AV-8B Harrier Takeoff 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Hello! Here's a picture that will be a nice wallpaper.
Its a Harrier taking off at sunset. I hope to see some of these this summer!

Here's my guote for today:

"Landing on a ship at night is like a trip to the dentist; you may get away with no pain, but you just don't feel comfortable."

Lieutenant Commander Thomas Quinn, US Navy

F-18C Hornet Cockpit Formation 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

This shot doesn't need a lot of comment. I like cockpit shots and this one puts you directly into action. Imagine yourself flying in a F-18 with your wingman on your left side just above the clouds. Free like a bird!

It reminds me of a quote I found in a book.




"Suddenly the Mach needle...went up to .995 Mach - then tipped right off the scale... We were flying supersonic. And it was smooth as a baby's bottom."

General Charles "Chuck" Yeager, on his first supersonic flight in the Bell X-1.

I will post some quotes from famous aviation pioneers this week...Hope you like it!

Pieter

AH-1W Marine Super Cobra Widescreen Wallpaper

Hello, I will be replacing JT for a while when he's in Europe.

My first post is a closer look at the cockpit of an AH-1W SuperCobra. This twin-engine attack helicopter served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afganistan and in Operation Iraqi Freedom.



The most AH-1W will probably be replaced by the AH-1W Viper which has a four-blade rotor system.

I hope you like it!
Pieter

Leaving For London and Paris

Hi all,

Here's a quick admin update. My wife and I are leaving for our first anniversary trip. We are heading to London and then to Paris. I won't be back until Sunday May 4th. During my absence Pieter has agreed to cover the site and post some wallpapers.

We'll be flying Continental airlines in a Boeing 777-ER. Nice plane. We'll also be taking the Eurostar train from London to Paris. That train does something like 200 mph! I'm really excited and I'm grateful for a wonderful first year of marriage.

Have a great week.

Friday Video: Flight From KPIE St Petersburg International With A Cessna 172 G1000

Last Saturday I went flying locally (KPIE St Petersburg International) in a Cessna 172SP with a Garmin 1000 avionics suite. This was a actually a gift flight from my precious wife for my birthday. How nice is that?

The video is a quick shot of us taking off. You can see some of the avionics panels in the video. Let's just say I was stunned by the G1000. If I ever buy a plane, the G1000 is a must purchase. One feature that made my mouth drop open was the real-time traffic display. This amazing system actually displays other aircraft as white diamonds with direction lines and altitude. It will even announce traffic conflict warnings. At times, I felt I was flying a fighter jet.

Overall, I was quite impressed with the C-172SP. The plane had leather seats, airbags, XM satellite radio, and flew like a dream.

Here are a couple of pictures from the flight. There nothing special, but it gives you an idea of how beautiful Clearwater Florida can be.

F-16C Fighting Falcons Over South Korea 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Here's a nice three-ship formation of F-16 Falcons flying over South Korea. Go Wolf Pack! During my time in the USAF, I never went to Korea but most of the single guys that went loved it over there. Those were wild and crazy days. I wonder if it's still the same.

F-22 Raptor and F-15 Eagle Formation 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Nice shot of the old and new generation air superiority fighters. This shot gives you a great opportunity to spot the many exterior changes between the generations.

F-16C Montage 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Here's a cool widescreen montage I created using a bunch of Photoshop techniques. I think it turned out quite well. I hope you enjoy it!

F/A-18Fs Flying Over USS Harry Truman 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Here's a pair of F/A-18F Super Hornets flying in formation over the USS Harry Truman carrier. The Super Hornet has quickly become the do-all aircraft for the Navy.

B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

As you can tell, I've been enjoying myself with Photoshop this week. I've taken a unremarkable photo of the B-2 and performed some Photoshop magic.

There's beauty in the engineering of all planes, particularly those with Stealth in mind. Enjoy!

Friday Video: EuroFighter Typhoon

The Europeans have built a great fighter jet called the Typhoon. Check out this video to see it in action.

F-18C Hornet Prep For Takeoff 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Originally a shot of the Blue Angels taxiing for takeoff, today's widescreen desktop wallpaper is a Photoshop extravaganza. I've used multiple techniques and I hope you enjoy it.

NASA Space Walk Inspirational Quote 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

I made this widescreen desktop wallpaper to inspire you to greater things. Put it on your desktop and dream big.

MIG-21 Head-on 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

A few years ago I took this shot of a MIG-21 near March AFB in California. It seems somebody was importing these retired fighters from a former Eastern bloc country and then keeping them for show. My first impression was that there wasn't much visibility for the pilot.

F-16F Block 60 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Here's a rare F-16, it's called the F-16F Block 60. The primary customer for this amazing Falcon is the United Arab Emirates.

This baby is fitted with a GE F-110-GE-132 engine that spits out 32,500 lbs of thrust (The original F-16 model engines put out 25,000 lbs).

I took this photo at the 2007 Nellis AFB airshow. The USAF has a few of these to help train the UAE pilots. It's a beautiful plane.

Thunderbirds over NASA Space Shuttle 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Here's a cool promo shot of the Thunderbirds over one of NASA's Space Shuttles in Florida. I've actually been to the Cape and taken the Space Shuttle tour. It's a two hour tour and you get to see a lot (including a bunch of wild animals like aligators and Bald Eagles).

Friday Video: DC-10 Landing on 405 Freeway

I think you'll love this...

C-5 Galaxy Takeoff 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

When you look at the C-5 Galaxy and compare it to what the Wright brothers flew, it's amazing how far we've come in such a short period in history.

As a funny note, do you know one of the nicknames for this plane? It's called the "Aluminum Overcast".

A-10 Gear Up Landing 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Here's a rare picture of an A-10 after an emergency gear up landing at Edwards AFB. I wonder what the pilot was thinking just before landing. Brave!

Overall, it looks like the A-10 didn't take too much damage and should still be flyable after some repair work.

B-1B Takeoff Roll 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Here's the B-1B Lancer on takeoff. One of the loudest aircraft in afterburner that you'll ever hear.

F-16C Formation Flight 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Here's a great shot of two F-16C's flying in formation. They've got travel pods and inert AIM-120s so they're either flying TDY to somewhere or coming home.

NATO E-3 AWACS With F-16s In Formation 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Here's NATO's version of the AWACS in formation with F-16s from Edwards Air Force Base. I saw this aircraft when I was at the 2003 Edwards air show. It's quite an aircraft.

C-5A Galaxy 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

It's one of the biggest aircraft ever built. The C-5A Galaxy is a transport aircraft that has the ability to lift an amazing amount of military essentials. It's also a plane with one of the most distinctive profiles and engine whines. If you hear those engines whining once, you'll never forget them.

AT-6 Texan II Trainer in Formation 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

You probably remember the famous T-6 from World War II. Today's trainer is called the AT-6 Texan II. It's a nice looking plane and I'd love to fly it.

Columbian AS-555 Chopper On Final

Nice cockpit shot of a Columbian naval chopper on final to land at sea. Take a look at that small landing platform! Not only that, but it's also moving. Takes some great pilot skills.