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| Here are some recent events that I've photographed. Feel free to browse through the albums... | |
 April 15, 2010 |
The 2010 Sun 'n Fun Splash-In was held at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida. Every vintage of float plane and amphibian was on hand. This year's event was attended by US Air pilot Jeffrey Skiles, who helped safely land an airliner in the Hudson River. He enjoyed another water landing here, only this time it was intentional. More... |
 April 15, 2010 |
.Sun 'n Fun Thursday features The Aviators Appreciation Barbeque at Chalet Suzanne in Lake Wales, Florida. Aviators from around the country took a short hop from Sun 'n Fun to enjoy the annual barbeque hosted by the Hinshaw family. More... |
 April 14, 2010 |
Sun 'n Fun 2010. What more needs to be said? More... |
 March 6, 2010 |
Pioneer Park Days in Zolfo Springs, Florida is the oldest antique tractor, steam engine and farm equipment show in the southeast, with exhibits of tractors, hit-and-miss steam engines and farm equipment. This video clip includes an operating 1925 era hay-baler and a Chattanooga model 70 sugarcane press. More... |
 October 17, 2009 |
Tim's Birthday Bash was the event to be at this October. Three Piper Cubs, two Stearman and a few aerobatic aircraft provided an airshow and rides for the crowd. Jim Morrison's Big Bamboo Band entertained while pilots relaxed with some hangar talk and a cold drink... More... |
 September 26, 2009 |
The Last Big Splash of Summer was held at Kermit Weeks' Fantasy of Flight Aircraft Collection in Polk City Florida. Seaplanes, amphibians and skydivers all took to the sky and water for some summertime flying fun. More... |
 August 25, 2009 |
Magic Kingdom Color... I stopped at Disney World on the way home from a scrubbed shuttle launch. There was enough color and activity on main street to burn through a whole set of batteries for the camera and flash! More... |
 August 22, 2009 |
The Carl F. Hinshaw Memorial Fly-In brought together almost 30 aircraft from around the state, including a flock of Cubs, a Stinson Reliant and a Kinner Fleet Biplane. More... |
 August 15, 2009 |
Rock A Doo Wop, Dance to the Music and the Jungala Stiltwalkers at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay provided colorful subject material for my dabbling in high ISO Photography. More... |
 August 8, 2009 |
The good people at Celebration Aviation in Tampa, Florida allowed us to tag along for their Hot Air Balloon Launch this weekend. I got to work with a lot bright colors and some fast-changing early morning light. More... |
 July 4, 2009 |
The entire town of Chester, California becomes a parade on the Fourth of July! From classic cars and boats to Smokey Bear in a fire truck, this town of 2300 goes all out to impress. More... |
 June 29 - July 5, 2009 |
I took a week off to visit family on the West Coast. Sister Marie and her husband Tom invited us to their home on Lake Almanor in Northern California for some R&R. We did some hiking, shot a bear in Lassen National Park, and got in some water ski and and Jet Ski action on Tom's boat. More... |
 June 20, 2009 |
Bok Tower Gardens was in full bloom Saturday morning. Deana, Sabrina and I spent the day on a photo safari, capturing bluebirds, squirrels and blooms with some high-caliber Nikon digital weaponry. More... |
 April 23, 2009 |
The 13th annual Aviators Appreciation Barbeque was the big event at Chalet Suzanne in Lake Wales, Florida. Stearman biplanes, a brand new Expedition 350, a classic Globe Swift and the usual assortment of classic aircraft were all on hand as pilots and friends enjoyed another fine barbeque. More... |
 April 22, 2009 |
The 35th annual Sun 'n Fun Fly-In was the hot spot for the week in Lakeland, Florida. This convention hosts numerous aviation forums, aircraft manufacturers and service providers for a week of networking. They even throw in an airshow! I spent most of my time at the grass airstrip used by the Light Sport Aircraft. More... |
 March 14, 2009 |
The Valiant Air Command Warbird Airshow at the Space Coast Regional Airport hosted an assortment of WWII vintage and modern day military aircraft for a three-day airshow. I stopped by on Saturday and took pictures of anything older than me that flys. More... |
 March 7, 2009 |
Pioneer Park Days in Zolfo Springs held their annual antique car and engine show last weekend. Tom Mikovsky of the Florida Flywheelers club arranged for some interesting footage of the luck, skill and brute force required to get these engines started. More... |
