WELCOME TO THE SPECIAL 2019 EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH ISSUE OF ISnAP! Contributing ISAP Members Chandler Feagin
John Ford
Craig Swancy
John Slemp
Gary Edwards
Larry Grace
Jeff Krueger
Marc Farb
Jim Koepnick
Michael Bellinger
Jim Wilson
Vincent Trelut
FRONT COVER PHOTO: Jim Koepnick Kyle Franklin performing in Dracula. Camera: Sony A9 Lens: Sigma 60-600mm Sport Exposure: f13 Shutter speed: 1/400 sec. ISO 400 BACK COVER: Larry Grace F-22 Raptor during the night show. Camera: Nikon D850 Lens: 24-120mm f/4.0
Jim Wilson
Exposure: f11 Shutter speed: 26.0s ISO 500
Larry Grace ISAP’s goal is to bring together our members who share a love of aviation, and want to preserve its history through their images. Through our organization, members can seek to enhance their artistic quality, advance technical knowledge, and improve safety for all areas of aviation photography while fostering professionalism, high ethical standards, and camaraderie. ISAP continues to help our members to better their photography skills, workflow, and set up resources to help with business questions that our members have. Updates are being made to the ISAP website and member portfolio section, and we are showcasing ISAP members’ images and accomplishments on our social media pages.
Enjoy this issue of ISnAP! Sincerely, Larry Grace, ISAP President Kevin Hong, ISnAP Editor International Society for Aviation Photography www.aviationphoto.org • www.facebook.com/ISAPorg isnap@aviationphoto.org
Jim Koepnick
In this issue we are continuing to highlight ISAP members. I’m sure you will enjoy learning how your fellow ISAP members got started, as well as seeing some of their images and learning some tips. Remember that ISnAP is your publication to share your images, stories and tips with other members and the public. We look forward to each member sharing his or her stories with all of us.
The ISnAP is a periodic publication of the International Society for Aviation Photography and is used to communicate news, functions, convention information, and other information of interest on the local, regional, and national scenes. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and should not be construed as the views or opinions of the International Society for Aviation Photography.
The EAA AirVenture is exactly that, an Air Adventure. While I have attended this event for nearly 25 years, it is always an exciting time and something new every year. It’s not just one air show, its many different shows. It is clear that aviation has many facets and this event shows them all.
I am always amazed at the many shows, presentations and activities around the grounds, and not all aviation based. Ford for example had a fantastic play area for kids including a climbing rock wall. They also featured many vintage Ford autos that were available for rides.
We all know the air show itself is the major event each day over the week, however there are a lot of things that go on around the show and it’s a great place to people watch. The static aircraft displays, planes and jets of all kinds and lots of spectators. From a new UPS 747-8 to vintage aircraft on the ground and on display to the show attendees.
Speaking of kids, ISAP President Larry Grace made the comment to me that engaging kids early on in aviation will help insure that general aviation continues to inspire young minds. There were examples of that all around the show, including a huge display of pedal planes with a number of them available for kids to play in.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW Text by Jeff Krueger
Of the many ground events during the week, United Airlines flew in one of their new 787’s filled with a large contingent of United flight attendants. The Ladies of Liberty had several shows daily, singing 40’s tunes in the Vintage Aircraft area. The ultra-lite field was a busy place with rides over the event available in many different aircraft. Looked like fun, but no room for my photo gear! The highlight of the week was when American Airlines flew in a group of veterans returning from an Honor Flight to our nation’s capital. Taxiing through an arch of water sprayed from Wittman Field fire trucks, our veterans deplaned to a huge crowd of spectators, an ongoing round of applause and waving American flags. The receiving line provided them with full military honors and it was one of those “choked up” moments to watch.
Larry Grace
Spending the entire week at the show gave me the time to really see everything that goes on at this massive event. Even after all my years attending the show, I was amazed at all the shows within the show. I’m still pretty sure I didn’t see it all.
