AFAIK, WPPI has never been a show where the camera companies announced anything.

It's 99.5% driven by support products, lighting, backdrops, print labs, etc...

Agreed. From the twice I went to WPPI it's more a conference around wedding and portraits with a giant hall of trade stalls thrown in.

FAA tower closure list is out: http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=14414

Four week phased closure of 149 towers beginning April 7. PDF of the closure list here: http://www.faa.gov/news/media/fct_closed.pdf

Mark

City of Mckinney is scratching their heads trying to decide if they want to come up with 600K to fund our tower for the next 12 months. Our poor guys in the tower don't know what to think. How would you like to be wondering if you are out of a job in less than two weeks? A job that you thought was secure, and a line of work that no one is going to be hiring in anytime soon.

I don't disagree that there are a bunch of towers that are purely pork and the numbers don't begin to justify having a tower, but once again, the government proceeds in the dumbest possible way.

stevez wrote:
I think I'm going to standardize my travel kit as all-Nikon. A year ago I didn't own a stitch of Nikon gear. As of today I'm thinking D800, D7100, 24-70, 70-200, 80-400. I like the smaller bodies for travel since the bag all this gear fits in is small enough to fit in any airline overhead, including RJ's and Saab 340s.

I've found very few reasons to use the 1DX over the D800: one airshow, a couple of performances, an architectural interior or three with the 17TS. Hmmm...


And so it goes Zim. I agree, I use the D800 bodies pretty much exclusively, unless the subject is fast, or requires the 17TS. The release of a D4X as spec'd in the rumors would make a switch a no brainer for me. Whodathunkit 12 months ago?

Heads up, Texas folk! The Collings Foundation have listed their ME-262 coming to Dallas(now), Denton, Temple, Austin and Fort Worth over the next few days/weeks, alongside the usual suspects... http://www.collingsfoundation.org/cf_schedule-wof.htm

Hi Lady Jo! Are you across the pond, or home in Buda?

We still on for COTA in a few weeks?

I am still in the UK; back on Tuesday. (If anyone is around in London this Monday and fancies coffee/lunch, do let me know!)

Still on for Moto GP. I have one spare room remaining if anyone needs it.

44-Frame Stitched Pano of Davis-Monthan AFB from atop their tower...


100% Crop of ramp area in use by the Heritage Flight Conference earlier this month...

We've gotten the news that the tower here in Easton, Md is closing .. Easton/Newnam Field Airport ( ESN )

So I wonder what my chances are if the BA and Thunderbirds fly again this year .. of getting some flight line access for the Thunderbirds ..... I found out today that Nicole is my GF's uncle's wife's nephews wife ...... That should be close enough ya think ....... lol

First Thunderbird Woman Aviator ! Heartiest of Congratulations to her !

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123340489

futurshox wrote:
Heads up, Texas folk! The Collings Foundation have listed their ME-262 coming to Dallas(now), Denton, Temple, Austin and Fort Worth over the next few days/weeks, alongside the usual suspects... http://www.collingsfoundation.org/cf_schedule-wof.htm
Will be heading to the Temple arrival, might pay a visit while in Austin as well but haven't decided that one yet.

JWilsonphoto wrote:
We still on for COTA in a few weeks?

If this is for the Moto GP on the 20th/21st let me know, I "should" be able to join y'all. What tickets are you getting etc?

my flights have been booked for a while. I got the GA tickets. it asks for a section which is odd for GA, but I got section 1 I believe? whatever Jo told me to get :P

I am talking with the people at COTA at the moment and should have a better handle on credentials early next week. Just hedging my bets I looked up the event info on their website. I'm still completely confused about how this whole thing works. First, all I can find are packages that run two grand and up. If I don't get credentials, or decide not to jump through the hoops and just want to be able to walk around the event, what's the skinny? Glenn and Lady Jo seem to feel that there will be no problem carrying long glass into the venue, and that's positive. Maybe it's just the type of situation where one needs to just go and see what can be gotten. I really don't want credentials if it puts me where Y'all can't go, that would take most of the fun out of it for me.

Just now playing on their site, I searched for seats in GA and get options for GA2, 3, and 4. Nothing showing for GA1. 89 bucks for the whole weekend, can't beat that price compared to the Nascar races. And yeah I agree Jim, half the fun of this will be seeing everyone.

I had bleacher seats in section 2 for F1 but never even went to them. (nevermind that I lost the ticket somehow between the gate and the seat) General admission was great for F1. If you just want to sit and enjoy the race, a bleacher seat would be nice - but the pictures will get real similar and real old real fast. Walking around in GA is great from turn 1 all the way the the hairpin on the opposite end and the sun is behind you during race time. You get about 5 or 6 turn entry/exits plus the chicane under the bridge. You can also get high and shoot over the fences walking up the stairs to the bridges, but there were marshalls there so you couldnt stand amd shoot for a long time. I havent bought any tickets yet, but I seem to recall the 3 day GA ticket was about $80 for MotoGP. A credential would be nice for some of the more presitigious access you can get around the startline and turn 1, where it gets you inside the first fence so you can shoot through the camera ports in the 2nd fence. But with semi long lenses you can shoot over the fence from a number of spots in GA.

Glenn

So if you buy a bleacher package, you can wander the grounds as you see fit? Where's the best place to buy those tickets Glenn? I think I'd do that just to hedge my bets. On a different subject, we're on a fast track for our article. I'm going to be working on it over the weekend and will probably need some info from you as I get into it. Will you be around?

I never bought ticket before, some dude at work gave me his F1 ticket last time. But it looks like you can just buy them from the website:

https://oss.ticketmaster.com/aps/cota/EN/buy/details/13MOTOGP

You can wander anywhere you want from turn 1 to turn 11 and still pretty much see the track. The fancy side from turn 11-20 and around the start line is all blocked off by bleachers and fences.

Yes i'm around this weekend. Give me a call.

Glenn

BTW, selling a Skycatcher if anybody is in the market for a fun little airplane PM me.



Glenn