PART 3: Critical Decisions and Events of the Mid-1980s. I was an F-14 RIO who joined my first Fleet fighter squadron in 1981. In 1982 I attended the Topgun class as a student (by then it was five weeks), and in 1984 I was selected to return as an instructor. The following events and decisions occurred during my time as an instructor and contributed to Topgun’s evolution and continued validity.
PART 2: Topgun’s Early Years: the Foundation (Navy Fighter Weapons School F-5E Tiger II gets close for a photo.) When considering why Topgun flourished, much credit must go to the enduring culture established by...
What is a Photocall? A Photocall is generally when a location such as a military base or an airport, which is normally closed to the public is opened for a day for photographers to...
This is the first in a series, where we informally sit down and speak with the Commanding Officer of various military units. Simply called the C.O. he/she is responsible for everything, and I do...
It was around noon on July 30, 2013, and several F/A-18’s from Marine squadrons, VMFA 314 “The Black Knights” and VMFA(AW) 225 “The Vikings” were taking off from the runways at Marine Corps Air...
Out in the Nevada desert, just outside of Las Vegas sits Nellis Air Force base and its different live fire training areas, called the Nellis Range Complex. The Nellis Range complex is located northwest...
Tuesday, November 20th, 2012 and it’s a beautiful day in Yuma, AZ. A large crowd of hundreds is gathering at MCAS Yuma, and the crowds included dignitaries such as General James Amos, the 37th...
A few weeks ago, I was photographing the U.S. Marines VMFAT-101 “The Sharp-shooters” squadron at a civilian airport outside of San Diego, when I noticed an all white F/A-18 with no markings on the...
Every year for 3 days in October, an estimated crowd of over 700,000 make the journey to MCAS Miramar near San Diego, CA. It was no different this year, and the 2012 Miramar Air...
The Great State of Maine Air Show went off without a hitch in 2012, a far cry from the 2011 event that was severely impacted by Hurricane Irene as she churned up the East...
It was August 11th and 12th 1962 when the very first airplanes took to the skies at Abbotsford International for an airshow. Fifty years later the show goes on, attracting demo teams from around...
As the fireworks settled over the water, the 2012 4th of July Freedom Fair came to a close where thousands came out in force to support the Tacoma waterfront Tradition knowing that this could...
Rain and clouds was not enough to keep air show fans from flocking to the annual Father’s Day Show that is put on by the Olympic Air Museum at Olympia Regional Airport. This show...
Michael Robinson is the newest Flight Engineer aboard NASA’s Super Guppy transport, the bulbous amalgam of 1940’s aviation technology, 1960’s entrepreneurial spirit, and Airbus Industries’ 1970’s answer for moving large airplane parts around Europe. ...
March 1, 2022
D.V. Embarkation aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)
August 24, 2010
Photorecon flies with VMM-166 SeaElk
February 18, 2011
July 6, 2019
NBAA BACE 2018, Business Aviation Shines in Florida
November 25, 2018
Ole Griffith “The Fascination Of Flight”
July 6, 2013
Mike Wiskus: “I’m Going Out at the Top of My Game!”
October 30, 2021
The Human(-itarian) Side of 2021’s AirVenture
August 22, 2021
Shot Down: The true story of pilot Howard Snyder and the crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth
