
Friday photo: upside down smiles over Arkansas
Friday PhotoWith full parental consent, and a long discussion with my granddaughter, Maddie, of expectations, we got to go for our first aerobatic ride together. I think the photo shows how much she loved it. I will always remember the end of the flight when she said, “paw paw SA, can we do some more?”

Friday photo: If pigs could fly
Friday PhotoMaule beached at a popular tourist atraction in the Bahamas along side some pigs—one of the many fun moments during an 11,000+hr commercial seaplane career!

Friday Photo: forest fire off the wing
Friday PhotoJim Yares took this photo while flying his Cirrus from Buchanan Field in Concord, CA, to North Las Vegas, NV, via the famous “Trona Corridor”—a VFR path cut through the Edwards Air Force Base complex. This is a great way to get from Northern California to Las Vegas without going high over the hostile mountain terrain of the central Sierra Nevada.

Friday photo: half cuban eight
Friday PhotoHalf Cuban Eight with a 1 1/2 roll over Springdale, Arkansas.

Friday photo: knocking off the rust in the practice area
Friday PhotoBeautiful skies in the local practice area in a 45 degree steep turn. 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.

Friday photo: Niagara Falls for the solar eclipse
Friday PhotoFlying the family to Niagara Falls to see the total solar eclipse. My fondest memory is my 7-year old son shouting, "That's amazing! Oh my gosh! How are we doing this?"

Friday photo: two Boeings
Friday PhotoI 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.

Friday photo: When I grow up, I want to be…
Friday PhotoOn the ramp at Charlotte Monroe Executive Airport (KEQY)the morning after the 2015 Warbirds over Monroe airshow, seeing my airplane parked next to this beautiful warbird, I could almost hear it saying, “When I grow up, I want to be …”

Friday photo: DC-6 “autopilot”
Friday PhotoInflight demonstration of the DC-6 “autopilot”. It’s actually a Playtex glove which was rubber-banded to a cold-air eyeball outlet near the control wheel. The geometry was perfect and the glove mimicked the yoke movement. The dishwashing glove actually pulsated given the uneven airflow from the vent.

Friday photo: flying up the Tyndall Glacier
Friday PhotoOn a bucket list flying adventure to Alaska, I cuaght this image flying up the Tyndal Glacier at the head of Icy Bay. There are too many memories to describe. The entire experience was surreal!

Friday photo: herding checks in southeast Asia
Friday PhotoAs Forward Air Controllers (FACs), we often supported supply convoys coming up the Mekong River to deliver food, fuel, and ammo to the people/defenders of Phnom Pehn (Papa-Papa), the capitol of Cambodia. The bad guys would lie in wait for the convoy and then attack it with heavy weapons.

Friday photo: Ocean City, Maryland in the winter
Friday PhotoHaving grown up in Maryland, flying over a resort that I have been to many times by driving, was great to see it from the air and longing for summer to come.

Friday photo: Islands in the Sky
Friday PhotoAn 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.

Friday photo: Flying north over Puget Sound
Friday PhotoOn the final stretch of flying over Washington on this five-leg day covering almost 700 nm at 84 knots. Earlier that morning we had left from Central California flying through Oregon to arrive at Orcas Island.

Friday photo: The Silver Hawk – 1981 Cessna 172P
Friday PhotoThe Silver Hawk, a 1981 Cessna 172P, was the ONLY Skyhawk painted silver to mark the Silver (25th) Anniversary of the venerable Skyhawk. Taken over Lake Fork, Texas, the 40+ year-old ORIGINAL paint still reflects the December afternoon light well.

Friday photo (video): Corsair startup and wing unfold
Friday PhotoWhile waiting for the meeting to start, the CAF towed a Corsair out of their hangar and started it. Of course, all the Daedalians came outside to watch (and to listen to) this beautiful aircraft start up.

Friday photo: Dollywood Theme Park, Pigeon Forge, TN
Friday PhotoDollywood Theme Park, Pigeon Forge, TN while heading home after a $100 (well $200, actually) hamburger over Thanksgiving weekend and a beautiful fall day.

Favorite Friday photos of 2023
Friday PhotoAir 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].

Friday photo: Departure from Gastons Airport (3M0), Lakeview, Arkansas
Friday PhotoThe 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.

Friday photo: Breaking out from a low IFR departure
Friday Photo
The view: Low IFR departure just prior to dawn
The pilot: Douglas Cole
The airplane: King Air E-90
The mission: Transporting company personnel to a job site in Lewiston, ID with several stops on the way.
The memory:…