Craig Swancy
My good friend and fellow ISAP member Gary Edwards and I prefer to drive to Oshkosh rather than fly. Seeing the Great Plains and North Central United States from an automobile is much more pleasing than the view from 33,000 ft. in a passenger jet. You can easily see where the Buffalo roamed and where the amber fields of grain still wave. To see the great herds of cattle in Kansas to the green fields of corn in Iowa and on the rolling hills in Wisconsin covered in farms. You see, the journey both to and from Oshkosh is equally as beautiful as the 10,000 aircraft at Wittman Regional Airport. At my age, I am still as fascinated with the works of Lloyd Stearman and Bill Boeing as I am the collective genius of Lockheed-Martin and McDonnell Douglas. To see a very capable Air Tractor aircraft built in rural Olney, Texas that can fight fires, spray crops, and provide a Black Aircraft for Surveillance and Light Attack, take center stage on the same field as the big boys. Then there are the Warbirds of days past. From those days of hard fought aerial attacks on two fronts whereby pilot and machine fought and won. All that plus so many more
privately-owned aircraft to the Ultra Lights and Experimental Aircraft that all seem to gather annually in Oshkosh. You see it is a joy to be at EAA AirVenture in late July. To hear the distinctive roar of a Rolls Royce Merlin Engine in the morning and the thundering sound of the mighty Wright R-3350 Double Wasp Radial Engines in the afternoon. Brings back memories of my youth when Carswell AFB (Ft. Worth) was a SAC Base back in the fifties. I am pleased to share photos on those aircraft that caught my eye this year at EAA AirVenture. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I did tracking down the aircraft that filled the skies. Info provided by EAA: Attendance: Approximately 642,000 — 6.8 percent above 2018’s record total. Total aircraft: More than 10,000 aircraft arrived at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin. At Wittman alone, there were 16,807 aircraft operations in the 11-day period from July 19-29,which is an average of approximately 127 takeoffs/ landings per hour. Total show planes: 2,758 including 1,057 homebuilt aircraft (including a record 592 homebuilt aircraft campsites), 939 vintage airplanes, 400 warbirds (6 percent increase), 188 ultralights and light-sport aircraft, 105 seaplanes (40 percent increase), 62 aerobatic aircraft, and 7 in other categories.
Craig Swancy
Craig Swancy
Craig Swancy
Gary Edwards • ISAP Treasurer
Gary Edwards
Gary Edwards
Gary Edwards
Gary Edwards
Gary Edwards
Chandler Feagin
Chandler Feagin
Jeff Krueger The air show at EAA AirVenture is one of the best in the country, at least of those I’ve attended. From vintage warbirds, jets of all types, parachute teams and of course the aerobatic performers, they are all there.
excuse the pun, over the top. Where else can you watch a biplane race a jet powered semi-tractor? There were so many performances, I can’t begin to name all of them.
I will admit, in past years, my focus was mostly on warbirds, old and new. Seeing those aircraft both static and in the sky was always a thrill to me, and how can you beat the sound of those old piston powered combat aircraft. Seeing a formation of P-51’s or P-38’s was something awesome and makes you wonder what it was like seeing an entire combat group fly over in formation. Of course, photographing cold war era jets and the latest technology F-22’s and F-35’s all at the same time is incredible, not forgetting our venerable A-10’s.
To make my immersion into aerobatic photography even more exciting and interesting was that I was able to meet many of the pilots and crew over the week and found them all to be fun and open to talking about what they do. That insight really added to my enjoyment of what I was watching and photographing. The great thing about spending the week at the event was I could take the camera away from my eye and just watch the show. Of course every time I did that, some maneuver would take place that I probably should have tried to capture.
With that said, spending a full week at EAA this year opened me up to watching the daily air shows, each day different, and seeing all aspects of the show, especially the aerobatic teams and solo pilots. All I can say is Wow. The timing and precision these professionals display is breathtaking. Watching a plane power up, hold virtually still in the air and then come spinning down to a speed run over the runway, all totally under control is a wonder to watch. The formation flying of teams like Aeroshell, Rocky Mountain Renegades and Twin Tigers was so precise it has to be seen. The routines of the Oracle and Red Bull teams added to the excitement and in fact every act was not only different, but
Technically, I found shooting aerobatics tough to do. Slower shutter speeds and faster aircraft really challenged my hand holding and panning abilities, and I found I may not be as steady as I once was….It was a challenge I really enjoyed and I learned a lot about technique that I hope to improve going forward. I assure you my horizons have been broadened and my next air show will have much broader coverage. This was so much fun to attend, even as a seasoned veteran spectator.
Jeff Krueger
Jeff Krueger
Jeff Krueger
What a way to start the week. Along with that, we had the A-10 demo team, F-22 Raptor demo team and the F-35 Lightning demo team. Add to all that, one of the largest showings of P-51 Mustangs and more C-47’s in one place at one time, it was overload.. Then, we had the really rare birds, B-29 Doc, a British Mosquito (one of my favorite airplanes as my dad was in the plywood business) and a P-82 Twin Mustang. Oh boy, I’m glad I bought extra CF cards. With all the current and vintage aircraft, not to mention aerobatics, it was going to be a long week for my cameras. Over the week, virtually every iconic aircraft made an appearance. Propeller driven to jets, they were all there. Our F-22 and F-35 teams did some things that should not be aerodynamically possible, on one occasion much to the chagrin of the band performing an evening show. Not to be outdone, the A-10 did its thing and showed why it is the premier ground support aircraft in the world.
