Author: JAF

Home The F-20 Tigershark was an enhancement to the export fighter F-5 E/F and was initially designated as the  F-5G.   It featured a new single General Electric F-404 engine, modified wing, advanced radar, and fitted with a digital avionics cockpit.  At the time is was compatible with other light weight fighters but at a more…

Home The Glade Creek Grist Mill is one of the most photographed images from West Virginia in the world.  On my recent trip to the Appalachian String Band Festival, I took the time with brothers and sister to visit this historic site.   In my early years working at my parent’s photofinishing business, the images of…

Home On this day of June 14, 2024 my original plan was to attend an air show in Columbus Ohio.  Unfortunately, things happen in life and the trip to visit with my brother and see the Thunder Birds was canceled.   With a planned day off from work, I decided to have an aviation day at…

Home A celebration of the solar eclipse with family and friends happened in Dublin, Ohio on April 8, 2024.  Up until the day of the event there had been predictions of light to heavy cloud cover with the anticipation that we may not see very much.  So happy that the weather forecasters were very wrong. …

Home Another annual air show that I enjoy attending is held each summer at the Dayton International Airport with various world class entertainment, excellent static displays, and vendors from the aviation industry.    The photos shown here were taken at various shows. 

Home Photography started with me in a time where images were captured on rolls of film using cameras such as a Kodak Retina III and a Pentax ME Super.  It was a starting point and allows me to appreciate digital photography.   The photos shown here are what I was able to recover from a box…

Home A very good Father’s Day weekend spending the day with my brother at another air show.  This time we attended a show being held at Rickenbacker airport south of Columbus, Ohio.   The weather was overcast with the temps on the cool side in the morning but warmed up by afternoon.   Going on Friday proved…

Home I have made multiple visits to the Kennedy Space Center with each time being treated to new exhibits and seeing some remarkable views such as in 2010 when the Space Shuttle Discovery was on the launch pad ready for its final flight.   Besides taking the bus tour to the Saturn V hanger and seeing…

Home My uncle and nephew are retired from the Marine Corps and served during the both serving our country .   during the Koren Conflict and Operation Iraq Freedom respectively.   Always appreciate what they did and I get a great understanding of the Corps as well as history of the United States when touring this excellent…

Home Air shows are just events that I enjoy but this time it was much more challenging than in the past.  When attending these shows I have learned to bring a chair, make certain that I have a clear memory card in my camera, I have the camera battery, and some snacks and water.   All…

Home This was a last minute trip with my grandson as I had promised him a visit to this museum.   He enjoyed seeing all of the artifacts and I did my best to keep quiet and let me just absorb what he was seeing.  

Home This was a hobby of mine during middle and high school that was shared with very good friends.  We created layouts that were displayed at 5 model railroad shows and did pretty well each year regarding judges.  The photos here are from the recent show held at the local fairgrounds.    And from their website : …

Home A Star Wars fans slice of heaven!   Traveled with my family to experience going to a “Time Long Ago … In a Galaxy Far, Far, Away” where you really felt like being on another planet.   I kept looking for Luke Skywalker but settled on seeing Storm Troopers.   We were able to experience all of…

Home From their website: “The B&O Railroad forever changed the course of the city, the nation, and even the world. At the B&O Railroad Museum, visitors can step directly into history as they discover the story of American railroading. For it was here that the First Stone of the railroad and the nation’s first mile…

Home Spent some time at the workshop of Schreiber Autotharps as Greg did wonderful work on updating my Orthey Autoharp with new strings, felt, a new key of “A” lock bar, and general cleanup and repair. It looks brand new. Greg allowed me to take the following pictures of his workshop which included a review…

Home While visiting the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio took a side trip up to Wapakoneta, Ohio the birthplace of Neil Armstrong the first man to walk on the moon.  This is the location of a museum dedicated to him with artifacts from his aviation days.  Besides the Gemini VIII capsule, there was hanging on a…

Home My photo excursions generally means taking my “good” DSL camera and the supporting lenes with other equipment.  This has the “two headed” issue of bringing this to take what I hope are good pictures but having to carry all of this around.  I’ve not masted the art of “stitching” nor to have the camera…

Home Charleston’s Yeager Airport and the West Virginia Air National Guard’s 130th Airlift Wing celebrated their 70th anniversary with an air show on Sept. 30, 2017 and featured flying demonstrations, aircraft displays and tours, and rides aboard World War II-era aircraft. The air show included several examples of aircraft associated with the airport during its…

Home The afternoon of April 1, 2017 became of day of great joy and sadness as the last in a series of workshops and concerts sponsored by George Orthey came to a energetic end.  This final event, in what has been many years of promoting the artistry and methods for playing the Autoharp, was conducted by Lucille Reilly and attended…

Home In 2024 the last of these air races will no longer occur.   It is sad that this has happened but with the recent incidents and, my understanding, that cost to sponsor and pay for the insurance for this event has become difficult.   The following are images that I took at my one and only…

Home I was able to attend the last great gathering of “Mustangs & Legends” which was the last time more than 75 types of the North American P51 Mustang WWII fighters, their famous pilots, other aircraft from that era, as well as modern military came to this air show on September 28, 2007 at the…