Thunder in the Desert 2009 UPDATED with links to Hi-res images
[EDIT] All images are now links to higher-resolution images.[/EDIT]
45 minutes away from my town of Tempe is Luke Air Force base. Last weekend there was a pretty good air show, though I was only there for a couple of events. They canceled at least one show because of high winds that really sucked. It picked up sand from the massive flat area and blew it into any open skin you had - it was like being sandblasted. I took over 665 photos watching the two events that I was there for - because, you know, the more you take, the better your chances at getting good ones. It's hard to track something flying at 600 miles an hour, you know. Especially with a shitty $250 lens.
Anyway, here they are, if you care:
The Air Force Thunderbirds
More photos inside...
C-17 Globemaster. It's an extremely impressive piece of aeronautical engineering. This thing can take off from a runway as short as 3500 feet. By comparison, the Boeing 767 requires at least 9,500 feet.
What's even more impressive is the landing distance. This thing can come in, touch down and be stopped and reversing in as little as 1800 feet. The Boeing? Nearly a mile.
45 minutes away from my town of Tempe is Luke Air Force base. Last weekend there was a pretty good air show, though I was only there for a couple of events. They canceled at least one show because of high winds that really sucked. It picked up sand from the massive flat area and blew it into any open skin you had - it was like being sandblasted. I took over 665 photos watching the two events that I was there for - because, you know, the more you take, the better your chances at getting good ones. It's hard to track something flying at 600 miles an hour, you know. Especially with a shitty $250 lens.
Anyway, here they are, if you care:
The Air Force Thunderbirds
More photos inside...
C-17 Globemaster. It's an extremely impressive piece of aeronautical engineering. This thing can take off from a runway as short as 3500 feet. By comparison, the Boeing 767 requires at least 9,500 feet.
What's even more impressive is the landing distance. This thing can come in, touch down and be stopped and reversing in as little as 1800 feet. The Boeing? Nearly a mile.
8 Comments
RyjkyjNice...
deputydoggreat pics. i can't even take a focused photo of a sleeping cat.
NicoleBeeIs that a Hercules in the last picture? Globetrotter? I can never get the big cargo ones straight.
MarineGunrock^It helps if you can close your aperture tighter than a nun's puckered asshole - and have a really fast shutter speed. That means you need a lot of light.
And I had a written paragraph before the C-17 pictures... but it's not coming up....
NicoleBeeAhh, I can see the paragraph now. Thanks! Those big lifter planes are pretty cool. We have a hercules base here, and I can sometimes see them lazily circling the air around the city.
paul4dirtthose are some great photographs!
volumptuousFantastic photos MG!
smooman says...many a jump i made out of the c-17. FAR better than jumping out a c-130 *vomit!*
The two jumps i made from a UH60 were by far the best. So awesome
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