Friday, May 22, 2020

Air-to-Ground, Air-to-Air

This cool article about a professional aviation photographer brought back memories...

So, back when I worked at as an assistant in an aerial photography business, I got to do all the work that involved hanging out the window of a Cessna with a camera because my boss got airsick in small planes. (He did the helicopter shoots, which is fine because I wouldn't get in a little Robinson deathtrap on a bet. If a helicopter doesn't have a turbine, I ain't flyin'.)

Anyway, this would involve going down to the Flying Club at Charlie Brown Airport in Atlanta and hiring a pilot and plane for the morning.

There were two pilots we usually wound up with and they both knew I was a plane nerd, and they vied to give me cool photo ops.

"Wanna fly over Dobbins AFB?"

"We did that last flight."

"We did? Oh, that must have been with Scott... Okay, wanna do a touch and go at Dobbins?"

We had to wait on a pair of F-15E Mudhens doing a formation takeoff, which I'd never seen from the air before. I was wishing I had a longer lens on my own AE-1 that I'd brought along on the flight.

I need to find those negatives in the attic.
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