Florida Sun-n-Fun Photos

[AAFO_WSagar]

Here's a few shots from the old trusty Nikon D1.... (who says they are obsolete!)

It was EXTREMELY windy today so the schedule was pretty lose, as were the grains of sand and anything not tied down!

Didn't shoot much, but here are a few. Will try to keep up and give a few each day but internet access is spotty at best for me on this trip.

Images one and two: There are a GAGGLE of T-28's here!

Image three: A familiar sight for anyone who has a mustang rating. Crazy Horse

Image four: You don't have to own a horse, but you do have to be crazy! Biplane wingwalker.

Images five and six: Mary Dilda in action, she either forgot to turn on the smoke, did not want to waste it on the very small crowd or, it didn't work.. I caught my ride out and away from the wind before getting the chance to ask her... And.. Mary's sporting a new set of flyin duds this year..

[Roger Cain]

Re: Florida Sun-n-Fun Photos

Nice pictures Wayne, Looking forward to more, from those of us that can't make the trip........Roger

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Florida Sun-n-Fun Photos

Nice pictures Wayne, Looking forward to more, from those of us that can't make the trip........Roger

Thanks Roger... I managed a few, though, I had two problems. One, very difficult internet arrangements and almost no time to get on the computer.. I guess three problems...... My Nikon D1, which gave me grief at Reno in September, for which I paid Nikon just over $700. to repair.. apparantly never really got repaired..

I only shot with it at Nellis after the "repair"... it seemed to work ok there, though, I did not really look at the images until recently when looking for some POTW shots.. I did notice some of the minor problems that were apparant before sending it in... though it never totally let me down as it had at Reno..

Well, here in Florida, it not only went into the same fits that it did at Reno, it finally, totally died..

On, of all things, AN AIR TO AIR MISSION IN THE RED KNIGHT T-33!!!

More on this later, I'm going after Nikon with a vengence, I want a new camera anyway, but, I would like to have gotten something for my $700. that I paid to get this one fixed..

I did manage quite a few shots, though the air to air is totally ruined.. I've not had time to look at any of that shoot on the computer but, from what I can tell, the shots of the other T-33 that was the photo plane (I was in the Red Knight, the subject) were all garbled. I will post a crop of one that looked like it might have at least the right side of it OK to show you what NIKON caused us all to miss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes I'm darn mad! I managed to "malletize" it again, as at Reno and get some use out of it but on my one "paid gig" today, shooting for a client, it went totally bezerk and would not work at all for the second half of the session.. Luckily, I have a little Fuji P&S (Point & Shoot) and since the work is not for a magazine, I, hopefully, will get away with the smaller image files from that shoot... but..

MAN.... I'm ticked!!!!!!!!!!!

More on this as it develops... Way I look at it, Nikon can make good with me and get some decent ink out of it, and keep me as a customer. I worked a bit with a Nikon D2H at SnF and I think I may buy one.. depending on whether or not Nikon decides to stand behind their $700. repair on a camera that I originally paid over $5,000. for!

I baby my equipment and, it should have lasted longer than this! Never been dropped, nary a scratch on it and the sucker just goes south...

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!

I'll be back in PDX tomorrow, will have a limited amount of time on that day to go through some... I have to finish the project for my client so I can earn my fee and get some $$ toward.. maybe... a NEW CANON!!!!!!!!!

ARE YOU READING THIS NIKON AMERICA!

Hah! Not good to mess with someone with an "audience"...

Good ink?? Bad ink????

Which shall it be..

We will see...

Wayne in Tampa, gonna get about three hours of shuteye, catch the early flight back to PDX!!

[Leo]

Re: Florida Sun-n-Fun Photos

"Take them out and shoot them"

General Dreedle

If you want to borrow it Wayne, I have an old (1973) Minolta SRT-201 I still shoot with. Totally manual, it's been dropped numerous times, washed, soaked, dipped in sand and dirt. It still takes great shots, but it takes three hands to run the apurture, focus and zoom, and film is soooo expensive...
Give em 'ell and keep the great pic's coming!


Leo

[T. Adams]

Re: Florida Sun-n-Fun Photos

Boy, I know you gotta be pissed.

But if you listen to the voices in your head real close, I bet they are wispering, "Buy a Canon, Buy a Canon".

[Peashooter]

Re: Florida Sun-n-Fun Photos

"Take them out and shoot them"

General Dreedle

If you want to borrow it Wayne, I have an old (1973) Minolta SRT-201 I still shoot with. Totally manual, it's been dropped numerous times, washed, soaked, dipped in sand and dirt. It still takes great shots, but it takes three hands to run the apurture, focus and zoom, and film is soooo expensive...
Give em 'ell and keep the great pic's coming!


