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In April I had the chance to see a sight that I hadn't seen since the 1980s at RAF Mildenhall. A flying A-3 Skywarrier which was being delivered to NAS Whidbey Island to be preserved. What a wonderful sight that was! 
This image is much more modern, and is of a Colorado Army National Guard LUH-72A Lakota flying over the foothills in Colorado. This was a shoot for an article in Combat Aircraft Magazine about the Army's transition to this new helicopter that replaces the OH-58.
This photo was from a shoot at the Barry M. Goldwater Range in Arizona back in February, where I finally got to see A-10s using their deadly rotary cannon. Make sure you also check out the sound clip!
A series of updates from Centennial Airport. B-17G Aluminum Overcast came for its yearly visit, and this time I got to fly with a veteran plus shoot the aircraft from the control tower.
Of course while shooting from the tower I snagged some other aircraft from that unusual angle.
And just last week we had a Borek DHC-6 Twin Otter making its way from Canada to the Antarctic.
Another of my local airfields is Front Range Airport. There was some unusual activity in July when the compete fleet of Helicopter Transport Services Skycranes were at the airport for maintenance checks after being grounded by the Feds.
I also shot them during a sunset and caught this image of the terminal in between shooting the helicopters.
A third local airfield is Rocky Mountain Metro (better known as Jeffo). I had a bonus evening shooting both a Skycrane and a DC-3 in fading light. There was also an airshow here in August, which is always tricky to shoot as it's unfortunately back-lit.
Just last month there was a BAC1-11 enthusiasts charter flight from Dallas Love-Field. Although I would have loved to have been on the flight, the photographer in me couldn't pass up the opportunity to shoot the flight, so I stayed on the ground.
In April while shooting the LUH-72s, the H-60 I was flying on engaged in some hoist training. I managed some interesting views from that training sortie.
The last aviation themed set is an old set of scans from London Heathrow Airport in 1978. I hope to produce a series of articles year-by-year from my old negatives.
We had a few weeks of lightning in the area so I made a few trips to try to capture some images.Finally just to inform you that there is a new digital aviation magazine from the Global Aviation Resource group of which I'm involved. Global Aviation Magazine is aimed to be produced on a monthly basis with articles that haven't yet appeared on the website. Download it and take a look, it's free!
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5th June 2011 - Colorado, Washington and Peru
A slightly smaller update than usual as I have more than the normal amount of images held back for publishing in magazines. This is mostly due to the recent activities in Africa which has dominated those magazine pages. Hopefully all my articles and photos will trickle out soon. I didn't do as much traveling as usual, but instead, found things to do closer to home.
Starting with the Colorado Army National Guard and their annual Bambi bucket training at Cherry Creek State Park. The weather didn't play ball the whole time but I came away with better results than I expected on the day.
Next up five CH-47Ds departed Buckley AFB to Fort Hood, TX for training and then onward deployment to Afghanistan.
A few shots that I took back in April while on an air-to-air mission shooting the new LUH-72 helicopters. While we were waiting for the photo subject to get ready, my H-60 Blackhawk photo-ship did some training on the grass in front of the control tower. While we were in the hover four of the CO ANG F-16s returned and the elevated view gave me an unusual shooting opportunity as they landed.
I traveled to Seattle and onward to NAS Whidbey Island in April to cover the final flight of an A-3 Skywarrior to be preserved just off base. At the base there were a couple of CoNA painted aircraft including this lovely P-3. (Yes the A-3 article is pending publication)
I spent a few hours at Boeing Field and although we didn't catch the airbourne Taiwanese Air Force Wedgetail returning to base, we did see this immaculate CV580 belonging to Canadian company Nolinor Aviation.
As my backlog is mostly caught up, I took the time to rework the images from a 15 day trip to Peru in 2006. Some photos have been added and some taken away since these originally went up, but there are a couple of ways that you can view them.If you'd just like to browse the photos simply go to the photo gallery. Give it a couple of seconds to initially load, as it's rather large.
If you'd also like to learn about the photos and the adventures that we had, head on over to the Peru blog and you can read the text interspersed with images split up into sections.
