Ray Swindle wrote:
I was an F-102, F-101 and F-4 crew chief for many years. I had an AE-1 camera back then. I had total access to the flight line and a front row seat to the runway, about 300 yards from runway 17 approach, and even much less when I was tagged for end of runway inspection after my jet taxied (EOR, actually it was done at the apron to the takeoff area of the runway). I can't remember ever taking my camera to work to take photos. Why? Well, I guess it was just an everyday occurrence, nothing special. Now I ache each time I think about not having photos.
I even flew 4 times in the back seat of the F-4 without a camera. Why? Each time I was jerked off the flightline and taken to OPs for the ejection briefing, put on a jumpsuit/G-suit/helmet and then put in the back seat in less than an hour (short ejection seat briefing because I was an ejection seat augmentee). One ride was a two-ship formation. When we descended through the clouds to land at Shepherd AFB,TX, the pilot told the wing-ship to get in close. I watched as he stayed within 10 feet of our right wingtip through the thick clouds. Talk about a photo op. I could see the whites of the pilots eyes staring at our wingtip. Oh well, it is burned in my memory.
You didn't even have an iPhone with you?. Just kidding!
My first camera was a Yashica, my second camera was a Canon AE-1 which was smuggled into China from Hong Kong for me by a friend in the mid 80's. There were any for sale in China back then. I still have an AE-1 somewhere in my house that I bought for my daughter when she took photography class in high school.
Aug 14, 2025 at 03:34 PM
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