The CAF aircraft are so much fun to watch and the sounds of radial motors overhead just can’t be beat, plus you don’t need hearing protection! The Cold War era jets, Migs and Sabers, along with the Vietnam era jets all provided a great show of their operational capabilities and I can only imagine how much fun these pilots have flying such important aircraft. Well, I did make it through ground school.. From a photographic technical standpoint, this was a challenge. There were many times that while shooting propeller aircraft, some jets would enter the scene…oh yeah, change from 160th to 1600th of a second, and then back again…oops. It got to be a bit of a joke between a few of us photographers. And then, the Heritage Flight…P-51’s and Raptors at dusk…Hmmm. I guess that/s the challenge, and fun of being an aviation photographer. With the storms that passed through Oshkosh the days before the air show, and the soggy conditions early on, it was impressive to see how the organization dealt with the airport holds and the camper influx. Probably one of the biggest challenges I’ve witnessed in a long time. In the end, I was able to photograph some of my favorite aircraft and challenge myself to get the images I really wanted, and make them good enough to show. Not an easy task as we all know. The weather finally cooperated and the 50th Anniversary of AirVenture was a complete success.
Jeff Krueger
EAA is always an adventure with unexpected things happening. EAA AirVenture 2019 was no exception. We had an unscheduled fly over by the Blue Angels as they transitioned from Minneapolis to St. Louis and as usual wowed the crowd. Not to be outdone, when the Air Force found out, the Thunderbirds did a fly by and an extra two passed on their way to the Milwaukee air show. All one can say is “how cool is that.”
Jeff Krueger
Jeff Krueger
Jeff Krueger
Jeff Krueger
Jeff Krueger
Jeff Krueger
Jeff Krueger
Jeff Krueger
Who doesn’t love the CAF warbirds at an air show? As always, the Warbirds of America included a WWII reenactment group as an airfield support unit. As the Greatest Generation leaves us, and many kids today are not taught the lessons of our freedom, it is always great to have this interaction available and those times displayed. Being a retired Civil War Cavalry reenactor, I love to see these guys and gals portray a way of life gone by.
Jeff Krueger
One of my goals for EAA this year was to document a little of this part of the EAA Warbird experience and spend a bit more time talking with the reenactors and get the feel of their part of the event. The first thing I noticed is the camp life experience in WWII was hands down luxurious compared to the 1860’s Civil War camps I spent so much time in, and no horse to clean up after!
Beyond that, the daily routine Army camp life was pretty much the same. It’s the people that make the camp and the non-coms really run the camp. Just ask Sgt. Don Weihund from Prior Lake, Minnesota. As in all reenacting groups, each member is set to portray many different roles. In talking with the Base Commander, he indicated last year he was the Medical Officer. You never know. The attention to detail and all of the authentic equipment, from tents to vehicles is an obvious sign of passion for this activity. The unit has a semi-trailer to haul and store all of its gear. Pretty impressive. Anyway, this is a short narrative of a relatively important time in our history and while not a lot of aircraft in this piece, it was fun to do.
Jeff Krueger
Jeff Krueger
Jeff Krueger
Jim Koepnick
These are a few of the photos taken during EAA AirVenture 2019 for Plane and Pilot Magazine. I used the Sigma 60-600 Sports lens not only for my air show photos, but also for most feature photos. Although I normally use my Sigma 70 - 200mm for air to air photography, I gave the 60 - 600mm a try and was blown away by how sharp the photos were. Hand held, and using the Optical Stabilizer in the lens, I could shoot 1/60-1/80 second out to about 300mm and keep in focus. Generally, all I carried during the day was the 60 - 600mm and a Sigma 28 f1.4 Art lens on Sony A9 cameras. For the fireworks photos, I also used the Sigma 14 - 24 f2.8 Art lens.
Jim Koepnick
Jim Koepnick
Jim Koepnick
Jim Koepnick
Jim Wilson • ISAP Vice President
Jim Wilson
Jim Wilson
Jim Wilson
Jim Wilson
Homebuilds and Innovations Photos and articles by Craig Swancy
Always an avid traveler. Over the last 15 years I’ve spent plenty of time in Alaska traveling and photographing the beauty of the state. From bears to eagles, beavers to otters. I have photographed them all. However, I’m particularly fond of the De Havilland Beavers and Otters. I’m always willing to hop a ride any chance I can get on these fine aircraft to fly around and see Alaska. With those planes in mind I make a point to take a look at any tundra aircraft I see at Oshkosh. Always looking to see improvements in handling, capacity, safety and the ability to get in and out of remote parts of the state.
