USAF Thunderbirds
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RIAT 2019 in the pouring rain.
Full US military serial 60-0048
Operated by the 20th Bomb Squadron, part of the 2nd Bomb Wing of the United States Air Force, based at Barksdale AFB in Louisiana.
Seen on static display at the 2019 Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT)
RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, UK
19th July 2019
Living next door to an operational airfield has it's perks when the airshow comes around we got our on display over the back garden.
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.
Took this shot of the USAF Memorial (located in Arlington, VA) in the late blue hour. Found a spot next to the memorial grounds to get the monument. Decided to use a soft misting preset in Lightroom in this one and worked it out from there.
Took this shot on the memorial grounds at nighttime. There is a lot of interesting aspects to this memorial. I saw this statue and managed to get a plane flying into Reagan International and the DC Skyline in the background.
Experimenting lower shutter speeds on fast moving jets. Only a few keepers but I am beginning to like them.
McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle
92-0364
United States Air Force
USAF 48FW
Royal International Air Tattoo
RAF Fairford, UK
14 July 2022
McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle
92-0364
United States Air Force
USAF 48FW
Royal International Air Tattoo
RAF Fairford, UK
14 July 2022
From September 2018. . .or the world before COVID - 1984. McConnell Air Force Base Open House/Air Show in Wichita. The USAF Thunderbirds were the featured performers.
I believe this is the Larry Westin Classic General Aviation Aircraft, circa 1940-1965. If anyone can confirm please let me know. Thanks!
usaf_prop_078A5162
2015 Air Force Graduation
United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO.
With the 2016 Graduation Ceremony fast approaching, I decided to take another look at my 2015 archives ...
On finals to land at Prestwick airport in Scotland is this USAF HC-130J.
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue (SAR)/combat search and rescue (CSAR) version of the C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft, with two different versions operated by two separate services in the U.S. armed forces.
92-1094 an LC-130H-3 from the New York ANG in the blue hour. Most noticeable of the H-3 upgrades are the Hamilton Sundstrand NP2000 eight-blade propellers.
With the Air Festival this past weekend at nearby Martin State Airport I was able to snap of some fighter plane captures in addition to birds along Middle River.
Captured here at slower shutter speed to show the props in motion.