Favorite Friday photos of 2023

Air Facts popular “Friday photo” features some spectacular views and amazing memories to share with the aviation community. Thank you for those photos and we’re sure the best is yet to come. Have a photo to share? Send your photo and description to: [email protected].

Enjoy these top 5 stunning photos from 2023.

5. Departure from Gastons Airport (3M0), Lakeview, Arkansas – submitted by Serrhel Adams

The Memory: The Ozarks, with the hills, rivers, and lakes, have some of the most beautiful grass strips around.  The long evenings of summer make it a great location for a relaxing flight.

4. Approach into York, PA (KTHV) Runway 35 – submitted by David Smith

The Memory: Summertime brings opportunities for late flying, sunsets, and just beautiful green landscape.

3. Arrowhead Lake in northern Laos – submitted by Dale “Boots” Hill

The Memory: As a Forward Air Controller (FAC) in southeast Asia, it was important to always know where you were and how to expeditiously get the fighter aircraft carrying their bombs to join up with you. We used a lot of terrain features that were easily spotted and widely known by those who flew over that terrain for navigation. Pictured is Arrowhead Lake which is dry because the dam at the far end that had created the lake was blown up, leaving the lakebed in the shape of an arrowhead.  There were other geographical formations, such as river bends, which helped us to stay oriented throughout the region.  There were bends in the river like the “Catcher’s Mitt”, “Spade”, “Snoopy’s Nose”, or the karst that looked like a “Rooster Tail”, and “Road-Runner Lake” among others.  It was easy to get someone to join up with you when you radioed, “I’m about five klicks (kilometers) north of Arrowhead.”

2. Fishing from the wing of a Maule – submitted by Paul Harding

The Memory: Passing time somewhere in the Exuma Cays, Bahamas while on a charter flight.

1. B17 over the Boeing plant – submitted by Chris Schaich

The Memory: We had flown a few rides earlier in the day local to AWO when someone pointed out it was National Aviation Day. Established in 1939 on Orville Wright’s birthday to celebrate all things aviation, National Aviation Day was established by President Franklin Rosevelt. I thought what better than to fly the iconic Boeing B-17G over the Boeing plant to mark the day. Shiny new jets were parked below as the old gal still gracefully flies overhead 87 years since the first B-17 rolled off the assembly floor.

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Air Facts Staff

Air Facts was first published in 1938 by Leighton Collins, dedicated to “the development of private air transportation.” It’s a different world now, and it’s a different Air Facts. Relaunched in 2011 as an online journal, Air Facts still champions, educates, informs and entertains pilots worldwide with real-world flying experiences.

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