This year’s trip brought me to Frank Koinzer’s “Aircraft of Dreams.” The Explorer is a true Amateur Homebuild. You see Frank attended his first AirVenture in 1999 and is an airline pilot and longtime aviator. His dream began at that point and progressed into the engineering and testing of an airframe that could truly handle the rigors of the world’s most abandoned backcountry. With no aircraft on the market for Frank’s demand in concept, flight characteristics and quality, he set out on designing his dream. He quickly was joined by two more aviation enthusiast’s, Jirka and Hans (graduated aircraft engineers). Frank’s dream criteria consisted of a Jet fueled engine, STOL Capabilities, reasonable cruise speed, and a spacious interior cabin.
Samson Sky Switchblade Flying Car
Growing up in the 1950’s I was an avid reader of my father’s Popular Science, Popular Mechanics and Flying magazines. The best I can recall was the speculation of “Flying Cars” that would be available in the 1990’s, something I looked forward to seeing. After looking at photos and reading extensively on the Taylor Aerocar my youthful optimism yearned for the day. My Dad; through his many years of flying, even expressed an optimism on the Taylor project. Fast forward and to make a long story short, I was disappointed with the lack of progress that followed decade after decade until Oshkosh Air Venture 2019 whereby I found the Switchblade offered from SamsonSky.
Craig Swancy
Here it seems the marriage of technologies, lightweight building materials, computer control and aerodynamics appears to come together and offer the world a sensible approach to that 1950’s dream: a fully functional “Flying Automobile.”
Pipistrel Alpha Electro Trainer
Craig Swancy
The ALPHA Electro is a completely new approach to flight training and at a cost nearly half that of others. The new ALPHA Electro is an aircraft which is affordable to acquire. It is economical to maintain and appears that no other LSA training aircraft is as cheap to run as the new Pipistrel ALPHA Electro with its frugal operating costs, in most areas it could be as little as $3/hour for electricity to operate the aircraft.
Old Glory H O N O R Text by Jim Koepnick Photos by Jim Koepnick and Jim Wilson
F L I G H T
One of the highlights during AirVenture Oshkosh is the Old Glory Honor Flight -Yellow Ribbon Flight to Washington DC with Vietnam era veterans. Over 100 local Vietnam vets depart Oshkosh just after dawn to spend the day in the nation’s capital. They are escorted through the Vietnam War exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum, and watch the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery. The visit to the Vietnam Wall is by far the most emotional. The trip gives the vets time to revisit old memories as well as make new friends with fellow vets. On the trip back to Oshkosh, there is a “mail call” where each vet receives letters from family and friends thanking them for their service. But the highlight of the trip for many is the welcome home they get back in Oshkosh. One of the goals of the OGHF is to give vets the homecoming they did not get after their service in Vietnam. The first view the vets get when they step out of the plane is overwhelming- thousands of people filling the main ramp at AirVenture, all cheering and waving. As the vets make their way past rows of Civil Air Patrol members, they are greeted by family and friends are holding welcome signs, American flags and cheering them back.
As photographer for OGHF, I try to photograph as many different veterans as possible during the trip. I’ve evolved into just using my Sigma 70-200 f2.8 Sport lens for most of my photos. Rather than posed shots of small groups of veterans, I instead try to capture conversation, emotion and personality of the individual vet. A 70-200 gives me enough distance to accomplish that without distracting them with my picture taking. To further keep their awareness from my picture taking, I only use my Sony A9 cameras in silent mode. And, I only use available light. The A9 is great at high ISO when shooting in a museum or on the airplane. To cover myself for the occasional group shot, I carry a Sigma 28 f1.4 Art lens on another Sony A9 body. Occasionally I’ll also bring along a 14-24mm f2.8 Art lens when I want a wider view. I can slip all the gear into a Think Tank backpack which fits under the airline seat. This was my second Yellow Ribbon flight from AirVenture- yet, even knowing what the huge welcome home celebration in Oshkosh was going to be like… that view as we step off from the airplane still takes my breath away, just as it does for each veteran.
Jim Koepinick
Jim Koepinick
Jim Koepinick
Jim Koepinick
Jim Koepinick
Jim Koepinick
Jim Koepinick
Jim Koepinick
Jim Wilson • ISAP Vice President
Jim Wilson
Jim Wilson
Jim Wilson
Jim Wilson
John Ford
John Ford
John Ford
John Ford
John Slemp
The seaplane base on Lake Winnebago, created during AirVenture 2019 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Abstract image of the UPS 747 in Boeing Plaza during AirVenture 2019 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
John Slemp
Portrait of John Petersen, former Chairman of the Lindbergh Foundation, with the gracious cooperation of Peter Bowers of Waco Aircraft.