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24th April 2011 - Something Old Something New
A couple of sets from 2009. I was invited to shoot with Kev Jackson of Airpower Images and Peter Greengrass, both friends and fellow shooters from the UK. We were covering JTAC operations both at the Townsend Range, where we saw A-10s dropping bombs and firing missiles, and at the Savannah Hilton-Head International Airport in South Carolina where they based themselves out of. It rained and was overcast for the whole trip unfortunately.
The next set is from the home of the Tornado in Scotland - RAF Lossiemouth.
And finally a new set where I have updated the Rocky Mountain Metro page with some low light shots of a Erickson Air-Crane S-64E taken at the Jeffco Tanker Base.◊◊ top
9th April 2011 - All Over the World
I have a huge update for you today, mostly because I forgot to send the last update this last month.
Starting off locally, this years wildfire season is said by many to be a big one. To date we have already seen four that have needed aviation assets to attack them. Starting off with the Indian Gulch Fire to the west of Golden, CO. Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) and helicopters were used on this fire. The area was very inaccessible, even for the fire crews, so I had to hike some distance on safe peaks to get the shots I did. The UH-1 was dipping behind a residential area, which is where I shot the close-ups.
Here are also some ground shots of the aircraft at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport in between missions.
The second fire that I covered was the Burning Tree Fire in Douglas County north of Franktown, CO. This ended up being a huge grass fire that grew very quickly in the winds. Again the SEATs and helicopters played an important role.
Keeping things recent now that the magazines have published the photos I can show you the shots from Red Flag 11-2 at Nellis AFB, NV. This set includes air-2-airs with the UAE Air Force F-16E/Fs, SP F-16s and OT F-15s.
While at Red Flag 11-3 in March (photos awaiting publication) I took an early morning to shoot the Janets at McCarran Airport, Las Vegas, NV. The backgrounds can be interesting, but, like all airliner photography, it gets boring too easily.
I was in Arizona in March and took some stock shots at Tucson International Airport.
I also went to see my old friend the PB4Y-2 Privateer at Casa Grande in some low light.
A couple of trips to the Philippines last year scored some interesting old aircraft either still flying or stored. A great mix of unusual types can be seen here - starting off with the prop types.
and on to the jets - I’ll be doing a similar military set later on.
Back to my ongoing Arctic Adventure from last year, and back south to the Moscow area. The first of two visits to Domodedovo Airport which has changed dramatically since even last year, both in the amount of Russian aircraft and the knowledge of the staff now working there.
Chornoye MARZ is a fascinating place that refurbishes and rebuilds mostly Mi-2 helicopters and An-2 aircraft. There were lots of airframes in various states, and it was a fascinating place to visit.
A quick stop in Lyublino to see a couple of relics.
Before we headed off to Sheremetyevo for a very pleasing tour.
I’ve had a chance to catch up on some backlogged photos from older trips. Starting off in Switzerland in 2009 where we shot at the Swiss Air Force base of Meiringen on a damp and cloudy day.
The only non-aviation set in this update (sorry) are some general views around this military airfield in a rural landscape. There are farms, cattle and roads with a military airfield plonked in the middle. Both live side-by-side with no issues.
We also had a chance to shoot at the very visitor oriented Zurich Airport which allowed me to build on my stock photos of airliners.
Back to the UK and from the same year, 2009, but from July this time. The Qualified Weapons Instructor (QWI) Course at RAF Kinloss in Scotland - we lucked out with nice light and great access.
And from the same trip a visit to RAF Coningsby to shoot the RAF Typhoons and USAFE F-15s, that were temporary based due to the runway resurfacing work at RAF Lakenheath.Sorry for the larger than normal update, I’ll try to do shorter more frequent ones in the future.
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30th January 2011 - The Old and the New
There are lots of updates for you today, including clearing a little of my backlogged shoots.
First up the non-aviation subjects, starting with the lunar eclipse at the end of December. The moon was so high in the sky that I soon found out that my tripod was incapable of holding the 500mm lens at that angle with the weight. I ended up shooting with the 500mm hand held and the 400mm on the tripod. These photos are a mix between the two lenses.
I was driving southbound along the I-25 as dusk fell and I saw this building with great light reflections. I managed to exit pretty quickly and found a spot to shoot that had almost no obstructions. The light was gone in a matter of minutes. This goes to show that there's often a very small window of opportunity to capture a scene. The photo in question is the final one in the sequence.
