Thursday, February 11 — In at 7:04. Processed pictures all morning. Returning from the water closet, I saw two Horizon crew looking out the west lobby window so I joined them. It was a C-17 on final to Runway 4. Returned to the office, IMAGINING it was going to park across the airport at Standard Aero, but when I returned to the lobby a few minutes later, I discovered it had parked at the terminal. It had come to retrieve the Sikorsky VH -60N and other gear from the 183d ANG hangar. I put on my coat, took my cameras and moseyed over to the closest fence. The view was sub-nominal for the 17 but prime for the United Express/SkyWest Canadair CRJ-100 that was loading passengers. Soooo I photographed it for awhile. A Falcon 50 with Canadian registration (maybe a bird Standard Aero across the airport had worked on) taxied to the end of Runway 4 and took off. Phot’d him. The view of the 17 was still sub-nom, so I walked to the other side of the terminal and found the view just fine, despite having to photograph through openings in the hurricane barricade — fence if you prefer that term. Took a bunch of pics. As he taxied away, heading for the distant start of Runway 4. I raced as fast as I could back to the other side of the terminal. With my bad legs from a fall a few years ago, I could not run, but I can durn close to it for awhile. There was a very real chance the 17 would commence takeoff before I arrived. I’m lucky I didn’t have a bleeping heart attack . . . . . .and I had to phot through the barricade again, knowing prospects of ONE decent picture from the parking lot side of the fence were SLIM, but those were the cards I was given today, and I was determined to do my best. Results were FAR FROM OPTIMUM, but I was happy to get a few NOMINALs and one OPTIMAL. Treated myself to a Terminal Subway sandwich and savored half an hour recess from the computer for reading and repast. Spent the rest of the day processing pictures from Thursday’s semi-close encounter with Globemaster EYE-EYE-EYE and finished about 6:00. Posted a few on Facebook and went upstairs to work in Process Room and worked until 8:30. White primer painted B-36 wings in prep for Arctic red out board the engines. PROGRESS; this bird is taking forever! Also worked on YB-49 and Sea Vixen. Good progress. Headed home at 8:35. Day rating: A.
Pictured below are the birds photographed February 11.
Abe Lincoln's Air Force 