favorite photos 2024
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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 10 most popular photos from 2024.

10. Forest Fire Off Wing – submitted by Jim Yares

The Trona Corridor provides a safe and easy VFR route at 9,500 ft through the southern Sierras and it’s a great way to get from Northern California to Las Vegas without going high over the hostile mountain terrain of the central Sierra Nevada. It’s named after L72 Trona Airport which lies at the eastern end of the gap.

forest fire

9. Half Cuban Eight – submitted by Serrhel Adams

Brady Brooks has graduated with honors from high school.  He financed his private pilot certificate while in high school.  He has been accepted into the Air Force Academy.  We could not think of a better way to celebrate his accomplishments than with a bit of aerobatics on a beautiful spring day.

cuban eight

8. Two Boeings – submitted by Chris Schaich

I had been flying local ride flights from the FBO ramp with a Boeing 737 BBJ parked close by.  During a break between rides, I was admiring the two aircraft from the same manufacturer. Their vast differences in design and function, yet commonality of mission and operation at a basic level.  The BBJ a symbol of wealth and style owned by an unknown owner aside this humble Stearman that was once owned by a well-known hotel brand Barron.

two boeings

7. If Pigs Could Fly – submitted by Paul Harding

Maule beached at a popular tourist attraction in the Bahamas alongside some sunbathing pigs—one of the many fun moments during an 11,000+hr commercial seaplane career!

seaplane on beach

6. Islands in the Sky – submitted by Ruffin Benton

Angel Flight Soars in Atlanta called Friday. An eight year old boy was stranded in Cincinnati after a hospital visit and requested my assistance. There was a CAVU forecast Saturday from Asheville to Cincinnati and back to Atlanta then Asheville. I departed at 1410z to the northwest from Asheville. Mt Mitchell at an elevation of 6,684 feet pierced the cloud deck, creating the illusion of an island in the sky. But in spite of its majesty and grandeur, it was not the high point of the flight. “ I have the controls,” said my young patient/passenger/copilot. My heart soared. He is on the way!

mt. mitchell

5. Dollywood Theme Park – submitted by Duncan Witte

Dollywood Theme ParkPigeon Forge, Tennessee over Thanksgiving weekend and a beautiful fall day.

dollywood

4. Knocking Off the Rust – submitted by Chris McGonegle

I remember initially practicing this maneuver over a decade ago with my instructor (Cory) and learning how valuable pitch trim is during the maneuver. That was a big help practicing the maneuver again all these years later.

steep turn

3. RNAV Approach at Cumberland Regional – submitted by David Smith

Conditions and visibility kept changing due to haze. Density altitude at CBE was over 3,000’ and, with airport elevation at 775′ and the mountain straight ahead, I decided to go missed and fly to the alternate of MRB (Martinsburg, West Virginia).

rnav approach

2. Niagara Falls for the Eclipse – submitted by Alexander Sack

Flying the family to Niagara Falls to see the total solar eclipse. I remember my 7-year old son shouting, “That’s amazing! Oh my gosh! How are we doing this?”

niagara falls

1. Wild Broncos Over Laos – submitted by Dale “Boots” Hill

Somewhere over Laos in late 1972, I was ‘sandbagging’ with another Nail FAC.  Sandbagging consisted of riding in their backseat logging time, but also providing an extra set of eyes watching out for bad guys shooting at us as well as monitoring/answering the five radios that many times all came active at one time!  We had joined up on another Nail FAC to get briefed on the area over which we would be operating.  The Nail FAC we were relieving had been highlighting suspicious activity or else handing off targets that were still viable.  When the briefing was over, this Nail broke away on his way home and you can plainly see the two rocket pods and the 230-gallon centerline fuel tank slung under his fuselage.

ov-10 bronco

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