Multiple Uses for Airplanes...

For those of you that have never discussed aeronautics with me, I have a fascination with the complexity of flight. I find air traffic control all in itself to be absolutely amazing when you consider the number of flights leaving from any given major airport each hour. At one point I actually submitted a question to the FAA via their website about how many commercial airline pilots were employed in the United States.

Aside from the organization of traffic flow at the airport, the planes themselves intrigue me. I was five years old when I first dreamed of being a pilot, and after hearing that the helicopter was the hardest aircraft to fly, it became my goal. My mother had to explain to me that most pilots, commercial and military, had excellent vision. Since I wore glasses from the age of 4 to 14, my dream had some obstacles. The United States military also had limitations on asthma and severe allergies, so my military career ended long before it started unfortunately. Still, in high school I contacted the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology to discuss their pilot programs at length. After graduating at 16, I was eager to experience life as an “adult” before I went back to textbooks and lectures. By the time I focused my energy on my education, my passion for numbers and accounting had lead me to believe I could make a bigger impact as a tax accountant than a pilot. Learning to fly is something I will accomplish in this lifetime, however.

Since I have not yet learned how to fly and do not own a private jet, I tend to rely on Delta’s Sky Team to get me to my destination. I’m sure plenty of you have heard me ramble on about some of my recent experiences while traveling, so I’ll spare you the rants and raves. I do wonder, though, if I might have some sort of curse on the actual aircraft itself. I have had some repeat experiences lately of listening to my captain tell me the plane is not safe for take off and we must return to the gate. I have also decided to pack my carry on with an extensive search in mind from now on. I find it amusing to purposely place items in my backpack that might make a TSA employee blush.

This past weekend I packed my backpack and luggage and headed to Daytona Beach, Florida for one of Rolando’s workshops. This particular workshop was an amazing opportunity, as there were a total of 3 vintage airplanes to shoot with. Jack Watson was kind enough to open up his fantastic studio/hangar for the weekend, and provide his full attention to making sure the models and photographers had everything they needed. I had a great time shooting with the attendees, and look forward to seeing some of the shots. I’ve never had the chance to shoot with a plane before, and while I was somewhat scared to touch the vintage aircraft, I was super excited.

So my love of air travel continues, and hopefully one day I will get the opportunity to pursue my dream of becoming a pilot. Until then, I look forward to posing with them as often as possible.