Almost all aviation photographers have one dream, crave one chance, an event that can make or break a career, and that is to be able to shoot Air 2 Air! Shooting an aircraft while up in another aircraft. This is where the magic really happens. Most photographers never get the chance at this, but on April 27th, 2012, I did. Now, while I have flown in C-130’s, CH-53’s and CH-46’s, ... Read More

Dayton Ohio's National Museum of the U.S Air Force was home to the official ceremony that marked the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle Raiders' World War II bombing mission against Tokyo.  On April 18, 1942, sixteen North American B-25 Mitchell bombers led by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle and crewed by seventy nine other airmen, launched from the deck of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Hornet; their  destination was Japan.  From ... Read More

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the raid which was the first strike against the Japanese homeland.  The National Museum of the United States Air Force has a B-25 that was restored by North American Aviation and presented to the Museum in 1958.  The aircraft was restored and painted to represent B-25B, Serial Number 40-2344 which was flown by Doolittle.   It's displayed as though it's on the deck ... Read More

The  B-25 known as Executive Sweet began it's journey from Camarillo, CA to Dayton, OH. The aircraft will be one of Twenty-five B-25 Mitchell bombers that plan to pay tribute to the Doolittle Raiders as they commemorate the 70th anniversary of their raid on Japan. The reunion will take place  April 17-20 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton,OH. On the way to Dayton, OH the B-25 will make several stops,providing an ... Read More

The Valiant Air Command's show commonly known as "TICO" (which comes from the Titusville Coca Airport) this year worked around a “Doolittle Raider” theme, since this year is the 70th anniversary of the famous carrier launched raid.  As we know on April 18, 1942, the raid was launched off the carrier USS Hornet.   LTC. Jimmy Doolittle was the pilot of the first B-25 launched and his copilot was LT.  ... Read More

The MCAS Yuma played out a little different from the original way I was planning on doing the show. The weather people in San Diego had been predicting a large winter storm to hit Southern California with lots of rain, snow, and major winds, on the weekend for the schedule Yuma 2012 Airshow. I started to think that the show may be affected by the approaching storm. I had planned ... Read More

It all started on May 22, 1912, when Lt. Alfred A. Cunningham reported for flight training at the Naval Academy at Annaplois, it wasn’t until August 20, at Marblehead, Massachusetts, that Cunningham soloed in a Curtiss B-1 Seaplane and became Naval Aviator number 5. Since then, Marine pilots have done their job to defend America and each other, with names like Col. Gregory “Pappy” Boyington (Medal of Honor awardee) ... Read More

TICO is the annual fundraising airshow for the Valiant Air Command down in Titusville, Florida.   The airport is literally in the shadows of the Kennedy Space Center on the east coast of Florida.  Since what seems like the beginning of warbird time TICO was the best show of its type in the country.  In the years that have passed, there has been much competition for the best show, but ... Read More

Article and Photos by Matt Shinavar 10 Tanker operates a pair of DC-10s which have been modified to enable water or retardant to be dropped on forest fires.  When fires get out of hand, nobody calls Ghostbusters; rather, the phone at 10 Tanker rings.  From the time the phone rings 11,600 gallons of water, foam, gel, or retardant can start barreling down the runway 24 minutes later, and they’ve done ... Read More

Photorecon has partnered with AirShowVid.com to start producing high quality videos.  Bringing you video from airshows and major aviation events from around the west coast is not a departure from our regular approach but a welcomed addition. Our mission is to showcase compelling video productions that stir audiences. Whether it's aerobatic, military or vintage aircraft we produce video that will engulf you in the magic of flight. We will ... Read More

On Tuesday, January 31, 2012, fifty photojournalist from around the world gathered at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. They were here to photograph aircraft that were participating in the current Red Flag exercise. Simply stated, Red Flag is an exercise that involves the majority of aircraft types in the United States Air Force, air assets from the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and foreign air forces. The purpose of Red ... Read More

My lone encounter with a large "wildfire" occurred  five years ago while I was visiting Southern California.  Watching a steady stream of tanker aircraft shuttle to and from a huge unnatural-looking cloud on the horizon, their bellies red-stained and streaked with fire retardant, fueled my interest in aerial firefighting.  The 2012 Aerial Firefighting International Airshow and Conference, held at Sacramento's McClellan Airport on January 25th and 26th, offered me ... Read More

After World War II ended, an abundance of surplus military aircraft found their way into the fledgling aerial firefighting industry.  The combination of a large payload and the high performance of many bombers, attack aircraft, and transports allowed enterprising companies to modify airframes with large tanks for carrying borate and water for dousing wildfires.  Some of these modifications were straightforward; large tanks were inserted into existing bomb bays and ... Read More

The 2011 Blue Angels Homecoming Airshow was held under bright skies and cool conditions on the Friday and Saturday of Veteran's Day weekend.  The marquee flying act, as always, was the Blue Angels.  Their homecoming late in the year signals the traditional end to the North American air show season, and the finale to their grueling schedule containing close to 70 aerial performances.  Beyond the Blue Angels there was ... Read More