Biya Haile photographed in front of the Tuskegee Airmen P-51 D Mustang, during AirVenture 2019. Biya is currently an aerospace engineering student and research assistant at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
John Slemp
Larry Grace • ISAP President
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Marc Farb
2019 brought Doc to AirVenture in Oshkosh. I had the privilege to meet and interview several of the team members that bring this legendary aircraft to shows around the country and show a real piece of aviation history. The goal is to educate people about the B-29 aircraft and it’s history and the dream and drive of the human spirit to resurrect this behemoth from a pile of blown up parts to a fully functional piece of aviation history as it rolled off the assembly line in 1945. Doc’s restoration/resurrection was a 19+ year labor of love, sweat, tears, red tape and the drive of the men and women that volunteered an untold amount of hours to rebuild this Iconic warbird. For a more in depth look at the plane and organization that takes care of Doc these days follow this link: https://www.b29doc.com/docs-story/ This image is rather unique view of the aircraft. I interviewed one of the crew. He wanted me to experience the massive wing span of this bird. From tip to tip is about 141.3 feet, so walking out to the edge and looking back at the fuselage is a good 60-65 feet about 20-25 feet off the ground. Just for kicks the fuselage is 99 feet long. From the ground the plane is big, but when you get to climb up top and walk around her you really get a sense of scale. -Enjoy
Michael Bellinger
Michael Bellinger
Michael Bellinger
Michael Bellinger
Michael Bellinger
Vincent Trelut
2019 was the “year of the fighter” at Oshkosh, and indeed there were many combat aircraft in the air and on the ground, particularly fighters and ground attack aircraft. Since I am a warbird fan, I was really thrilled to see the unique North American XP-82 flying. The P-51C Mustang “Lope’s Hope 3rd” was also very elegant, and I was particularly excited on Saturday to watch it flying in tight formation with the Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX, its comrade from the Texas Flying Legends Museum. Both Merlin powered fighters gratified us with very low high-speed passes at tree top level: a hairy sight! In many ways Oshkosh is a patriotic display of American Airpower, both past and present. This is mostly evident with the USAF Heritage Flights, and this year there were plenty. It was very nice to see them fly at twilight with golden clouds in the backdrop, and to admire various formations which included legendary US ground attack aircraft such as the Douglas A-1 Skyraider and the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II.
This year we could also enjoy watching British aviation engineering marvels such as the Fairey Firefly carrier-based attack aircraft and the de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bomber variant, in addition to the classic Spitfire. As usual aerobatics were prominent in Oshkosh 2019. The display of the Twin Tigers with their 2 Yakovlev Yak-55s was astonishing, and on Saturday night I was moved during the graceful performance of Julie Clark in her Beech T-34 Mentor; she announced it was her last show at Oshkosh. Finally, I met again with many friends and since I now live in Japan, I was so pleased this year to make the acquaintance of Japanese pilots, designers, owners and aviation professionals. Thank you, Oshkosh, for being such an aviation world magnet!
Vincent Trelut
XP-82 Twin Mustang
Vincent Trelut
Text by Marc Farb
The Twin Mustang is a unique and amazing aircraft. Like all the war birds that come to Oshkosh to entertain and wow the crowds, this gem is no different and delivers a great performance during the 2019 EAA event. A little history on this special aircraft. The XP-82 was the last American piston-engine fighter ordered into production by the United States Air Force. Based on the P-51 Mustang, the F-82 was originally designed as a long-range escort fighter in World War II. The war ended well before the first production units were operational. The original intent was to develop a long range fighter that could protect the B-29’s on long 2000 mile missions without having to refuel. The cockpits on the early versions of the aircraft were fully functional so one pilot could fly while the other rested. In the later versions the right cockpit was home to radar equipment and a radar operator while the left cockpit was set for the pilot.
The Plane went through a 10 year restoration project that started in the fields of a farm in Newbury Ohio where the plane sat in a pile of long forgotten parts waiting for Tom Reilly who had the vision and secured the investors to bring the plane back to life. The original plan was to have the plane fly in the 2018 EAA Oshkosh Airventure show, unfortunately paperwork and all the safety tests slowed that idea down a bit. There was a separate incident that happened with the failure of a wheel on Tom Reilly’s Tigercat that also prompted another delay but a smart one at that. The wheel failure made Tom change and remake wheels for the Mustang so that same thing did not happen again to another aircraft after being restored. The restoration took an amazing 207,000 hours of men and women over the course of 10 years to get this Warbird ready for Ray Fowler to take the stick as the only certified twin Mustang pilot around and fly for the 2019 show.