 February 7, 2009 |
Gasparilla 2009 - After 15 years in the Tampa Bay area, I felt it was my civic duty to attend at least one of these annual pirate invasions. I hitched a ride with pilot Kevin on Action Air One and shot the attack of the city by sea, then hit the ground running to get some of the parade action. More... |
 January 24, 2009 |
I got a chance to fly in the Collings Foundation B-17 Flying Fortress a little over a decade ago. When I heard she was scheduled to visit the nearby St. Petersburg/Clearwater aiport, I felt it was time to visit an old friend. More... |
 January 17, 2009 |
I was invited to visit the Florida Flywheelers at their 240 acre property in Polk County last weekend. I thought this might be a good time to try something new... I bought a high-definition video camera to experiment with video on my website. I hope you like the sights and sounds of these old iron engines. More... |
 December 14, 2008 |
We've been to Bok Tower Gardens a dozen times, but have never taken the time to tour the interior of the Pinewood Estate. The 14th annual "Christmas at Pinewood" looked like the perfect opportunity to take the tour. Here are some pictures of rooms at Pinewood decorated for the holidays. More... |
 December 14, 2008 |
Gaylord Palms ICE! Forty ice sculpters from China spent more than a month creating a 3-dimensional interactive Christmas display in the heart of Florida's tourist center. Larger-than-life nativity scenes, slides and storybook lands were built inside a walk-through attraction kept at a finger-numbing nine degrees! More... |
 October 18, 2008 |
Grass Roots Airpark hosted the Florida Antique Biplane Association fly-in on Saturday. There were at least a dozen biplanes and a gaggle of yellow Piper Cubs enjoying the perfect morning weather. Save the occassional GPS with moving map display, it would be hard to tell you hadn't stepped back in time. More... |
 October 18, 2008 |
.We drove up to Leeward Air Ranch to celebrate Coconut Tim Kirby's birthday with airplane rides and live music at Cocopalooza II. Tim and Paige throw quite a party! Jim and Linda Jarvis provided the classic Piper Cub as a camera ship for some interesting air-to-air shots, and live music by Jim Morris kept everyone in an "Island State of Mind." More... |
 October 4 - 11, 2008 |
The Georgia Atlantic Coast was our vacation destination in October. We spent a week on the back roads of Georgia exploring the playgrounds of the rich and famous as well as the small wooden shacks of the rice plantation slaves. Take a look at the pictures from Cumberland Island, Jekyll Island and the historic section of the city of Savannah. More... |
 August 10, 2008 |
.Gatorland was a last-minute destination decision we made early Sunday morning. I got a lot more out of this trip than I expected. I had no idea this was the largest bird sanctuary in central Florida. I was fascinated by seeing how these big egrets transitioned from flight to landing. More... |
 June 1 - 8, 2008 |
Oregon and Washington are absolutely beautiful in the spring... when it's not raining. I got to spend a week on the Pacific Coast photographing landscapes, lakes, winding roads and waterfalls. More... |
 May 25, 2008 |
I've been hooked of the Busch Gardens Stage Shows for the last three or four years. These guys just look like they're having so much fun on stage. I missed the first half of The Men of Note, but I caught the whole Rock A Doo Wop show - Classic Motown and the greatest hits from the 50s and 60s. More... |
 May 3, 2008 |
The MacDill Air Force Base Air Fest 2008 hosted the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, the United States Special Operations Command Parachute Team, the F-15E Strike Eagle Demo Team and a heritage fly-by with an F-4 Phantom, a P-51 Mustang and an F-15 Eagle. More... |
 April 19 & 26, 2008 |
.It's not what you'd expect to find in the middle of an industrial park in Oldsmar, Florida... The Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team puts together a wonderful free performance for their fans each week in the summer. I stopped by to take some pictures of a practice session in the afternoon, and came back for the evening performance. Check out their website for Summer show times. More... |
 April 10, 2008 |
Chalet Suzanne in Lake Wales is the site for the annual Aviators Appreciation Barbeque every Sun 'n Fun Thursday. The Hinshaws really know how to throw a party! 1930's Wacos, brand new Cessnas and Robinson helicopters all made the flight to a beautiful grass airstrip to enjoy the company of fellow aviators. More... |
 April 9 & 10, 2008 |
