Air Classics

[Sailing South]

Has anyone seen the latest and greatest Air Classics?

Ok I’m a little biased but it’s a great magazine.

I remember showing up on Saturday the week before, then waking up Monday afternoon in the back of my truck (a week later) thinking what the hell just happened. It was truly a hard hard week but worth it!

Scott Litster
Bear Tech

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Air Classics

Has anyone seen the latest and greatest Air Classics?

Ok I’m a little biased but it’s a great magazine.

I remember showing up on Saturday the week before, then waking up Monday afternoon in the back of my truck (a week later) thinking what the hell just happened. It was truly a hard hard week but worth it!

Scott Litster
Bear Tech

Scott, I just got mine in the mail when I got back from Nellis, pretty cool.

I think AC has gotten a lot better over the last few years. It's gone from a few full color pages to all full color and nobody can challenge Michael's ability to take a photo.

From what I know of the Bear story, they got it pretty well right and I think it was a darn good article.

No pix of the crew though... we gotta get you's guy's faces out there

Wayne

[speeddemon]

Re: Air Classics

I'll take the critical approach, then, if everyone else is going to talk about how 'great' it is.

While Michael O'Leary has the panache to take great photographs, I think the majority of the pictures in this issue were courtesy of Jim Larsen and his son. And what I noticed was that most of them were taken from the pits or ramp. They looked pretty, but they really didn't show much 'different'. If you were 'there', you could have taken something similar yourself. Air Classics USED to be filled with photos that told the story...mostly shot from the Pylons, or from angles that the ordinary 'Joe' couldn't get.

I do like the color. And while I'm sure it's nice that the pilots get their proper due, I'd much rather see a picture of Howard IN the Bearcat, or Skip IN Dago. I'd rather see a shot of the airplane than the person. There were always more 'action' shots in the 'old days'...even if they were in black and white.

My biggest gripe with Air Classics over the last 10 years is that they stopped telling the story of the races. There is a lot less print 'coverage'. Now (and I'm sure RG is shaking his head at this), John Tegler's writing style was...shall we say, 'creative' at best. But dang, when he used to write the Reno stories for A/C, you KNEW what happened at the Races that year. Ever since Tegler got the boot in '94, all you get is O'Leary's "there I was" mentality, and at best you know who won the Gold race.

Just my .02, I guess....

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Air Classics

Speed, some of the shots are obviously from the pits, it may be that Larsen Jr. is not old enough to get a pylon pass. I know Jim gets them, I was out on 4 with him there last year (won the lottery) for a bronze or silver race I think.

If he and Oleary are trying to "pass the torch" to .Jr. then that might be why they used so many of his shots, if they are his shots.

On telling the story, they did only tell the Unlimited story this time, and Gold at that but did a bang up job of it, if you ask me anyway.

The mag may not be as good as when John wrote for them, but it's better than it was, say in '97-'98 before they had to compete with the Internet for getting color photos out there. They have some nice shots in the mag every month. Shots you can only get if you have the pull and $$ to have a good photo platform for A2A...

Let's say I agree and disagree with ya's.... hey... maybe I should run for president!

Wayne

[Wilnit]

Re: Air Classics

I want to know what store's carry the magazine. I live in the Minden/Gardnerville, NV area and cannot find it. Any help would be greatly appreciative...

[speeddemon]

Re: Air Classics

If he and Oleary are trying to "pass the torch" to .Jr.

I'm sure you'll have to pry that torch out of Guenniviere's cold, riger-mortis filled, dead hand. I doubt 'passing' it is even in his vocabulary. Mike appears to have maneuvered himself long and hard to be in a position to 'take the reigns'...and you don't just give that over once you make it to the top. Not with an ego like that.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Air Classics

I want to know what store's carry the magazine. I live in the Minden/Gardnerville, NV area and cannot find it. Any help would be greatly appreciative...

Will, you could probably find it out in Carson City, dunno if any local stores would carry it there. It's put out by Challenge Publications. They are sort of a "specialty" publisher, not like the "big's" like Time or Life or the others..

Try a book store like Barnes and Noble if there is one locally. It is sort of hard to find. Because of my affliation with World of Wings, I "grew" a subscription to that magazine as well as "Warbirds Worldwide" or "International" (can't remember the title at the moment) which is another of their publications.