Craig Swancy
Larry Grace
Marc Farb
Larry Grace
Jeff Krueger
BEHIND THE SCENES
What was different this time was that I was there for the full week, and was able to spend time not only behind the scenes, but getting to know many of the performers and the really dedicated group of folks that make this air show work so flawlessly, at least to the spectators! I was amazed at the amount of time, effort and attention to detail is involved in an event such as EAA. The coordination between the air show personnel, the airport personnel, the tower personnel, ground operations and performers is overwhelming. Even NOAA and the FAA play major part in making the show go on, providing up to the minute weather and flight safety. Learning all the pieces I never really paid attention to, such as Emergency response teams, flight line and crowd control was really eye opening. Hospitality played a major role in providing welcome to the performers as well as to all of the people involved in the air show, and boy did they do a stellar job. It’s not easy to make so many people happy, but they sure did!
One of the most interesting and integral parts of the behind the scenes operations was the timing of the performers and coordination between the Air Boss, tower and pilots. The briefings were detailed and each performer attended and worked with all of their fellow pilots and ground crew to insure each act knew what to expect. The Air Boss, who is just that, the Boss, saw to it that any questions or conflicts were resolved before anyone took to the air and everyone was comfortable with the timing and schedule. The ripple effect of the timing getting off track can really effect the entire show. As far as the performers, the pilots and their crews, was a really interesting group of people. Completely professional about what they do and totally focused while doing it, but a fun and open bunch of folks as well. I didn’t know what to expect when I first started meeting people I’ve only read about and/or seen in the air. What a pleasant experience it turned out to be. Being an unknown entity to this close knit and highly skilled team was a bit unnerving, but to a person, operations to performers, I was welcomed and to an extent, part of the family. This was a truly exceptional and fascinating experience and gave me a whole new perspective on air shows.
Jeff Krueger
Attending the 2019 EAA AirVenture turned out to be a week that I won’t soon forget. When I lived in Chicago and then later Wisconsin, I attended the show as a visitor almost every year. After moving to Arizona in 2013, I hadn’t been to the event for six years so it was great to have the opportunity to go back.
Jeff Krueger
Jeff Krueger
Jeff Krueger
THE PEOPLE
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Serendipity by Bonnie Kratz
Serendipity is the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. This year’s EAA AirVenture was my serendipity. As a Women in Aviation (WAI) member since 2004, I was pleased to again cover the WAI Connect Breakfast. Following the breakfast, I was able to get some nice shots at the Women Venture group shot. Dr. Peggy Chabrian and Rose Pelton were surrounded by happy aviation women. ISAP member Laura Scherf Spolar was part of the United group that flew in for the day from Florida. Wednesday afternoon I enjoyed airshow with fellow ISAP members, including Caroline Sheen, Gary Edwards, and Craig Swancy.
As WAI media, Team Oracle invited me on a photo shoot set for Friday to cover Jessy Panzer for a WAI story. Serendipity. Friday came with crappy weather. Original plan was for an hour flight shooting both Sean Tucker and Jessy. Plan B…Sean Tucker became photo ship pilot. We flew a 5 minute flight with two orbits with EAA grounds in the back and landed. Sean Tucker…you can be my photo pilot anytime. Serendipity.
Bonnie Kratz
Bonnie Kratz
Bonnie Kratz
One Shot Bonnie!
Bonnie Kratz
by Gary Edwards
Bonnie has dialed back to a few clients in recent years, chief among them the nonprofit Women in Aviation International. An unexpected assignment appeared at AirVenture this year: shooting an air-to-air of Jessy Panzer in the Team Oracle Extra 300 for Women in Aviation publications. This is the inaugural season of the two-ship airshow team in which Jessy flies with teammate. . . Sean D. Tucker.
The shoot was scheduled for the only day it rained after the opening weekend floods. Sean was there to fly the Seneca camera ship. He and Bonnie took time to reminisce about their first air-to-air mission. As always at OSH there was very little time available for the air-to-air mission but the essential preflight briefing was held even if it was on the ramp between showers. Bonnie was smiling as she boarded the photo ship with photographers from two other media outlets. She gave a quick tutorial to one of them who had no air-to-air experience and they launched into the damp gloom. With five minutes of actual shooting over Wittman Field during the afternoon airshow, Bonnie brought back the money shot - it’s crisp, sets the scene, tells the story, and clearly caught the subject’s face. It may not be the last time Bonnie shoots with Jessy.