Leo

Leo: I have a 1972 SRT-101. Salt water, fresh water, etc. etc....still a great platform. But that film stuff!!! Its photos have been published in three magazines and one major newspaper.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Florida Sun-n-Fun Photos

LOL guys! Just walked in the door up at the Beer Nazi's, man, it's gonna be great to see her again!!! (she was gone for a week, then I was gone for a week!!!!

On the blind drive thing... after (ahem) having killed a taxiway light with the "rental car from hell" two years ago, let's say, I was a bit ahh.. aprehnsive... but then, after a few beerz, blind golf cart flying can be a real hoot!

Camera front.. yep, I'd like to get the Canon 1dmkII REAL bad.. But.. $$ might well be the deciding factor. I can walk away ready to shoot for about 3k if I go D2H, no glass swapping, quick look at the manual and I'm rolling.. If I go with the mkII... we're about at $4100, JUST for the body, then I have to sell all my Nikon glass, rebuy new glass... and become decidedly BROKE!

Made a few pennies yesterday on my day long shoot at Stallion 51, but... I'm WAY short of being able to jump in on a mkII and they have yet to ship at last check.. which means, even if I had the bux, I'd still be out, prolly a month or three.. June's right around the corner, which means.. PRS.. gotta have a working unit before then and, I never know when someone might ask me to work for them at whatever show might come up between then and now...

It's going to be a tough decision but I looked at another shooter's 2H and the images were pretty nice.. 4mp to be sure, versus 8mp... it's gonna be a tough decision!

REAL TOUGH!!

Great seeing you again Tyson, thanks for the backup! What a hoot a week at an air show in Florida can be ey!

Umm.... I'm hungry for some RIBS!!!!



Wayne

[Roger Cain]

Re: Florida Sun-n-Fun Photos

So this is one of those trusty Nikon's I've heard so much about? $5700 for a camera that doesn't work, ouch. I think for now I'll just have to stick with my Canon and film, having recently spent my money on lifting my truck for some serious camping. Priorities, ya know.

Glad to hear your Stallion 51 shoot went good, too bad about the others. Still looking forward to seeing some more pictures............Roger

[AAFO_WSagar]

The Agony!!!!!!!!!!!

So this is one of those trusty Nikon's I've heard so much about? $5700 for a camera that doesn't work, ouch. I think for now I'll just have to stick with my Canon and film, having recently spent my money on lifting my truck for some serious camping. Priorities, ya know.

Glad to hear your Stallion 51 shoot went good, too bad about the others. Still looking forward to seeing some more pictures............Roger

Well, this one was totally reliable up until last September.. It's sort of funny (not in as ha ha) a former associate also has a D1, bought used, treated his like it was a brick, scratched, dinged, it had the shutter go out, which happens.. and his, as far as I know, still shoots fine.

Mine was bought new, treated with extreme care, never dropped, hasn't a scratch or ding on it.. fluke??

Anyway.... here's a shot of the AGONY of it all... you can tell fro the content of the photo, I missed a GOLDEN MOMENT!

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Florida Sun-n-Fun Photos

Interesting thing about the failed Nikon, a bit of a "rap" on the case and it would shoot as well as always... well, as well as I can shoot it anyway

Here's a few of the survivors...

Image Information:

1. One of two (there may have been more) Canadiar versions of the familiar Lockheed T-33's that were at Sun n Fun. This airplane served as the photo plane for a journalist from Italy who was shooting Chris Rounds and myself in "The Red Knight for his upcoming story

2. Chris Rounds flies his Canadiar T-33 Silver Star Mk 3, "The Red Knight". This airplane was "campaigned" on the airshow circuit by the late Rick Brickert prior to the loss of Rick and the Pond Racer at Reno.

3. P-51 "Geraldine," last year's Eastern division Rolls-Royce, National Aviation Heritage Invitational winner.

4. Another shot of the beautiful "cammo" T-33 Silver Star Mk 3 owned by... well... I do remember his first name, Paul, who flies for a national carrier in his "other job" (I apologize Paul if you read this, shoot me your full name via email!)

5. Another shot of my host at Sun n Fun (also my "boss" ) Chris Rounds in his Red Knight T-33 Silver Star Mk 3. I actually did "work" for Chris at the show, both as promotional photographer and, as it turned out, as somewhat of a "crew chief" as Chris had no one else to do the "job".. it amounted to, one, being there, also as "watchdog" to ensure that Chris was not too terribly distracted by all the details... ensuring that his step was up and locked, ordering fuel, smoke oil, and fetching, whatever was needed... like WATER... ! FUN!!! I even got to completely wipe down the airplane one morning when it was covered in dew.. actually quite entertaining!

