Introductions

[radiokaos]

Small world I grew up in Glenview and went to GBN for a few years.  I miss that base.

Figured I should probably put something up here.

I spent the first 8 years of my life in a neighborhood at the north end of the runway at Palwaukee Municipal Airport in Wheeling, Illinois and woke up every morning to the sound of Learjets and Cessnas buzzing by outside my window.  A few miles away was NAS Glenview, where the USMCR KC-130s and USNR P-3s were my first exposure to military aviation.  What fascinated me the most as a kid was the F-104 that used to be suspended from the ceiling of the Museum of Science and Industry.  (It's now hanging from the ceiling of an aviation museum in Kansas). 

While I've been a lifelong aviation enthusiast, I am new to aviation photography, picking it up in May of 2008.  I've learned A LOT since then and am looking forward to learning more.  Prior to photography, I did quite a bit of work as a historian, lecturing on the history of OV-10 Bronco backseat personnel at the OV-10 Bronco Museum in Fort Worth, contributing an aircraft history on OV-10D BuNo 155494 to the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, donating some flight test footage I had in my personal archive to the Museum of Flight in Seattle, working on a continuing audio history project in which I digitize and restore cockpit audio recordings submitted to me by veteran combat pilots, and having a case study I wrote on the acquisition of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet published as an appendix to Col. Walt Boyne's Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, and Why back in late 2003.  While photography has taken the front seat in terms of my passion, I look forward to continued projects in aerospace history when and where time allows. 

As far as photography goes, I'll shoot anything that flies.  My preference, however, is for military aircraft under their own power, whether they are starting up, taxiing, taking off, landing, or just flying by.  I feel blessed to live in a state that offers such a diverse richness of opportunities to photograph aircraft in these various states and I look forward to taking advantage of it as much as I can. 

[radiokaos]

A little about me.  I have been living in the Valley for over 20 years.  I did my undergrad at ASU main, and I'm still working on my Masters at ASU poly in Emergency Management.  I started up a communication company providing radios to Aviation, Public Safety,and the Military back in 97.  I provide radios to several big events.  I started working with air shows about 6 years ago and my first ride was in a single was a T-6, at the Reno Air Races.  I fell in love right then and there.  I got my PPL back in 07' and fly my Diamond DA20-C1 to air shows in the S.W.  I have a couple of air shows in the midwest as well as the Southwest, and I would love to pick up some skills shooting stills.  I do enjoy shooting video as well.  I am a total amateur but I want to learn more. 

[scottcolbath]

Guess I should toss up a little something.

Originally from Massachusetts, I've been in Az. for almost 20 years. The first time I saw the Thunderbirds was at Hanscom AFB. I was probably ten years old. I've had a lasting fascination/curiosity with aviation ever since. I used to bring my son out to Sky Harbor a lot when he was young, and also I used to live right over by Scottsdale's airport, so I spent a good deal of time out there. There were several times when F-18s would come in to Scottsdale to refuel or stop over. You always new when they were coming or going.  I can't count the times I've stopped and/or turned around the car to catch a look at an aircraft taking off or landing. It never gets old.

I also had the good fortune to spend an entire day once, on the John C Stennis carrier. That was amazing. You would not believe how close we were allowed to get to the active catapults. It was a day to remember for sure. I'll have to scan those pictures and post them up.

Currently, I'm shooting with a Canon 30D and a couple of decent lenses. I plan on upgrading to a 7D or 1D soon, depending on finances.

I hope to meet you guys soon.

S.C.

[Joe Copalman]

Welcome guys.  Sounds like you both will fit in just great.

[Starblade22]

Hello everyone, another newby here.  I was initially referred to this stie while at the Heritage Flight Conference this year.  It was great to meet Joe and some other members of this board and FC this past week while photographing arrivals for the DM airshow - what a great time!  I have also been on FC for a few months.  I have been photographing aircraft at airshows for some years on my own, and have been using Canon DSLRs since 2006.  Anyway, I look forward to posting with and meeting more of you and improving my skills while contributing images that you will enjoy.


Edward

[jslugman]

Good to meet your Ed, looking forward to your images.

[Ramp Rat]

Here we go, post #1!

My name is Ben and after a little bit of legwork I've successfully joined the AzAP community (Thank you Matt and Dave for the help!).

