Planes of Fame High Country Warbird Air Display 2009

[Joe Copalman]

We had a great time up in Valle yesterday.  I went up with Boyd (leaky_tiki) and Matt Ottosen and met up with AzAP members Joe Kates (photorecon), Dave Budd (dbudd), Vance (wingsnstuff) and his wife Susie, and Rich Reeder, as well as Fencechecker tbunce.  POF had several of their aircraft available for rides, including two P-51s ("Spam Cam" and "Wee Willy"), an F4U Corsair, a Japanese Val replica, an O-1/L:-19 Bird Dog, and their Ford Tri-Motor.  Their B-25 "Photo Fannie" was also at the museum, but did not give any rides while we were there. 

The flying was absolutely fantastic with the pilots really giving their riders their money's worth and putting on a great show for spectators and photographers. 

On a personal note, this was the most challenging event I have ever shot.  Pretty much every flight included a series of low-level passes over a dirt taxiway maybe 25 yards from the crowd line.  The P-51s routinely passed by at well over 200mph, which demanded extraordinary panning skills.  It was a great workout, but the garbage-to-keeper ratio was much higher than I would have liked it to be.

All in all, it was an outstanding event with a good turn-out and plenty of opportunities to shoot high-performance warbirds at close range. 

[photorecon]

Steven Hinton  flying the P-51 Spam Can @ the 2009 POF show  Valle,AZ.

[Matt Ottosen]

We had a lot of fun today, and the flying was awesome!  It was too bad the P-38 couldn't make it, but we did have two P-51s and an F4U!

Here's an AzAP exclusive photo, you will not find this photo posted anywhere else!

North American P-51D Mustang "Wee Willy II"

[leaky_tiki]

Show-off!  LOL  Great Photo Joe!  I nominate this photo as a candidate for the next photo of the month.

[leaky_tiki]

Ford Tri-Motor from Planes of Fame "High Country Warbird Fly-In" in Valle, Az.

[CJPalmer]

I looks like it was a great time up there. You all have some amazing shots. I wish I could have made it up there like I was hoping. I can't believe that I missed the F4U, I have never seen one fly.

[Joe Copalman]

Awesome shots, everyone.  

Here's another shot of "Spam Can"

[photorecon]

Love that shot Joe.

[Joe Copalman]

Right back atchya, big guy. 

[photorecon]

This is the exit shot of the P-51 posted above the guy in the rear is still holding the camera trying to get a shot.

[photorecon]

Even more P-51 action.

[photorecon]

F4u- For you.

[Joe Copalman]

Joe, I think the guy was using the video function on his digicam - I've been looking on YouTube to see if anyone has posted video from this weekend, but the best I could do was a guy who flew earlier this month:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-LVqPInU50

Awesome shots.  That Corsair shot is amazing.

[leaky_tiki]

Spam Can

[Matt Ottosen]

Spam Can

Very nice, Boyd!