Here's the link to subscribe http://challengeweb.com/customerservice.html

Wayne

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Air Classics

I'm sure you'll have to pry that torch out of Guenniviere's cold, riger-mortis filled, dead hand. I doubt 'passing' it is even in his vocabulary. Mike appears to have maneuvered himself long and hard to be in a position to 'take the reigns'...and you don't just give that over once you make it to the top. Not with an ego like that.

Speeder, I've never met Michael but, as have all of us who shoot airplanes eventually will, I've heard, well, let's just say, a lot about him.

I wasn't talking about *him* passing the torch though, I was talking about Jim Larsen passing the torch to his son. As for Michael, anyone who has shot at the pylons knows as well as Air 2 Air (no, I don't think anyone else can "trademark" this phrase since it was coined here long ago <long story, don't ask>,) shooting out there is a world of difference and MUCH harder to do than shooting the relatively stationary subject that an air to air shoot usually gives you...

I'll always remember looking at a fantastic Sue Petersen Air 2 Air shot, the one of the Evergreen Ford and I think B-17 in formo with Mt. Hood in the background that she took from one of their Huey's (flying sideways by the way) and she just looked at me and smiled while saying, like only Sooop can.... "ninety percent of air to air is being there".... quite true, about 90% of the time Soop

But anyway, that aside, Mike Oleary takes some great shots, of that we can't argue... opportunity is a lot of it, reputation helps get opportunity so be it.. as long as the shots get taken and recorded into history, I can only look on with envy every time I see a good Air 2 Air that I didn't take It usually takes a lot of scrambling, being nice, hanging around and mostly being in the right place at the right time to get those opportunities.. It's really up to either your budget, and the good graces of the owner/pilot of the subject plane, or, the really good graces of the subject plane's owner/pilot who sometimes set up the whole deal and away you go... (special thanks to the late Jim Wright for his unselfish sharing of the Hughes Racer Replica)... with that, I've got to go look at the print of Jim and the airplane hanging on my wall and say thanks to a great man..

Wayne

[speeddemon]

Re: Air Classics

Ya know...it is what it is, Wayne! :-)

Need I point much farther than the infamous "Wall of Finger" incident of '98 to put an exclamation point on it, though?

When you can bring your company's personal B-25 to use as a camera plane, as well as a tax write-off, and are more than happy to ace out everyone else...well...as I said...it is what it is. More power to 'em.

GOTTA LOVE 'DIS JOINT!!!

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Air Classics

Speeder, you know I know where of which you come I do state truthfully though, I have never met the man, and he does take nice Air 2 Air shots.....

Bout that personal B-25, if I biotched about that, I'd just be expressing pure jealousy and I don't know if it's actually his or if he has a lease or rental agreement on it... that is, if we are to speak strictly factually....

I will not argue with you that he probably is what he's said to be but... I personally will not jump on a dogpile when I've not had personal experience to generate the issue at hand... now... the incident that prompted the "Wall of Fingers"... I was there for that and if it went down like it sounded like it went down on the radio, where the guy in charge of the shoot, who was Mr. Oleary, aced us all out of our chance at our shot from the ground, that's not playing nice and payback is a not nice thing when what goes around comes around...

But then, I can count a bunch of the pro shooters who are my friends who will not go out of their way to ensure that I personally get a shot, whether or not they would actually steer one away from me is yet to be discovered but, we all know, the food tray is a short one and the smallest hog loses out when there are not enough teets to feed on..

Aviation shooting is probably almost as competitive as papprazzi shooting. Only I think the color of their feeding tray is a lot greener than ours is, there is probably more competition there as well.. but as we see, the list of competitors who can shoot a very good aviation photo grows daily. Are there shooters out there with us now who are very competitive??? Did Soop actually trip by accident when she was getting off the bus a few years ago and broke her kit? Was the foot in the asile a competitor narrowing the field??

I've drifted off topic, slightly, but I guess what I'm doing is probably trying to explain to myself why certain people do what they do.

I've been sat down and talked to by pros regarding the "rules of the road" details of which I will not go into now, here, but I can say that those who violate the rules and step on toes are remembered, whomever they are.. maybe in silence, or in private but they are remembered... I think I, myself have actually passed on the words of "wisdom" that were given me by the pros who were "accepting me into the club" by telling me the "rules" ... whether or not they were accepted with any sort of grace by the recipient remains to be seen...