Gary Edwards
A lot of us know former ISAP Treasurer Bonnie Kratz as “OneShot Bonnie.” Bonnie has an uncanny sense of what Cartier-Bresson termed “the decisive moment” and captures it with deadly regularity and an absolute minimum of exposures. It’s been that way since the day that Bonnie finally convinced boss Jim Koepnick to give her a shot at her first air-to-air assignment for EAA in 2004. She brought back a crisp, stunning shot of Sean D. Tucker, Ed Hammill, and Michael Goulian in an unorthodox formation - Tucker was inverted! The rest is history.
Gary Edwards
Gary Edwards
Gary Edwards
Bonnie Kratz
And The Winner Is? SHOW PLANE JUDGING
Gary Edwards
by Gary Edwards
Crews prepare long and hard for the arrival of the Judges at AirVenture.
Gary Edwards
Access panels are open and features such as folding wings are positioned for the judges to view the workings of the aircraft. And everything is spotless.
Gary Edwards
For those views too high, the judging team brings their own ladder.
Gary Edwards
At the end of the judging the ladder comes in handy for a picture of the crew with the show plane for the awards ceremony. This crew was rewarded with the Reserve Grand Champion: Post-World War II trophy for the Fairey Firefly AS-6.
Marc Farb
Every year in the month of July for the past 50 Years an event Takes Place in Oshkosh, WI called Airventure. This airshow held at Whitman regional Airport in Oshkosh Wisconsin is considered the Mecca of airshows. Any aviation enthusiast knows about Oshkosh in one form or another or has experienced it one or many times. Airventure has grown over the years from its humble beginnings of home built and experimental aircraft, to an event hosting more than 10,000+ aircraft from every conceivable form of home built to the highest tech military aircraft. This eighth day pilgrimage to a small city in the Midwest is done by more than 640,000 people and managed by a group of more than 5500 volunteers. This event has grown and is more than just an eight-day airshow. It’s a world of tradeshow relating to aviation, education at multiple levels with 1500+ classes, flea markets and carnival food, swap meet and airplane sales new and used with the opportunity to come and camp out on site. Now I need to circle back to something real important what keeps this show/event moving like a well oiled machine is the most critical part. The key component to keeping the show moving and operating are the thousands of volunteers that come every year to help out. This is some-
thing that most people take for granted and I don’t think they think about the people that make this event so enjoyable year after year. While there are thousands of people that actually put the show together I took the time to interview just a few that I like to recognize. These are people behind the scenes that you would not even know were there unless you were lucky enough to travel into some areas that you credentialed. However, there is a current theme that each one of these people put forth about their experiences over the years and yes I said years, about what brings them back to the extended family that they call EAA air venture and home in Oshkosh. Each person that you talk to says it’s the people that bring them back each year and many start as teenagers and grow up with the family that they call Oshkosh. While I really wanted to interview many people that volunteer, there are two folks that I admire and feel grateful to be able to call friends. Let me introduce you to Mae Morien and John Ross. And a few images of the other volunteers
EAA AIRVENTURE FLI G H T L I N E OP S NORT H 40 by Marc Farb
Marc Farb
Marc Farb
Marc Farb
John Ross is one of those people that when you meet these largerthan-life and probably one of the nicest people you could ever meet. You can’t miss John driving around the grounds of the airport in his one and only convertible orange BW with the only Bimini top. I’m not sure how he does it but John has more energy that I have ever seen anybody have. He is heavily involved at the north end of the runway but also takes the time to give special tours guests of the airshow gives a little bit of history about the show itself in the airport and manages to keep tabs on his 95+ volunteers that work at the end of the runway. John is been doing the flight line operations as one of the co-chair people for 28 years. When I asked him what exactly does he do his response was I do traffic! He explained in great detail how it’s his responsibility to land inbound aircraft and get them on the grass safely and quickly without incident. This is one of the few runways that can actually land four aircraft at one time. John did say though that there is a bit of a pucker factor in doing so. They deemed it necessary to only do three aircraft that one time Max. And this is landing on the numbers and getting them on the grass as quickly as possible. Now more interestingly about John he’s a pilot and educator and tech junkie. He’s had an amazing career in the military which almost seems like a plan against him when he was a young man and then there’s a whole story to go along with that. But basically by the age of 19 he had already circle the globe three times in the military. After leaving the military he became an educator and still continues to educate people with a radio show about technology that he does locally. John also has a passion for hot air balloons which he is certified to pilot and I believe he has three balloons to his name at the present time. John is an absolute wealth of knowledge and a pleasure to speak with so when you see the guy driving that VW down the runway and have a chance to stop and talk to him say hello and listen to the amazing stories that he has to tell.
