airfrogusmc wrote:
"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time."-Chesty Puller USMC
I can't wait to see the new movie "Devotion"! I think that will be the first movie about the Chosin Battle?
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Ray Swindle wrote:
I think 435 is the 'C' model. The C has a larger wing area and larger control surfaces for better low speed control. Other differences would be harder to tell since they involve the arresting gear, two nose wheels on the C and beefier landing gear.
Thank you Ray! After carefully looking at the pictures again, I added the name under the jets to identify which one is the A and which one is the C. For this particular set, the F-35A's nose has no numbers, the stabilizer has the marking of "HL" (for Hill AFB where they are based?), and the top part behind the cockpit has some markings on it. The Navy's F-35C has 4xx on the nose cone, and VFA125 on the side.
Bill, thank you!
A few more from the sunset show, I need to go to more of these but like Jim said, there aren't many!
I won't have more airshow pictures to post until the Atlantic City show in Aug. The lineup this year for that show is just OK. TB and F-18 Rhino, not much else interesting.
I know this one is very "unsharp" but I like the closeup and the disk.
Douglas, were there 3 F-35s; 1 USAF F-35A and 2 F-35Cs? The first F-35 photo has 446 stenciled on the nose in front of the canopy and the third has 435 stenciled on it. These look like Navy markings. HL is the USAF tail code for Hill AFB, Utah.
Douglas L wrote:
I can't wait to see the new movie "Devotion"! I think that will be the first movie about the Chosin Battle?
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Thank you Ray! After carefully looking at the pictures again, I added the name under the jets to identify which one is the A and which one is the C. For this particular set, the F-35A's nose has no numbers, the stabilizer has the marking of "HL" (for Hill AFB where they are based?), and the top part behind the cockpit has some markings on it. The Navy's F-35C has 4xx on the nose cone, and VFA125 on the side.
Bill, thank you!
A few more from the sunset show, I need to go to more of these but like Jim said, there aren't many!...Show more →
Congratulations Douglas, you captured a beautiful lightning bolt on that first shot of Rob Holland! Another great set.
Ray Swindle wrote:
Douglas, were there 3 F-35s; 1 USAF F-35A and 2 F-35Cs? The first F-35 photo has 446 stenciled on the nose in front of the canopy and the third has 435 stenciled on it. These look like Navy markings. HL is the USAF tail code for Hill AFB, Utah.
Ray, I couldn't see where they parked so I don't know how many jets total. The Navy's F-35C demo team is a two ship team, both fly in shows. They actually did an opposing pass at the Jones Beach NY show in May. I heard the air force' F-35A demo team and the F-22 team usually have two jets, but only one flies in shows and the other one serves as a backup.
Ray Swindle wrote:
It is a term I made up. I don't know the real term so I just call it a lightning bolt, I thought it sounded cool.
Ya, one hellova shot, love the planes with the sun reflecting on them also. Nice work.
Incredible jet action Douglas! Looks like they are popping out of nowhere and the coloring on the cockpit against the soft wash of the air is beautiful! Impressive sensation of speed, I have a long long way to go to get my panning skills up to speed
Nice looking fireworks Bill
All good, I am enjoying the show from my seat at home, thank you guys
Jim, thanks for the heads up on Oshkosh, that place is on my bucket list for sure for the big event!
Don't know when, where or how the term "Lightening Bolt" originated, but it certainly is appropriate. I first heard it somewhere in aviation photo circles, at least, a couple of decades ago.
Maybe Jim knows.
We went out to Tioga for an evening BBQ and a little celebration with our daughter and the kids, it was 100 degrees, but lots of fun. Chandler and Weston put on a show for everyone and from the front pasture we could also take in a half dozen big fireworks shows in the surrounding commuities.
I don't know if I ever mentioned it but years ago Larry and I were shooting one of the few dusk Alliance performances and unwittingly got ourselves into a dicey situation. Shockwave was doing it's thing, things had gotten pushed back by almost an hour so it was not dusk anymore, it was full blown dark. We positioned ourselves on the ramp to catch a pass of Shockwave as it rolled by a Black Tie Gala being held a big hangar. Larry was about twenty feet behind me and, of course, I had to push the limits so I was closer in on the ramp. Shockwave comes by the Gala blowing fire and smoke, the noise at that range is so deafening (even with double hearing protection) that it is panic inducing. So, I get a great clip of Shockwave coming by the open hangar doors and then he turned toward us in a loop and continued to do the flame/smoke routine. Instantly as I see the wall of cloud and fire developing and drifting toward us, I realize that there is nowhere to retreat to. Before I can even look behind me to see where Larry is and figure out a spot to retreat to, we are engulfed in smoke alternately illuminated by blasts of flame from the triple afterburners. I couldn't move because I had no idea what I'd be walking into as far as aircraft behind me so I just froze for what seemed like an eternity. I don't believe that I have ever been so scared in all of my life, the sound of the burners kicking in literally felt like it was going through me and trying to knock me over, wondering just how close the flames from the burners were going to come as he swung around in the 180 crossed my mind, it was terrifying. Finally, as the noise began to subside and the cloud still enveloped us, I heard Larry calling my name checking to see if I had been toasted in the process. Just twenty feet behind me he experienced pretty much the same terror. One of those moments where you are so involved in image making and all of a sudden it hits you that you have done something really dumb and there ain't no way out.