So long answer short Speeder... we're on the same page, just expressing it a bit differently... or, as they say... never burn a bridge until you cross it.. or is it "until you're on it??"

Wayne

[Gary Osif]

Re: Air Classics

I want to know what store's carry the magazine. I live in the Minden/Gardnerville, NV area and cannot find it. Any help would be greatly appreciative...

Try the smokeshop in the shopping center at the SE corner of Winnie & Hwy 395 in Carson City. They have a great selection and I bet they carry the AC mags.

Gary

https://www.propsracing.com

[speeddemon]

Re: Air Classics

Bout that personal B-25, if I biotched about that, I'd just be expressing pure jealousy and I don't know if it's actually his or if he has a lease or rental agreement on it... that is, if we are to speak strictly factually....

The B-25 "Executive Sweet" was purchased by Challenge Publications founder Ed Schmepf right after it was sirplused from Catch-22. It was actually part of a 3-plane fleet called the Challenge Warbirds, and they made appearances at warbird shows and air shows across the country in the '70's. Michael O'Leary took over Challenge Publications when Ed Schempf 'retired'.

In about 1985 or so, 'ownership' of the B-25 was 'transferred' to an organization called the AAF, which is American Airpower Foundation, or something like that...but all it was was a subsidiary for tax purposes...the plane IS still essentially Challenge Publications "private" B-25. Therefore, they use it as they see fit ('they' being interchanged with 'he', naturally).

So yeah, Guenniviere can use it as a private photo platform, and essentially use it's operation as a tax write-off, because it's a business expense.

Nice job, if you can get it.....

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Air Classics

Nice job, if you can get it.....

RRRRRRROOOOGGGGGGGGEEEEEERRRRRR That... ! Zactly my point tew

Wish I could afford gas/pilot/plane to hire a 172 fer sessions! And that airplane ain't half fast enough to do the job unless the subject is another Cessna...

Can't even imagine what the hourly cost for a -25 is! Been in one on a shoot but didn't get the tail or the open port, nasty plexi, along with some particularly chunky air spoiled any chance of a decent shot. Bout the best I can afford, if I can actually ever afford it, is John Parker and the PhotoSeneca.. and IT'S only barely fast enough with its top door off speed of 150MPH... really NOT fast enough unless you like shooting airplanes with their nose up hanging on the stall.. or jets with their speed brakes out..

Taint easy bein sleezy

Wayner

[speeddemon]

Re: Air Classics

Bout the best I can afford, if I can actually ever afford it, is John Parker and the PhotoSeneca.. and IT'S only barely fast enough with its top door off speed of 150MPH... really NOT fast enough unless you like shooting airplanes with their nose up hanging on the stall.. or jets with their speed brakes out..

Taint easy bein sleezy

Copy that! My very first air to air photo shoot was about 20 years ago. I was crammed--literally--in the baggage compartment of a friends Bonanza, shooting out the rear window. Now, you've seen me...I'm a big boy...don't fit too well in the baggage compartment.

But here is this Bonanza trying to keep up with Bill Haney in the P-51 Ho! Hun, Ray Stutsman in the razorback P-47 "Lil' Devil", a B-25, and a handful of B-17's! Cool...but not fun at the same time!

I'll take the back seat of a T-6 ANY day to shoot from.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Air Classics

I'll take the back seat of a T-6 ANY day to shoot from.

Know what cha mean and they are faster (usually) than a nanza or seneca but IMHO, it's a lot harder to shoot to the side and back in a -6 than out of either of the above.. Problem with the Seneca, other than the tail being in the way, is the exhaust signature apparant on some shots if you're not careful with framing.. When I shot Jim Wright in the Hughes, it was out of their 1953 V-tail with the rear escape window taken out. Worked pretty darn well but we were topping out at about 150-165 and even that wasn't fast enough for Jim to keep the airplane level for me.

The tail off stuff from a -25 would just be an absolute hoot! Not that *IT* is the perfect place to be though.. Once again, you're limited in which direction you can shoot.. the T-6's with the turnable/gunner seat in the rear cockpit would be just about the cats arse I'd think.

Now, if we all pool our resources, skimp on Skippy and buy the store brand for our PB&J's, maybe in a decade or two, we'd be able to buy the AAFO.COM "good ship snappy pop" T-6 photo platform... ewe guys just keep clickin on that donation button, we'll get there, someday..

Wayne