Sun and Fun 2008 in Lakeland, Florida is the unofficial start of the US flying season. I took the liberty of throwing in a few shots of the Punta Gorda airshow on the previous weekend, plus some colorful pictures of the "Splash-In" at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City. More... |
 April 8, 2008 |
Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, Florida was a perfect spot for a mid-week vacation break. We skipped the adventure park and spent the day strolling the gardens and watching the water ski shows. More... |
 March 29, 2008 |
A steam locomotive, amphibious cars, great woodie wagons, old outboard motors, and lots and lots of classic boats all gathered on the shores of Lake Dora in the city of Tavares for the Antique Boat Show. Watching the amphicars drive down the boat ramp and into the water was a trip! More... |
 March 1, 2008 |
Zolfo Springs Pioneer Park Days brought together engine enthusiasts from around the southeast to share the fun and noise of antique engines. From a tiny twin cylinder steam engine on a model boat to the extravagant tractor parade, complete with beauty queens, this was one All American event. More... |
 February 17, 2008 |
Check out the Wallaby Ranch near Davenport, Florida. It's billed as the first fulltime aerotow hang gliding flight park in the world. I spent a quiet Sunday morning there watching ultralight aircraft tow hang gliders up to 2500'. It was certainly impressive to see how effortless it all looked. More... |
 February 17, 2008 |
Sometimes you meet the nicest people... Deana and I met a friendly couple last weekend who just flew in for lunch from West Palm Beach in their Robinson 44. Deana remembers their names, but I remember an immaculate helicopter that looked like it just rolled off the factory floor! More... |
 December 15, 2007 |
.A fundraiser for the Care Center of Lake Wales brought out some classic cars and provided Christmas gifts to kids in need. More... |
 November 25, 2007 |
So there I was... Seven hours in Sin City... at night... without a tripod. We headed for the strip like common tourists. What happened in Vegas stays on my website. More... |
 August 19, 2007 |
The Carl F. Hinshaw Memorial Fly-In hosted almost 50 airplanes and pilots from around Florida last Sunday. It was a perfect day to fly to the Chalet Suzanne Airstrip for an early breakfast. When the last guest left for home, Chalet owner Eric Hinshaw invited me to spend some quality flight time in his 1946 Cessna 140! More... |
 April 19, 2007 |
The Aviator's Appreciation Barbeque at Chalet Suzanne turned out to be another classic event. Bomber pilots from World War II joined 10-year-olds in the celebration of all thing that fly. Visiting aircraft this year included a Robinson R22 Helicopter, a gorgeous Piper Aztec, some classic Stearman biplanes and a 1930s era Waco. More... |
 April 18, 2007 |
The 2007 Sun 'n Fun Fly-In took place at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport this week. This year I got to go through the beautiful Douglas C-54 "Spirit of Freedom." Some of the turbine powered aircraft were awesome, but my favorites were the "Old Iron" piston-driven machines. More... |
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Fantasy of Flight was my destination today. Kermit Week's World's Greatest Aircraft Collection lived up to its name. I enjoyed the tours of the wood shop and the restoration hangers. Kermit even brought out his P-51 Mustang and took to the skies. This is definitely a must-see attraction in Florida. |
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The 2007 Bensen Days Fly-In was hosted by the Sunstate Wing and Rotor Club at the Wauchula Airport today. A stiff cross-wind kept a lot of rotorcraft on the ground, but also provided for some interesting hovering by some gyrocopters. They even had some turbine engines on display. More... |
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The Honda St. Petersburg Grand Prix held a practice session for the drivers last Friday. I took the camera down to the track and shot 600 out-of-focus pictures of some very fast cars. I deleted those and kept the rest to share with you. The sights and sounds of the Grand Prix simply can't be captured in a photo... It's something you have to see for yourself at least once. More... |
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The Florida International Airshow 2007 was held this weekend in Punta Gorda. It was too windy for the Army's Golden Knights to do more than a tandem jump, but the rest of the aviators took to the skies and fought the crosswinds. Photos include a de Havilland Caribou, an F27 Fokker and a roundup of the usual suspects. More... |
