About
- Many years ago, after getting a photographic kit together for the quality of photos I like to obtain, I decided to visit aviation displays systematically and as frequently as I could manage. I began with a Canon EOS 5D with an EF 14mm lens for the most part. Occasionally, I also use an EF 24-105mm lens as well as a 580 EX II flash unit. This equipment fits into a small camera bag that slides under airliner seats. Other camera kits can be had and are better, of course. I made good use of Google Earth, Wikipedia, airliners.net and Google’s search engine. Post processing images has become more and more important, as well. “Why am I doing this?” — you might ask. A good question and I don’t have a rational answer. I enjoy seeing remarkable aircraft and pondering the history they were used to make — a simple appreciation. Travel allows me to experience how things are done by other peoples; try coffees, teas, beers, wines and food; see historic aircraft; visit museums; wonder at geology and geography; as well as to just get lost for a while.
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Travel for Aircraft 
You have a great site here, good luck!
Thanks very much 🙂
Your site is without doubt one of the most Fun, Educational, inspirational places on the internet. A “wealth of information” is an extreme understatement ! The blogs that arrive are held until “the very last” in order to be able to stop all I’m doing and LEARN! I have carefully read every archive entry since July 09…and its still fun to just open the site…click on a month and start re-reading to learn something new!
Though not a pilot, I’ve had the privilege of being involved with a Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon based in Indianapolis for over 20 years and have travelled to places I’d never been before throughout the United States ( even some locations on your blog!)
I’m glad I found you! Keep on keepin on!!
Thanks,
David
Thanks so much for your kind words 🙂
I know what you mean about going back to things, it’s a habit of mine as well, and I’m glad I’m writing with enough depth for you.
I have a post coming up in a few days or so on the Japanese version of Lockheed’s Neptune — a few of the variants are on display at the musuem in Kanoya Japan.
Thanks again, Dave,
Joe
Thanks, Joe….
If you ever get to Indianapolis, please give me a call and I’d be happy to arrange to show the Harpoon to you. Our group, the American Military Heritage Foundation in Indianapolis is very proud to be the caretakers of “Hot Stuff”.
Look forward hearing about the Neptune.
David Lord
I’ll be sure to do that 🙂
I see you were talking about the Harpoon and not the Neptune … a senior moment mixing up the PV-2 with the P2V. I think I have a PV-2 photo posted on the first post which is on the Tillamook Air Museum.
I also see I need to add yori organization to my museum lists — I’ll get to that over the coming weekend.
Dave, thanks again,
Joe
PS The post with the PV-2 at Tillamook isn’t the one I mentioned … it’s in “Taildraggers and shaving brushes — advantages lost?”, which published on 7 July 2010.
Serendipity! Learned of your site via our good friends at the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Museum of History and Mary Fletcher at Florida Aviation Historical Society. FAHS is the largest group of aviation history enthusiasts in The Sunshine State and we have been meeting regularly since 1977. Visit http://www.floridaahs.org
Joe, your posts and accompanying photographs are a delight to read and view. They will help spread the word about our “Flight 2014” project and the Centenary Celebration of The World’s First Airline – which, as you have learned, will be upon us in less than three years. Our Directors and members – unpaid volunteers all – are working hard to share this wonderful story with the world.
From that very modest beginning on New Year’s Day, 1914 the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line – via founder Percival Fansler and pioneer pilot Tony Jannus – heralded the birth of the global airline industry. Tampa Bay residents are proud of our connection to aviation history. We hope the commercial airlines will embrace the anniversary and claim a degree of “ownership” in it!
Well done, sir – and keep up the good work.
VR, David “Mac” (PAA Clipper Skipper, Invol. Ret.)
Thanks for the compliments and thanks, most especially for the information!
FAHS is an organization that this blog should write about and the Flight 2014 project to celebrate the centennial of commercial airline flight using aircraft is exciting to know of, as well.
I’ll be in touch and thanks, too, for your contributions and efforts toward preserving aviation’s history.
What an amazing resource you have! I have enjoyed your high-quality photos and museum tours. I know I’ll be back for more, as I have been obsessed with airplanes since I was 5.
Thanks! I think most of us become airplane fans at an early age and the fortunate of us do not grow out of that fascination 😉
Just found your blog through latest post on Pitcairn while checking Google alerts. It’s super and I plan to return to read the archives. I’m the creator of Air Fare America; while I’m not a pilot, my fascination with aviation destinations (especially the restaurants at small fields) led to forming a production company. We’ve created a website and social media community and are developing a TV series. Learn more about us at http://www.airfareamerica.com or on Facebook. I’d like to invite you to write a post for our website on your experiences, perhaps highlighting a few of your favorite ‘aviation destinations’ or featuring a photo gallery. Please let me know if you’d be interested. We would also promote it on our social media and invite our followers to subscribe to your blog. Best, Andrea
I’ll be pleased to get in touch 🙂
Thanks for the likes on some of my posts shown on Paywindow7. I see some the past comments here were about the Neptune. My post about the Dardanelles was on a flight when I flew as aircrew on the Lockheed P2V-7. My blog title is taken from our squadron’s call sign “paywindow” and the squadron aircraft number I flew on was number 7. Funny how some things stay with you for a lifetime.
Thanks again.
Hello and thanks for the info–context is so good to have. I’ll read more of your posts, I enjoy your writing, and catch up on them. Just so many hours in the day…
My grandson was at State fair of Texas and visited your display. He wants a model helicopter for Christmas that I am trying to find. Do you have models for sale??