Nellis AFB Air Show.

December 19, 2007 7:16 AM

Wednesday morning plane pr0n.
posted by saladin (46 comments total)

flap flap flap flap flap flap
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 7:18 AM on December 19, 2007 [16 favorites]

I posted some photos from an air show on my web page five years ago, and I still get emails from people telling me my captions inaccurate in some minute detail.
posted by smackfu at 7:25 AM on December 19, 2007

P-O-R-N.
posted by ORthey at 7:28 AM on December 19, 2007

Holy crap that's a lot of photos. Wow.

And I need to get a better camera.
posted by GuyZero at 7:29 AM on December 19, 2007

Very cool; he nailed the exposure on those sky shots, which can be very hard to do.
posted by TedW at 7:31 AM on December 19, 2007

Awesome. My grandpa flew B-17s over Europe in WWII and he digs this stuff. I just fwded it to him.
posted by mds35 at 7:35 AM on December 19, 2007

Someone should introduce that guy to flickr... cool photos, scrolling through all that ruins the presentation.
posted by blaneyphoto at 7:37 AM on December 19, 2007

I liked having them all on one page instead of having to click through as in flickr. Neat stuff.
posted by exogenous at 7:49 AM on December 19, 2007

I have just wasted my entire morning gawking at these pictures, thank you.

I'm also now contemplating buying a new lens versus fixing the dent I just put in my car.
posted by backseatpilot at 8:01 AM on December 19, 2007

1.) Load page - this takes a bit.
2.) Place cursor near bottom arrow of scroll bar, click and hold to scroll rapidly.
3.) Watch dogfights progress through time, with explosions, from the 30's to the present day, including loop-de-loop near end.
posted by cashman at 8:04 AM on December 19, 2007

Damn, that seems like a great airshow. The ones around here never have any of the cool pyrotechnics, but they're fun just the same. Lots of great planes there that I'd love to see.

Some of the photos in the link are pretty good, but a lot are just adequate. My source for some of the finest airplane photography I've seen in my Internet travels is over here in a thread at fredmiranda.com, an excellent photography forum. (I'm a member over there.) You spend spend a whole day looking through all of those posts.
posted by Godbert at 8:06 AM on December 19, 2007

Well, it looks like most of the images on the first page aren't loading; don't let that discourage you, though, because the thread is over a hundred pages long and there really are photos, I promise.
posted by Godbert at 8:16 AM on December 19, 2007

Neat!

I'll 2nd Godbert's notion, though. Editing down a day of shooting to a handful of exceptional shots really makes it easier to present and look back on. I guess he was just going for exhaustive coverage, though.
posted by cowbellemoo at 8:20 AM on December 19, 2007

that just caused me to shut down my computer. Jesus fucking christ - could she have edited a bit?
posted by docpops at 8:35 AM on December 19, 2007

Oh please. "Blahhh this sucks too much good stuff."
posted by danb at 8:42 AM on December 19, 2007

Wow!

"Adequate" or spectacular, this is a fascinating collection of shots. The "heritage flight" shots at the end are wonderful, and the bonus of the perfect late-day light makes them even better.

I have a question, but live in fear it will will trigger a topple into the "What are you saying -- all warbird shows are nothing but warmongers showing their wares?" abyss which is not (repeat NOT) my intent. But I wonder if anyone else sees the pyrotechnics as a bit of tackiness you really don't need at a show like this? I recall reading that Enola Gay pilot Paul Tibbets was ripped for flying a B-29 pass that was sequenced to a mushroom cloud recreation at one airshow a few years ago and I thought then -- and still think -- that takes the appreciation of vintage aircraft into the display labeled "cheese".

Here in Ottawa, there was a Parliament Hill night flyover in 1995 (the 50th VE-Day celebrations) by the Canadian Warplane Heritage Lancaster that was planned to be accompanied by fireworks and other pyrotechnics that, perplexingly, was supposed to "recreate the Blitz". Overlooking the questionable linking of a Brit bomber to the German attacks on London, there were also several oldsters in Ottawa for the 50th observances who made it clear they really didn't want to "relive the experience" of sheltering in the Tube while German bombs rained down. Once for them was quite enough, thank you very much. So the flyover was re-tooled to feature just the aircraft and searchlights. A much more pleasing outcome for a person (such as me) for whom the aircraft engines' sound is as much a part of a flypast as its appearance.

Love the photos, just love 'em -- and the gallery link at the end also goes to a WWII bomber display where the photos are so clear I swear you can count rivets on the belly of a B-17.

Thanks for the post, and to the commenters adding other links -- thanks a bunch!
posted by Mike D at 8:45 AM on December 19, 2007

Back in the late 80s at an airshow I was surprised to find how narrow the B-52 fuselage was. Standing underneath, I could almost span the width of the ship with my arms.

