Revamping

We're going to be spending time revamping the blog in the next coming months. In the meantime, here are some photos from the 4th of July fireworks show in Oak Ridge, TN. It was a fantastic show.

Performing before the fireworks was the Oak Ridge Community Band. This group of volunteers work tirelessly to bring the best in musical experiences to the Anderson County area. Everyone should take the time to attend one of their concerts. You will come away impressed.

Winter Stream

Winter isn't my favorite season, but it does have its own kind of beauty.

Peace,
John

Fall and Winter

Fall and Winter both have their own kinds of beauty

This is two shots of one of the creeks that feed into Cove Lake.

Peace,
John

Bill Leff and the T-6 Texan at Oceana Air Show

Bill Leff did all the restoration on the T-6 Texan and she shines like a jewel in the sun. This radial-engine prop trainer was used from WW2 to Vietnam in a variety of roles. Bill truly pushes the envelope as the engine sputters and coughs in protest as he flies upside down just feet above the ground.

What a beautiful warbird.
Peace,
John

Super Hornets at Oceana Air Show

Hey all,
The McDonnall Douglas F/A 18 Hornet was well represented at the airshow this weekend. These are two aircraft from the Fleet air power demonstration. As they roared overhead, pyro charges simulated a bombing run. Very cool.

This is a F/A-18E Super Hornet. The larger size (25% increase) of the airframe is not readily apparent, but the larger rectangular jet intakes are certainly noticable. I can't help but wonder what that did for the "stealthy-ness" of the aircraft.

A F/A-18F (two seater) Super Hornet gets a welcoming wave from a fan after its run. The jet intakes are really obvious from the front. The Blue Angels fly the A and B (two-seater) variants with much smaller and rounded intakes.

The Super Hornet pilots wave back to the crowd. It's nice to be able to show our appreciation to the men and women who fly these beautiful jets and used them to protect the freedoms we all enjoy.

Peace,
John

Blue Angels C-130T Hercules transport "Fat Albert"

The Blue Angels always bring their support crews and spare parts with them on a C-130 Hercules transport dubbed "Fat Albert." He's flown by Marine Corp Major Brendan Burks. It's nice to see the support staff getting a chance to show what they can do.

Peace,
John

Oceana Air Show 2010

The E-2C Hawkeye is a carrier based radar and command/control platform.
It provides essential tactical information and provides a comm link between aircraft and carrier.

A member of the Red Devils, the British Army parachute team, brings the Red, White, and Blue into show center as we all sing the National Anthem.

A Sea King (or Super Stallion?) brings in the Red Devils for their jump.

The wing of a KC=135 Stratotanker does make a good viewing platform.