6. Hummn... a shot of the Russian Navy's Flight demo Team's ... ahh... L-39, Blue... err.. Red... ahh... angel???

7. Yet another shot of Chris Rounds in the Red Knight T-33 Silver Star Mk 3... It's great to see this airplane back on the airshow circuit! Watch for much more from this energetic new performer!

8. So you think you could fly a Mustang? One of my assignments at Sun n Fun was to provide photo documentation of two guests of Rolls-Royce who were going through the "quick course" at Stallion 51 under the tutalage of Lee Lauderbach. Here we are watching the debrief, which consists of discussing the manuvers performed by the guest pilot (yes, YOU get to fly Crazy Horse!!!) Wonderful video quality and Lee is a FANTASTIC instructor and host! If you have any thoughts of doing this, and the budget to go, I STRONGLY urge you to give yourself the treat of a lifetime! It looks like an absolute ball!

9. One of several pristine (I mean PRISTINE) airplanes that are housed at Stallion 51.

10. One of the fliers getting ready for the flight of a lifetime at Stallion 51!

5.

[Roger Cain]

Re: Florida Sun-n-Fun Photos

That's too bad Wayne, as I know I'd be sick to my stomach to have that happen. It would appear that that is one of those 33's with the camo paint scheme. I like that scheme on them, it's interesting..........Roger

[Roger Cain]

Re: Florida Sun-n-Fun Photos

It would appear that you posted at the same moment I hit the Submit button. The pictures you just posted look good. Are those air to air or ground shots. With these digitals and their zooming ability, you almost don't need to be in the air to get good pictures anymore. I check out Doug Fisher's digitals from his shows, and they all look like air to airs.........Roger

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Florida Sun-n-Fun Photos

That's too bad Wayne, as I know I'd be sick to my stomach to have that happen. It would appear that that is one of those 33's with the camo paint scheme. I like that scheme on them, it's interesting..........Roger

Rgr that Roger.. it is one of the Canadian Armed Forces (their new name apparantly) Canadiar T-33 Silver Star Mk 3's that have been sold over the past few years.. From what I heard, the Canadian government put a LOT of money into these airplanes just prior to coming to the decision to sell them off.. So, for about 60 or 75k, you get an airplane that has just been almost completely overhauled (I think I heard that the funds sunk into them was in the range of 700k!) Nice deal!! Then, you have to be able to afford 400gph down low and about 135gph up high.... Not a cheap way to go but.. man.. WHAT A RIDE!!!!!!!!!!

I am no longer a virgin... I've been upside down more than once... and I did it in a REALLY fun airplane!!!!!

As for being sick to my stomach.. Well.. it really rolled off like water on a duck.. Yea... I guess it did make me a bit... off.. (not as much as the 90 minute flight in the Red Knight ) but.. I guess I've had about everything happen to me that can happen doing this stuff... Lots of disappointments over the years, a few triumphs.. You really do have to get used to "stuff" happening...

Tough part is, I have known for a while that I need to upgrade my camera.. I have been "putting it off" until I can afford it, or, earn enough via a barter agreement to get a body out of the deal.... (will probably not happen)....

I think, I'm going to get a Nikon D2h, hope that Nikon can fix the D1 and then keep it as a backup in my bag...

Wayne

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Florida Sun-n-Fun Photos

It would appear that you posted at the same moment I hit the Submit button. The pictures you just posted look good. Are those air to air or ground shots. With these digitals and their zooming ability, you almost don't need to be in the air to get good pictures anymore. I check out Doug Fisher's digitals from his shows, and they all look like air to airs.........Roger

Roger, they are all ground to air, with the exception of the distorted one. There is NOTHING quite like air to air... It's really where the fun factor comes into all of this.. Shooting from the ground ceases to be fun after a while, at least, at air shows. It's always fun at Reno, provided you are able to get close to the action..

Shooting from another airplane, particulary when the doors, or windows are off, or canopy slid open, is what I live for! High adventure at its best!

Wayne

[AAFO_WSagar]

Speaking of "Rides"

Thought you might get a chuckle out of this one...

We did have a very nice Nisan Xtera Enterprise rental car... (plug intended for Enterprise, they were good to us!) but...... our main "ride" was Chris Rounds and Carl Kirkpatrick's "airport car" that they base at... (are you reading this Carl........ Gainsville FL)...

It has, shall we say, a "slight" suspension problem...

The air suspension on the rear axle leaks down... sometimes when you are driving! Since the Xtera was in use on the day I had to go to Kissamie <sp?> for the Stallion 51 shoot, the "crusier" (trust me, I had another name for "her" and it started with Sh.... and ended in bucket!) was my ride.... Richard Vander Muellen happened to be on hand and used my very reliable Fuji Fine Pix P&S (which saved my butt by the way on the Rolls-Royce shoot!) to capture this image of me in my "other ride of a lifetime!"

Wayne