t e e M J O HN ROSS
Marc Farb
Marc Farb
t e e MMA E MORIEN
Mae is 88 years young and been volunteering at air venture 38 years. She’s from Stratford Wisconsin and her older daughter volunteered her in 1980. She’s been helping out flightline operations ever since then. While her job is definitely changed over the years essentially, she’s helping to coordinate the people that park the aircraft in the different areas of the runway before during and after the show. Back in 1980 Mae was working as a dispatcher for trucking her daughter was already volunteering for the EAA when they said hey the show was getting bigger and we need more help dispatching planes. Her daughter said “hey my mom can do that!” And so began her adventure dispatching and parking planes at Oshkosh. So for two weeks every summer for the past 38 years she has parked her camper on site next to the building referred to as the shack far end of the runway as the best seat in the house to all the aircraft you can shake a stick at. Now here’s the kicker she doesn’t care anything about aviation, what brings her back year after year are the volunteers that she calls family. Now many of the people that she met as children have grown to become adults and have their own families but every
year come back open the door to the office and say hey mom were home!!!! She told a few stories about different people some of the young men who were Boy Scouts and the became explorers parents never return year after year volunteering their time. Some of the things that she loves or the themed days of the week like silly sunglasses day or superhero day. There is never time to be bored because they have an ice cream social day their appreciation dinner for all of the volunteers and there’s never a shortage of people that come down to say hello and spend a little time with her in the shack. She mentioned that her first year out shack was actually her little pop-up camper before it became an actual building. While the show is definitely changed and grown over the years something that she does miss from the early days are all the pilots used to stop and say hello as they would grab radios to be able to talk to the people in the shack and know where to go. So if you get the chance to go down to the shack at the end of the runway say hello to Mae and her daughter and definitely say hey mom were back!!!!
Salute to World War II Ace Clarence “Bud” Anderson
World War II ace Clarence “Bud” Anderson, a National Aviation Hall of Fame member who was a triple ace during World War II, was saluted during warbirds activities at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
Michael Bellinger
Thursday afternoon’s airshow was highlighted by a reunion of eighteen North American P-51 Mustangs, aircraft flown by Anderson in his “Old Crow” markings during the war were on display as well. The P-51 Mustangs took part in flying demonstrations as part of AirVenture’s “Push to Victory” theme for World War II anniversaries, which also encompasses the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing in Normandy.
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
OpenSky’s M-02J “Mehve” Text and photos by Larry Grace
OpenSky’s M-02 jet-powered glider took to the skies over Oshkosh before the Saturday night airshow. Builder and pilot Kazuhiko Hachiya for the last 16 years, has been working on the OpenSky Project, creating and flying a small single-seater jet-powered airplane called M-02J. The motif of it is “Mehve” that many people want to ride like Nausicaa in Japanese comic/animated film “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.” https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bring-opensky-m-02j-mehve-tothe-us#/
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
TWILIGHT SHOW
Jim Wilson
Vincent Trelut
Michael Bellinger
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Chandler Feagin
Chandler Chandler Feagin Feagin
Gary Edwards
Larry Grace
Larry Grace
Jim Wilson
John Ford
John Ford
Craig Swancy
Jim Koepnick
Vincent Trelut
Gary Edwards
AIRPLANE SILHOUETTES by John Ford
Identify these aircraft. The answers are found next to the Kenyon Gyro Ad.
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Aviation Photography: Post Processing
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ISAP Board Members President and Board Chairman Larry Grace Vice President and Vice Chairman Jim Wilson Treasurer Gary Edwards Past Treasurer Bonnie Kratz Secretary Mike Collins ISAP Board Member George Kounis ISAP Board Member Kevin Hong ISAP Staff Member John Sepp ISAP Staff Member Craig Swancy Chairman Emeritus Jay Miller ISnAP Editor Kevin Hong ISnAP International Editor Mike Green The ISnAP is a periodic publication of the International Society for Aviation Photography (ISAP) and is used to communicate news, functions, convention information, and other information of interest on the local, regional, and national scenes. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and should not be construed as the views or opinions of the International Society for Aviation Photography (ISAP). Please contact us at info@aviationphoto.org, isnap@aviationphoto.org or isappresident@aviationphoto.org ISnAP is a publication to showcase our members work in capturing aviation events. Anytime you have images or would like to inquire on doing an article for ISnAP contact us via email at isnap@aviationphoto.org Images should be sized at 3600 x 2400 @ 300 dpi (12� x 8�) in a landscape format only. Submit up to 10 images per article and submit your text in a word document and email a link by using www.wetransfer.com and send to info@aviationphoto.org (Up to 2GB). You can also submit images for review for a future cover or back page display. If any questions you can email us as well to isnap@aviationphoto.org. We look forward to your submission and to showcase your articles and images.