These couple of shots was taken on the first flight of the day from Denver to Las Vegas. There were some low lying clouds and the sun was just beginning to shine on the snow-capped mountain tops. Keep those window shades open and enjoy the view.
Now back to my normal aviation shots with a couple more from my last Russian trip to start with. I'd never visited Vnukovo's ramp before and this turned out to be an outstanding place to visit. Very few western aircraft are present here with the old guard Russian hardware still ruling the roost including a flying Il-18.
Also at the same airfield is the VARZ-400 Vnukovo Overhaul Works which always has interesting aircraft cycling through to new owners.
Some photos that I missed from my Siberia trip a couple of years ago were some off-airport airframes in Irkutsk. A Tu-124 in a park and a Yak-28 on display outside the Irkutsk Aviation Repair Plant (IARZ403).
Back locally and last week I found a DHC-6 Twin Otter at my local airfield with a radar fitted under the nose. This is most probably operated by a private contractor to the military.
Back to California in March 2010 and some photos from a quiet Mojave but with the highlight of finding the National Test Pilot School's DH-104 Dove flying. It's always nice to find the older British aircraft still being used.
On the same day I visited Edwards AFB and during the short time there lots of interesting test aircraft were seen, although the sun can be tricky for photography.
Even further back in time I had a trip to northern Nevada in April 2009. Starting off in NAS Fallon where we were greeted by snow and high winds which made for tricky shooting plus bitter cold.
Just down the road Fallon MAP proved to be home to some interesting aircraft as well as some ag flyers.
You can always see nice aircraft at Stead and we were blessed with clear skies and golden light for these shots.
The final airfield from this little trip was Carson City were you can always find nice projects in the various hangars. Of course shooting in hangars makes for difficult light and wide angle lenses.That's all until the next update. Paul.
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18th December 2010 - Russia, Mississippi and Wyoming
Just a few updates for you before the holidays.
The Anglo American Lighting Organisation in Stennis, Mississippi have an ambitious plan to make Lightning T.5 XS422 airworthy. The restoration is coming along nicely and you can read about the progress made so far in my article.
Just down the road at Gulfport-Biloxi there is a martin 4O4 that was simply abandoned by the crew and has been here since the 1980s. I also shot a USMC KC-130T bashing the circuit.
Arkhangelsk-Vaskovo is possibly one of the most interesting Russian airfields that I've visited and we suspect we were also the first westerners to visit here. Mi-6, Mi-26, Mi-8, An-2, L-410, Mi-4 and Yak-52 aircraft made this a real gem.
I had an invitation to shoot the test flights of the currently only airworthy PB4Y-2 Privateer out of Greybull, Wyoming. I was great to finally see on of these aircraft in the air as I'd personally never seen one fly. The link includes an mp3 of a high powered ground run which was the nosiest radial that I have ever heard before.That's all for now. Happy Xmas and a great New Year to all of you.
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6th November 2010 - Russia, Colorado and Europe from the Past
Another month, another update. I'll start off with a non aviation set taken in Arkhangelsk back in June. These were taken with a point and shoot so the quality isn't the best.
And on with the aviation - continuing with the above link are shots from the main airport in the city Arkhangelsk-Talagi. Lots of Tu-134s and Antonov transports here.
Closer to home and I've been able to shoot in my own state for a change. Centennial Airport has hosted a few interesting aircraft lately. The FAA still operate two CV-580s and one paid a visit where I shot it on 3-4 November. On the 29th October a Borek DHC-6 passed through on its way down south to the Antarctic. On the 4th November there was a Dash-8 operated for military contracts plus a Yak-52 taildragger bashing the circuit - I'd only ever seen the nose-wheel versions of the Yak-52 before.
Hopefully the last fire of the season I managed to catch a Neptune Aviation P-2 dropping retardant on the Dome fire along with a SEAT.
At Rocky Mountain Metro the Columbus Blue Jackets hockey teams immaculate DC-9-32 sitting on the ramp just after sunset.
Last up a couple of trips in the time machine. Dinard from 1991 and 1992 with a Caravelle and some exotic N.2501 Noratlas'.
Ostend from 1983, 1985 and 1991 was always home to the old classic jets.That's all for now.
