Ace Maker Airshows still Pending for 2023 McChord Airshow

I saw the #JBLMAWE airshow at Joint Base Lewis-McChord is listed as “Pending” on the Gregory W. Colyer FB page. However, there is a possibility that both T-33s could be in Washington State a short time later.

COAP Exotic Wings Day 1

This evening I met up with 12 other aviation photographers who took a trip organized by the Center of Aviation Photography. coaponline.com

This was my first-time plane spotting. I have taken photos of airplanes at airports; this was the first time I went to an airport to photograph airplanes.

My LAX photos were taken from Cutler’s Park in El Segundo, California. This park overlooks Los Angeles Airport.

Prop blur

Prop blur is necessary to add some drama to a photo. If you click the link, you can see a version of the cover photo shot at 1/1000th of a second. The cover is shot at 1/125th of a second. The slower shutter speed leads to a more dynamic photo if you compare the two.

When photographing aircraft with propellers the slower the shutter speed is, the more motion is in the propeller arc.

https://flic.kr/p/Tc9cWB

COAP Exotic Wings Day 3

Day 3 of the Exotic Wings trip started in the dark, as all good photography adventures should. The people in the group piled all their camera gear into two vans and headed to the media gate at Edwards Air Force Base. We were lucky enough to have photography access and had a shorter line to get on base. The passes also included early access to the Flightline, and we were able to photograph a diverse collection of famous aircraft as the sun rose across the desert.

The most popular aircraft on static display was the Darkstar mockup from the film TOP GUN Maverick. There was also an assortment of vintage warbirds, NASA, and test aircraft.

The show opened with a sonic boom and culminated with the USAF Thunderbirds performing in their F-16C fighter planes.