Trivia factoid I recently learned: the AD-1 Skyraider used the B-29 engine, and carried a much larger payload than the B-17.
posted by panamax at 8:58 AM on December 19, 2007

I wouldn't mind seeing a real, working ball turret on a -17 or -24 bust a few blank caps, but I'd draw the line at gratuitous "relive the experience" showmanship.

(And I've always wanted to see an actual AIM-9 Sidewinder fired.)
posted by pax digita at 9:01 AM on December 19, 2007

Very nice. It was a treat to see the F-4 especially, still sexy after all these years.

I'd like to go out to one of these someday, but I'm afraid my BUSH IS A WAR CRIMINAL T-shirt might get me my ass kicked.
posted by Skygazer at 9:02 AM on December 19, 2007

AD-1 Skyraider ... carried a much larger payload than the B-17

Yeah, although the -17's range was greater than the Able Dog's. OTOH, try recovering aboard USS Boxer in a Flying Fort sometime.
posted by pax digita at 9:04 AM on December 19, 2007

I once flew in a Curtiss "Jenny" JN-4 Biplane. It was fun flying at a blistering 74 MPH two miles up in the sky.
posted by Skygazer at 9:09 AM on December 19, 2007

Someone should introduce that guy to flickr.

I disagree. I find Flickr a pain in the ass to navigate and the photos look crappy. Scrolling works just fine. I had no problem loading that page, but if that's an issue he could easily separate the photos out to 2 or 3 pages..
posted by Skygazer at 9:18 AM on December 19, 2007

An incredible time waster - and worth every second!
Thank you!
posted by speug at 9:41 AM on December 19, 2007

But I wonder if anyone else sees the pyrotechnics as a bit of tackiness you really don't need at a show like this?

Tacky? Yes, very.

Necessary? No.

UTTERLY AWESOME BECAUSE THEY ARE BIG HARMLESS ASPLOSIONS? Yes.

Similarly, Shockwave the Jet Truck is both tacky and unnecessary, yet awesome.

The occasional dose of cheese is okay.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:43 AM on December 19, 2007

re: the A-10 - two tough customers.
posted by the painkiller at 10:12 AM on December 19, 2007

Trivia factoid I recently learned: the AD-1 Skyraider used the B-29 engine, and carried a much larger payload than the B-17.

Not to sound like a snark, but wouldn't you expect equipment to improve/progress as time went by? A Sopwith Camel has a better turning radius, bigger payload, and more firepower than a Civil War observation balloon and even the Wright Flier.

I'd like to go out to one of these someday, but I'm afraid my BUSH IS A WAR CRIMINAL T-shirt might get me my ass kicked.

Strangely, there are other clothing options available to most folks these days. Also, as it seems that this may be currently your only shirt option, you may consider washing it from time to time. Incidentally, shirtless seems to be an option popular with the kids these days.
posted by Pollomacho at 10:24 AM on December 19, 2007

Less plane, more pron, please.
posted by Dave Faris at 10:43 AM on December 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

A definite 56k bitchslapper indeed.

This seems linked from the 2007 Fleet Week photoset taken by the same person. Now THOSE are some awesome photos. (Linked to nyud.net's mirror)

And the pyrotechnics? No, not tacky at all. Stuff blowing up is kind of neat. Quite often they'll use expired jet fuel. It's at least an entertaining way to dispose of the stuff. Another cool way to dispose of old jet fuel. (YouTube link, footage from Burning Man 07)
posted by drstein at 10:49 AM on December 19, 2007

Wow! I've been to air shows before, but I've never seen that many classic airplanes flying at one show. B-17s and P-51s will always be some of the sexiest airplanes ever made. Beautiful! Great post.
posted by hellslinger at 10:58 AM on December 19, 2007

One of my favorite memories of an airshow is one that I didn't even attend. Years ago I was doing some rock climbing/ rappelling near the airfield where they do the big Oshkosh airshow every year.

We were sitting on this big bluff and watching these amazing vintage and modern planes fly right over our heads as they got ready for the demonstration (it was a couple of days away.)

We just sat there in awe. Pointing and generally yelling "what" as one of the big engined birds went by. To this day, I wish I had brought a camera with me.
posted by quin at 11:11 AM on December 19, 2007

This seems linked from the 2007 Fleet Week photoset taken by the same person.

Holy crap. The transsonic F-18 pictures are really, really good.

I've been to air shows before, but I've never seen that many classic airplanes flying at one show.

If you're willing to go to Midland/Odessa, TX, check out the CAF's annual air show, which they call AIRSHO because they're clever like that. Good show, and scads of old warbirds.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:47 AM on December 19, 2007

Here's some plane pr0n (mine!!) from an air show at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. I like mine better ;D
posted by neilkod at 11:50 AM on December 19, 2007

Incidentally, shirtless seems to be an option popular with the kids these days.
Especially after a creepy dude that was just in a car crash gives you $100 for your shirt.
posted by kirkaracha at 12:06 PM on December 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

Oooo, a Hawker Sea Fury.

