Cool beans!

KVII is going to use a photo I took of Palo Duro fork of the Red River as a new background for their School Net!

You can buy a print (without the School Net) by contacting me at the e-mail link above.

-Steve

I got buzzed - again.

Does my apartment just happen to lie under a new (unmarked) test flight operations area or (and i can't help but wonder) do they know an aviation photographer lives at my GPS coordinates and is always ready to take a portrait of these amazing aircraft/hybrid helicopters?

This afternoon about 2:PM I heard the familiar sound of an V-22 Osprey.

I see them in the pattern a lot since they are built out at the Bell/Textron plant on the east side of Amarillo.


Thing is, I live 12 miles from the plant and no where near their usual flight test areas, but lately they have been flying very low (and in tight circles) right over my abode in SW Amarillo.

When they do their circles, it seems my place is located right in the very center of things.

Today they came over very low (below a thousand feet) and did three circles allowing me enough time to grabb my camera and make a few shots.

When an Osprey is circling over one's apartment, you jolly-well know it because the whole place vibrates. I noticed other inhabitants sticking their heads out to see what was causing all the clamor.

Some seemed to be peeved, but some thought it was cool. I lean heavily toward the cool side.

Keep it up guys!

-Steve Douglass

U.S. buys weather supercomputer with twin backup

U.S. buys weather supercomputer with twin backup: "The U.S. has upgraded the supercomputer used to develop weather forecast models, a system so critical to meteorologists that the government has bought a second, identical system as a backup.

"

(Via digg.com: Stories / Popular.)

Good day - moon shine!

Taken this morning looking west.




-Steve

Good day - Sunshine!

Hoping you have a wonderful Labor Day- without too much labor - unless its a labor of love.

-Steve

September Moon

God-Rays

Menace to navigation - from both points of view.

Harriers - up close and personal.

Yours truly (and a few fellow aviation aficionados) found ourselves back out at Rick Husband/Amarillo Int. Airport again this morning to photograph the Harriers taking off.

Two more had flown in after dark so we were pleasantly surprised to see ten Harriers lining the tarmac on the Tac-Air ramp when we arrived.

All were from the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.

They were heading back home after "blowing up Sierra Hotel India Tango" out in the desert ranges of Marine Air Ground Combat center at Twenty-Nine Palms, California.

According to several of the pilots we talked to (who graciously gave us the full nickel- tour and let us see these amazing aircraft up close) they had recently deployed back to the U.S. from Iraq and Afghanistan.

They had spent the night in Amarillo (after letting off some much deserved steam out at the Big Texan I hear) and were at the half-way point of their journey back home.

Friendly as all-get-out, the pilots let us tug on a flap, stroke a wing, examine the gun pods and basically drool over their cool rides. The only thing we couldn't do climb in the cockpit or take a ride.

Here's Dale Stanton taking the opportunity to see a harrier up close and personal:



You can kind of see me talking to one of the pilots in this photo by Dale Stanton.



One of the pilots talked to us for over 15 minutes, explaining all the mechanisms behind the mechanisms and said (although he loved his Harrier) he was very-much looking forward to his future ride, the F-35 that is if Obama didn't yank funding of the Harrier-like (but stealthy) Joint Strike Fighter.



There were two different types of Harriers on the tarmac, the McDonnell Douglas-BAe/Boeing AV-8B Harrier II (with a large Raytheon APG-65 digital radar in the nose) and the "Night Harrier" AV-8B Harrier II Plus with a targeting FLIR in the nose.




Here are comparison photos where you can really see the difference between the two types:




The Harrier II Plus (below) sports the new Raytheon APG-65 digital radar and thusly it kind it it looks like it has had a nose-job to resemble an F-18, you are right. Under the radome is the same radar that is currently fitted in the FA-18 Hornet.



While we were waiting for the harriers to take off we were treated to a totally unexpected free air-show of sorts.

For a normally quiet Saturday, the airport was bustling with activity with many pilots (obviously) taking advantage of the beautiful flying weather - coolish and clear.

An USAF SOF C-130 also spent the night and we got to see it depart.

Look closely and you can see visible vorteces coming off the propeller blades.

(click on the photo to enlarge it)



Next came this vintage and shiny BT-13 Vultee Valiant (which i've seen flying around Amarillo often) usually out or Tradewinds Airport.





Then we were treated to a gaggle of local day-fliers. The ramp started to take on the look of a traffic jam.



We couldn't help but spot this Beechcraft 55 Baron that looked like something Barbie would fly.



And then this "jolly good" FNJ Stearman taxied by looking mellow in bright yellow.



Finally the main event was upon us. The pilots spooled up the engines on their Harriers and began to roll out with each one of the pilots giving us a wave as they went by.



They taxied down past Amarillo's downtown skyline shimmering brightly in the background.



Here one taking off - wow what a roar!



Here's a couple by Frank Murphy. These two photos are geo-tagged so you can see exactly where they were taken at.





In closing - we all had a great time and enjoyed the winged-spectacle.

Special thanks to the Aces of MCAS Cherry Point for indulging the wishes of some airport bums.

Semper Fi!



-Steve Douglass

Rails & Jet Trails

Harriers passing through our Panhandle Skies

I got a tip from a buddy of mine that some Marine Corp AV-8B Harriers were going to be dropping in and spending the night in Amarillo, so (being the aircraft buff I am) swung out to the airport and shot a few photos as they came in. I thing there was 11 total. If you are interested in seeing them yourself, be out at the airport and watch them leave ( sunrise -ish) and net some photos of these amazing aircraft yourself.

-Steve Douglass

He's everywhere!

You never know where that pesky rodent is going to show up!



LINK

Late August Storm

B-52 in the pattern tonight.

Glad to see one of these venerable bombers in the local pattern. Heard him talking over my aero-band scanner and popped my head out the door and there he was. I think he was on his way to Red Flag exercises in Nevada, working the pattern and waiting out the storms to our Northwest.

-Steve

Lenticular clouds - pretty but dangerous.

Lenticular clouds are stationary lens-shaped clouds that form at high altitudes, normally aligned perpendicular to the wind direction. Lenticular clouds can be separated into altocumulus standing lenticularis (ACSL), stratocumulus standing lenticular (SCSL), and cirrocumulus standing lenticular (CCSL).

Power pilots tend to avoid flying near lenticular clouds because of the turbulence of the rotor systems that accompany them, but sailplane pilots actively seek them out. The precise location of the rising air mass is fairly easy to predict from the orientation of the clouds. "Wave lift" of this kind is often very smooth and strong, and enables gliders to soar to remarkable altitudes and great distances. The current gliding world records for both distance (over 3,000 km; 1,864 mi) and altitude (15,460 m; 50,721 ft) were set using such lift.

Family Fun Opportunity September 12th

My good buddy Ken Hanson wanted me to put out the word the annual Panhandle Antique Tractor Association "Tractor-Fest" takes place on September 12th at the High Plains Children's Home on south Western.

Who knew one could have so much fun playing with farm machinery!

There will be dozens of antique tractors on display, food, games, contests, giveaways and fun. Bring the kiddos and bring your camera!

There's no charge for the show (unless you want to partake in the grilled hamburger lunch) with the proceeds benefitting the High Plains Children's Home.

Video Link:

Oh what a beautiful morning ...

Crest of the blue wave.

Another couple shots from tonight's storm.


(C) Steve Douglass

Arcus Cloud Video Panorama

Video doesn't do it justice.
C) Steve Douglass

Storm Bow

Photographed tonight looking SW of Amarillo. This is a composite of four frames.
It looked a whole lot meaner than it was.

-Steve Douglass