tigercat was on the 2 November 1943

Tigercat was fighter aircraft that served with the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps USMC from late in World War II until 1954. It was the first twin-engine fighter to be deployed by the USN

Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA July 2022

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West Atlantic