That's a nasty, nasty airplane.
posted by Relay at 12:17 PM on December 19, 2007

From the article: Still, they had a tribute to the B-29 and atomic bomb drop on the big screen.

It doesn't bother anyone (aside from one tentative poster) that this is a display of machines designed entirely for killing -- from a huge war machine, the largest built in history?
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 12:59 PM on December 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

I'd like to go out to one of these someday, but I'm afraid my BUSH IS A WAR CRIMINAL T-shirt might get me my ass kicked.

Pollomacho: Strangely, there are other clothing options available to most folks these days.

Well I guess that's a good enough trade off for not having a viable democracy.

/derail
posted by Skygazer at 1:03 PM on December 19, 2007

Good find, saladin. I, too, wasted much of the morning drooling over these pictures.
posted by paulsc at 1:11 PM on December 19, 2007

Finally got home where I can load the photos:

There were two Skyraiders.

The "Fat Face" A1-E / AD-5N, in Vietnam USAF camouflage and with rockets and bombs on its wings, was the one with the side-by-side pilot and co-pilot station and the big canopy with the "blue room" aft of the flight deck -- you could put extra people, a MEDEVAC case and a corpsman or two, or some mailbags back there. "Able Dogs" occasionally drew COD -- Carrier Onboard Delivery -- missions on carriers because they had pretty spacious fuselages and you could stick stuff in 'em that way. They spacious interior and lift and loiter capability made them marginally useful as early-warning radar birds, too. The USN dabbled in using it as a night fighter and ASW (submarine-hunting) platform as well.

The other 'Raider, the Marine Corps one in blue, is meant to look like a Korean War -vintage AD -3 or -4, although I bet it's a Vietnam-era -6.

But my favorite was the Fairey Firefly -- a beautiful airplane almost nobody this side of the water has heard of.
posted by pax digita at 2:46 PM on December 19, 2007

great shots. I kept imagining that the photographer was one of the two girls shown in the pictures, but reading these comments it's probably their dad :)
posted by cell divide at 3:19 PM on December 19, 2007

Not to sound like a snark, but wouldn't you expect equipment to improve/progress as time went by?

The B-17 was the state-of-the-art bomber entering WW2, and the Skyraider was the state-of-the-art attack fighter leaving it . . . interestingly enough (like I said) mounting the corresponding state-of-the-art bomber's engine. All in the course of 3 years of this entire nation exerting ourselves to the utmost.
posted by panamax at 3:44 PM on December 19, 2007

It doesn't bother anyone (aside from one tentative poster) that this is a display of machines designed entirely for killing

Nope. Because there are lots of guns and swords and other cutty and shooty stuff in museums all over the world and to be squeamish about their display would be silly.

If you're willing to go to Midland/Odessa, TX, check out the CAF's annual air show, which they call AIRSHO because they're clever like that. Good show, and scads of old warbirds.

They tour. I saw them in Houston a few months back. I'm pretty sure it was the same planes. The did a heritage flyover, too, although the planes involved were a little different.
posted by Cyrano at 5:22 PM on December 19, 2007

Bits of them tour in different chunks. But if you go to Midland for AIRSHO, you get the whole kit and kaboodle. You get all of their different mini-shows, one after the other, some with extra planes thrown in.

It's really impressive to be underneath not one but four or five or more B-17's.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:29 PM on December 19, 2007

Lupus, lest you forget, neither World War was started by "us" and let me also remind you that "they" had some very efficient killing machines also (several are pictured). With a few exceptions, ours were on the main, better. Humanity has been busily finding ways to kill one another since man learned how to throw a rock. Get used to it, I doubt we'll ever stop.
posted by stonesy at 7:30 PM on December 19, 2007

"Bits of them [the CAF] tour in different chunks.

A few years back, Ottawa was visited by one of the CAF's B-17s and the Heinkel He-111. They allowed visitors to board and prowl around their interiors and one of my fave family photos is of my daughter sitting in that beautiful all-round perspex cockpit smiling back from among a sea of German-labelled controls.
posted by Mike D at 7:54 PM on December 19, 2007

Speaking of planes, here is a teaser preview video of the Mythbusters airplane on a conveyor belt.

I'm crossing my fingers that this doesn't turn into a horrible derail, but the metatalk thread expired.
posted by exogenous at 11:19 AM on December 20, 2007

*covers exogenus' post with hand*

*points elsewhere*

Look at that amazing and shiny thing over there! It's both shiny and amazing!

It has nothing to do with conveyor belts at all!

Nothing!

(this will get enough way too much discussion on the 20th)
posted by quin at 11:51 AM on December 20, 2007