I've lived in the Valley of the Sun since 1997 and have been an aviation nut since I was old enough to say the word 'airplane'. I work on the ramp at Sky Harbor for US Airways, and while it isn't a bad job (it pays the bills), it is really more just a job to keep me around airplanes while I get my ducks in a row for my career ambitions.  Oh, and flying for free is a plus!

I graduated this past December from ASU's aviation management program.  I possess a private pilot cert with instrument rating and am a newly accepted pilot for the Civil Air Patrol Sq. 305 at Falcon Field.

As for photography, I didn't pick up my first dslr until about a year and half ago (February of 09, to be precise), so I've only been at this photo thing a little while compared to probably most or all of everyone else here.  However, I absolutely love photography, and aviation photography is my biggest passion outside of actually flying airplanes. (If I could get paid to fly an airplane and take pictures of them at the same time, I'd be in heaven). 

Thanks!

[Joe Copalman]

Welcome aboard, Ben!

[phantomphan1974]

I too just found this thread.  My name is Damon and I am married and live in the South Bay about 15 miles south of Downtown LA.   My Dad got me in to aviation by taking me to the Chino show back when I was like 3-4 (1977-78) and also to Miramar and Pt. Mugu.  I think I started taking pictures in mid gradeschool with a kit built 110 camera.  I used my Dad Canon AE-1 when I got older and up until 2001 when I could afford my "own" camera, Elan 7. (think this is why I am an Canon guy)  I shot film and then met Joe Cupido and he got me into slides and help me to hone my photography and be an answer guy for me.  Sidenote, he got some great air-to-air stuff out there and also wrote the book "Chino" of you can find it.  My wife has help my passion by providing me with some of my equipment over the years.  I also love classic muscle cars and have one myself.


I have pretty much taught myself the photography and also benefitied from getting to know photographers such as yourself and we all help eachother out.  I have shot all over So Cal and frequent LAX sometimes as well and VNY and try to make the local airshow or visit local warbirds.

Josh Nyhus and myself started www.apsocal.com a few years back as Aviaiton Photographer of Torrance, then changed it to AP of Southern California and we have grown to over 150 members.  I was invited to join you guys after meeting Joe, Matt, Dave and other AZ photogs at photocalls and also on trips to DM for Phancons.  Its nice that we can all help eachother out whe traveling to each others state and that our websites complement each other as do our members that have signed up on our website and vice versa.

[Matt Ottosen]

Damon, it's great to have you here, and we really appreciate all the help you gave us when we decided to launch AzAP (almost a year ago)!  Thanks again, and I look forward to shooting with you sometime soon.

[jslugman]

Welcome Ben!

Nice ride Damon!

[Chris Kennedy]

Hi all.

My name is Chris Kennedy and I have just joined the group. I have only lived in Arizona since last November (2009). Previously, I spent 19 years in San Diego. I am a retired computer database analyst.

I've been taking pictures of airplanes on and off since the mid-60's, but still consider myself a rank amateur. I'm hoping to learn a lot from this forum and the expert members. I met some of you yesterday (Saturday 8/28) at Gateway, but wasn't sure then which of the photographers there were members here.

Since, I'm a retired guy with a limited budget, I can't afford fancy photo gear like I saw yesterday. My camera is a Canon PowerShot SX20 IS.

Mostly, I have been shooting at Deer Valley Airport, since it is the closest to me. I used to hang out at Montgomery Field in San Diego a lot when I lived near there and took many photos there.

I have mostly been posting on Airport-Data.com, with a few photos on Picasaweb, and a handful on Flickr.

I'm looking forward to meeting others of the group at aviation venues around the area. I'm currently planning to attend the Coolidge fly-in in October.

My two online photo URLs are:

http://www.airport-data.com/photographers/Chris+Kennedy;3318/
http://picasaweb.google.com/ChrisKennedy92
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52882109@N07/

There are quite a few of my old shots on the A-D site that I scanned from slides, so sometimes the quality is not the best.

[David Loera]

Welcome to the group Chris, I am from SD also.

[jslugman]

Welcome Chris, glad to have you on-board.

[Chris Kennedy]

Thanks, guys. Hope to meet you in person somewhere down the road.