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Knut Kjenslie's Seminole Lake Gliderport near Clermont, Florida was the site of the 2007 Senior Soaring Championship. I spent the morning watching the tow planes pull about 30 gliders airborne. Just like last year, the pilots were friendly and the weather was perfect. More... |
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The Saturday Morning Market in St. Petersburg is a lot more than a farmer's market. It's a place with a colorful upbeat feeling where you'll find a diverse selection of food and crafts, and shop with vendors you know by name. Check out their website and enjoy some pictures... |
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The St. Petersburg Lions Santa Parade started with a riding skill display by Pinellas county law enforcement motorcycle cops and ended with St. Nicholas waving to the crowd. But when it came to parade entertainment, the Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corps was the hands-down winner. Take a look... |
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Sky Dive City at the Zephyrhills Airport is today's drop zone. A very international crowd was on hand to take advantage of excellent weather conditions for skydiving. A De Havilland twin otter was flying group after group to 13,500 feet, and I was catching the action on their way back down. More... |
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The Magic Kingdom was our day 3 vacation destination. I wanted to see how much color I could cram into a single photo, and I thought a Disney parade might be a good way to find out. We hopped a monorail ride to Epcot in the evening to enjoy some French pastries and the fireworks. More... |
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The St. Petersburg Airfest theme for 2006 was "A Salute to the Military." Static displays included both military and civilian aircraft, as well as some new airplanes in the Light Sport Aircraft category. Airshow performers John Mohr put on an awesome performance in his Stearman, and Patty Wagstaff impressed the crowd with some low-flying upside-down ribbon cutting! More... |
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Busch Gardens Stage Shows provided lots of color and action for my camera's CCD sensitivity test. I took in the Moroccan Roll show at the Marrakesh Theater, American Beat at the Desert Grill Restaurant, and Katonga at the Moroccan Palace Theater. More... |
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Our Sarasota Trip... Pictures are presented starting with our departure under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge to the beautiful homes we saw along the way, to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, The Ringling Mansion, the Florida Museum of Art and conclude with our return trip home. More... |
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The Carl Hinshaw Memorial Fly-in was once again celebrated at its home at Chalet Suzanne in Lake Wales, Florida. Deana and I got a special invitation from owners Dee and Eric Hinshaw to join them for breakfast at the Chalet. The weather was perfect as aviators flew in from around the state for some great food and flying! More... |
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SeaWorld’s center lake is stage to "Mistify", the story of a child's spectacular dream. Mistify features larger-than-life marine creatures on 60-foot mist screens, 100-foot fountains, flames on water and dazzling fireworks. It looked like a good opportunity for me to check out my camera's long-exposure capabilities. More... |
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The Tampa Bay Auto Museum is hidden in a small business complex in Pinellas Park, Florida. The museum features a unique collection of vintage cars and vehicles that demonstrate special creativity and imagination in their engineering. I have a new appreciation and love for the 1965 Maserati Sebring Series II. What a beauty! More... |
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The National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida has always been on my "gotta do" list. I finally had the opportunity to spend some time there on a road trip from New Orleans to Tampa. Four hours never flew by so quickly! More... |
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The Florida Air Museum at Sun 'n Fun was my Father's Day field trip this year. The museum is filled with factory and home-built experimental aircraft. Located at the Lakeland Airport in Florida, the museum tells the stories of professional aviators to garage workshop craftsman and the unique aircraft they built and flew. More... |
