A Southern California native, I have a degree in history and a love of aerospace. I took up photography as a research tool for my job and fell in love with the medium. I plan to share some of my work here and hope you enjoy it.
As pretty as the B-17 looks on the ground, she appears even more graceful in the air. In her prime, the tail wheel would be retracted, making her sleeker still. Rugged, dependable, forgiving, the Flying Fortress became synonymous with American air power over World War II Europe - much to the chagrin of B-24 Liberator crews, as the Fortress overshadowed their considerable contributions to the war effort.
Nevertheless, it was the B-17 that captured the imagination of the press and public. When the T.V. series Twelve O'clock High came out it cemented that hold on me as well.
I remember quite well being entranced by all the combat footage the show used as stock scene filler. Being all of 10 years old when it first aired (it ran from 1964 to mid-season 1967 when it was canceled) I wanted desperately to see all the airplanes in color, not knowing that much of the original combat footage was shot in black and white and tinted blue-ish in later seasons (the show was in black and white its first season).
Regardless, when we got our first color T.V. (1966, I think), I eagerly awaited the show that week so I could watch the B-17s in glorious color. I was utterly disappointed when the first episode shown was the one where Col Gallagher flies his silver P-51 on a mission and gets shot down over France. He then spends the next hour evading capture while finding his way back to England. No B-17s...no combat footage...just ersatz Southern California countryside and studio shots standing in for France. *Sigh*
It's amazing how impatient pre-teens can be. I thought the next week's episode would never come. Despite the tinted stock footage, the live shots with "Piccadilly Lily" were in color and I did enjoy that immensely.
I might consider buying the series on DVD, but I'm not ready to drop $260.00 for the complete set when I'm not sure it would hold up on adult viewing. Perhaps I should view it again on the Internet and decide what to do then....
I shot "Miss Angela" in flight over the Hawthorne Air Faire in August 2005.
The beauty of photography, and the feature that gets harped on to the point of cliche', is the fact that every shot captures a moment in time. While it can be debated that a lot of moments are imminently forgettable, and preferably so, there is no doubt that many of those images become as universal and timeless as any petroglyph or pictograph on a rock wall.
I first realized that quality in pictures when I was engrossed in reading about the American Civil War and World War II as a kid. The old Matthew Brady photos of Yankee soldiers during that terrible war are just as poignant as those of American troops on landing craft heading for Normandy or the German paratroopers preparing to jump over Holland. What struck me was a recurring series of expressions in many of their faces: apprehension, fear, resolve, courage, resignation and above all impossible youth. The dread realization that many of those staring back at me through the lens did not survive the coming battle or the war was sobering. It certainly affected my understanding of war and mortality as an impressionable pre-teen. That same quality affects me still when I look at current images from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Every once in a while, though, we get an opportunity to revisit those past images and celebrate both the passage of time and survival. So it was with Bob Goebel, a young U.S. Army Air Force pilot in World War II. Bob became a fighter ace in the P-51 Mustang and had his achievement commemorated in the above photo by an unknown Army photographer. Almost 60 years later, Bob attended the 2003 Hawthorne Air Faire as a guest, selling copies of his book about his exploits in World War II. Also in attendance was a P-51 warbird in the markings of his aircraft. I was volunteering as a photographer for the Western Museum of Flight that weekend and took the opportunity to shoot Bob in the cockpit of the Mustang. I had seen his old photo and tried to replicate the shot. While not perfect, it was close enough. It made a nice bookend to an eventful part of his life.
Indeed, through the power of photography, we all can look back over our lives and see images of ourselves locked forever in time. From the mundane to the extraordinary, photographs mark our existence in the world. It is a small measure of immortality for future generations to ponder when they stumble upon our traces.
The American Volunteer Group (AVG), otherwise known as the Flying Tigers, has to rank as one of the most legendary units ever to make a name for itself in combat. Using Curtiss P-40B Warhawks, the AVG first went into action in the skies over Burma on 20 December 1941, nearly two weeks after Pearl Harbor. It's last mission as the AVG, before the group was absorbed by the U.S. Army Air Force 23rd Fighter Group, was - fittingly enough - on 4 July 1942, nearly 67 years ago.
The shape of the P-40's nose lent itself to the sharkmouth motif. An AVG pilot saw a photo of a British Royal Air Force P-40 unit based in North Africa that had the sharkmouth and decided it would look great on their aircraft as well. The 23rd FG adopted that look and continues the tradition to this day on their A-10A Warthogs.
I shot this image at the 2002 Hawthorne Air Faire, Hawthorne, CA. This was at the end of the day, with the approaching twilight coloring the sky and clouds. The P-40 looked ready to take to the air at a moments notice. It made for a very nice image.
The Hawker Sea Fury is one of my favorite aircraft. Big, powerful and all-around cool-looking with its impressive five-blade prop, it was one of the last and best piston-engine fighters in the world. This shot was taken at the 2005 Hawthorne Air Faire at Jack Northrop Field, Hawthorne Municipal Airport. The show was over, but because I was shooting for the Western Museum of Flight I got to hang around after closing to record departures of the display aircraft. An onshore overcast was beginning to form and the Sea Fury taxied out and did its engine run-ups in shadows. As it started its take-off roll a break opened in the clouds and the big fighter emerged into the light. I was very happy with the result.
As pretty as the B-17 looks on the ground, she appears even more graceful in the air. In her prime, the tail wheel would be retracted, making her sleeker still. Rugged, dependable, forgiving, the Flying Fortress became synonymous with American air power over World War II Europe - much to the chagrin of B-24 Liberator crews, as the Fortress overshadowed their considerable contributions to the war effort.