Remember you can get quicker updates via the Facebook page and sometimes on Twitter. You can also find my articles on Global Aviation Resource where you can also find other quality articles by excellent aviation photographers.
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23rd October 2010 - Arizona, Russia and Colorado
The updates in this edition are from Arizona, Russia and Colorado. Who says I don't get around?
I had an invitation to shoot the final delivery of the Colombian Air Force T-37s as they departed Arizona for their long journey home. They left a day late which allowed us to drink and chat the night before, and it was certainly nice to be able to see them off in this manor.
The next part of my Arctic Adventure saw me in Murmansk where the sun doesn't go below the horizon in the summer. The airport here is small but, as always, any airfield in the Russian Federation is an interesting one.
From the airport we arranged a Mi-8 flight along the river which gave us some nice views of the shipyards that are mostly impossible to gain access to on the ground. This included some Naval areas and included the ski-jump equipped Russian Navy aircraft carrier the Admiral Kuznetsov.
Finally some shots from the city itself.
Back closer to home and three shoots from Colorado starting with the airtanker operations from the back-to-back wildfires we had in September. The Fourmile and Reservoir Road fires were our largest this year and includes helicopter operations.
The Colorado Springs Airshow was a bit of a disappointment but was partially saved with the sprightly performance from the QF-4E Phantom West display.
Last up, and a non-aviation set, the fall colours to the west of the continental divide.Thanks for looking.
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20th September 2010 - Too many updates to list in the title
A bumper update for you this time around with some of the updates now being mobile compatible as the Flash slideshow switches to HTML5. All new pages will be in this format.
A single non aviation subject to begin with was a trip up to the top of Mount Evans as the sun went down. I really need to do more of this kind of shooting.
Some local shooting next and a couple with the Army National Guard out of Buckley Air Force Base, both sets away from base. First up an update from the training area where the light was better than the first time but the angles not so good this time around.
The next set is from an emergency exercise in Lakewood, CO.
To finish off the local shooting three ATAC aircraft transiting Buckley AFB found a pair of Kfir's and a classic Hawker Hunter. This was the first time I've seen a Hunter fly in the USA.
Moving further afield the DC-3 meet "The Last Time" at Whiteside Airport, Rock Falls, Il. It was certainly nice to see so many round-engined aircraft in one place.
Another update from Nellis AFB, NV with the last Red Flag exercise 10-4, including air-2-air shots with the USMC F/A-18Ds and Pakistan Air Force F-16Bs.
Even further afield and a couple of updates from my last trip to the Russian Federation. Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg had some interesting aircraft present.
On the same airfield the SPARC Rework Facility dealing mainly with Mi-8s.
The last update this time is way back from 1980 at Detroit Willow-Run. I've added a strip of negatives that I mislaid first time around boosting the photos from the original seven I originally posted.That's all for now. As always comments are appreciated on the site.
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1st August 2010 - Colorado and the Russian Federation
It's a bumper update for this edition, with three from my local airfields and the rest from the Russian Federation.
Starting with my local airfields, at Rocky Mountain Metro (formally Jeffco) we unfortunately had a P-2 Neptune run off the airfield. No major injuries and fingers crossed that aircraft will be repaired.
While at RMM it would be rude to not shoot any other interesting aircraft, so here are the other air-tankers plus the NOAA P-3 "Miss Piggy".
To conclude the local flavour three days of National Guard flying with the local F-16s trying to capture some nice angles, which I finally did on 11 July.
Next stop Russia! Another year, another trip to far off places. This would start in St. Petersburg before heading north to the Arctic Circle. My first three stops were general aviation airfields starting with a visit to Kasimovo with the usual assortment of aircraft including a rare Technoavia SP-91 Slava.
The second day was a relaxed affair visiting four airfields, the first one, Rzhevka, actually being an ex-airfield with an airworthy Il-14. The owner even ran the engines just for us!
Next stop was Gostilitsy where we would pick up our An-2 to transport us to another two airfields.
With the luxury of having an An-2 at our disposal we then flew to Kummolovo. This is the only way to travel, even if it was me doing the flying :) There was ever a Russian Air Force Mi-8 dropping paratroopers.
Last stop before returning to Gostilitsy was Seltso where our tour guide showed us the NDB he had built himself, and then a Microwave Landing System he was working on!◊◊ top