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The Florida Antique Biplane Association Fly-In was held at Kermit Week's Fantasy of Flight on Saturday, May 20th. Twenty-six aircraft flew in to the grass strip near Polk City for lunch at the officer's club. After touring the restoration facilities, it was short hop to Chalet Suzanne, just north of Lake Wales. The Chalet hosted a turkey and catfish fry for the aviators. More... |
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SeaWorld - Deana and I took Saturday off and drove to Orlando to visit SeaWorld. It's been a while since we've been there so we took in all the new shows. "Blue Horizons" was good, "Believe" with Shamu the killer whale was terrific and "Fusion" was so good we saw it twice! More... |
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Downtown Tampa Aerials - I hitched a ride with Captain Al on Action Air One for a photo mission to Brooksville, Florida. On the way back home we circled downtown Tampa to grab some beauty shots for the 6pm newscast. More... |
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KTPA 36R - Tampa International Airport closed runway 36 left for some taxiway construction last week. This made for some great photo ops on runway 36 right. The runway threshold is very close to a public access road. I had some "Heavies" cruising about 20 feet overhead! More... |
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Leeward Air Ranch Warbirds Fly-In - Deana and I scored an invitation to the Kirby home near Ocala to enjoy prime viewing of the annual warbirds fly-in. Aircraft included AT6 Texans, P51 Mustangs, a Grumman Albatross, and a PBY Catalina. Later that afternoon, Tim gave us a ride in his Stearman and Tony provided a private airshow with his Bucher Jungmeister. More... |
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Aviator's Appreciation Barbeque - I happen to know what heaven's like. I've been there. It's just north of Lake Wales, Florida... It has a little grass airstrip, friends greet you when you arrive and give you rides in their Stearman biplanes. There's a Waco, a Cub and a gyrocopter parked on the lawn, and the Chalet Suzanne barbeque is ready at sunset... More... |
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Sun 'n Fun Fly-In - Although I've lived in Tampa for 12 years, this was the first chance I had to see the Experimental Aircraft Association's Fly-In. It's held every year in Lakeland, Florida. Aircraft manufacturers, engine specialists, aviation suppliers... they were all there. It was like a big toy store! More... |
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Cinderella Coronation - Deana and I received our engraved invitations months ago. Everyone was there... Princess Jasmine, Snow White, Prince Charming, even Tigger. There were parades and fireworks to celebrate our big day in the Magic Kingdom. More... |
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Bensen Days 2006 - I got up early on Saturday and drove 90 miles south of Tampa to Wauchula, Florida. The Sunstate Wing and Rotor Club was hosting Bensen Days 2006 at the Wauchula Municipal Airport. Igor Bensen was instrumental in developing the gyroplane, an aircraft that develops lift by using a freewheeling rotor. Gyroplanes, trikes and paragliders were all sharing the beautiful skies over Wauchula. More... |
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16th Annual Senior Nationals Soaring Championships - On Sunday, I had the opportunity to visit the Seminole Lake Gliderport. They were hosting the Senior Nationals Soaring Championship. Sailplanes are amazing and graceful machines, and are about as close as humans can get to soaring like the birds. More... |
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Cypress Gardens, Florida's first theme park celebrates 70 years. Botanical gardens, water ski show and hang gliders. More... |
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Zephyrhills 32nd Annual Winter Autofest Flat track dirt oval racing. Different car classes racing and kicking up a lot of dust. More... |
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Carl F. Hinshaw Memorial Fly-In Lake Wales, Florida A beautiful grass airstrip at Chalet Suzanne brings together pilots and airplanes from around the region. Includes a Staggerwing Beech. Chalet Suzanne is an absolutely wonderful experience. More... |
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