Air Show is Upon Us!

Along with the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day weekend also brings the annual Jones Beach Air Show. Once again, the roar of jets and the rumble of piston engines will fill the skies over the Island. The first participants will be arriving at Republic Airport in the next few days, preparing to thrill the crowds at the beach. The show seems a bit light this year, without the USAF Thunderbirds, who are off to Europe, or the F-22 Raptor, on a safety-related stand-down from performances. Instead, we'll just have to make due with more warbirds. The flock from the American Airpower Museum will be joined by "Yankee Lady", a B-17 that is a frequent show participant. This year we will also be treated to "Fifi", the only B-29 flying in the world. "Fifi" returned to the skies last summer, and this is her first visit to Long Island in seven years.

Coinciding with the air show is the US Navy's Fleet Week in New York City. A fleet of naval vessels will be joined by fighter aircraft, helicopters, and thousands of sailors. An early arrival for Fleet Week is the only flying replica of Eugene Ely’s 1911 Curtiss Pusher. The aircraft is touring the country to celebrate the Centennial of Naval Aviation, and is spending some time at Floyd Bennett Field.

In Light of Recent Events

On Location - Republic Airport

Republic Airport was the setting last month when a television film crew shot scenes for a new show. "Pan Am", a pilot episode for a series about the life and times of the flight crews of that storied airline, filmed at the airport in early March. To set the scene, a restored DC-7 airliner was flown up from Florida, spending nearly two weeks on Long Island.



No, you aren't seeing things - that airplane says "Eastern Air Lines" on it. Those are the original markings of the DC-7, in which it was restored. As part of the Hollywood "magic", temporary Pan Am markings were applied to the port side of the aircraft...





For filming, the ramp at Republic acted as a stand-in for Cuba, circa 1960, with the Pan Am aircraft and crew flying refugees out as Castro came into power.



The Airpower Museum's C-47 even got a "walk on" role...







After two all-night filming sessions, the DC-7 headed home.

April Fool!

Yes, it's been more than a month since I've posted here. No reasons why - well, no good reasons why...

I have been staying busy, between job search and photography, and waiting for Spring to arrive. We did get some great news recently. The American Airpower Museum is safe! Its location near one of the runways at Republic Airport placed it in updated FAA Runway Safety Zones, and it was under the threat of being torn down. The FAA originally said funding was available to rebuild the hangar, but three years ago reversed that decision. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Senator Charles Schumer, Congressman Steve Israel, other officials, and museum staff, the FAA agreed to not require the demolition of the museum's historic hangar, and has changed its course on the question of funding, now saying that airport funds will be available to the museum. The details still need to be worked out, but the museum is safe. It would have been an unspeakable tragedy to lose this magnificent piece of American history.



Josephine Raichele, who helped build P-47 fighters during World War II in what is now the museum hangar, with Senator Schumer and Congressman Israel following the March 21 announcement.

It's Race Day!

It's a sure sign of spring - even though it is cold, windy, and we are expecting a little snow here tonight - but warmer weather is on the way. Today, race season starts, with the running of the Daytona 500. It means that winter is coming to an end, that longer days and warmer temps are just around the corner. And it means only 112 days until the Pocono 500. It will be here before we know it!

And good luck to Long Island native Andy Lally, making his first start in the Daytona 500!

Some Spotting Weather

After a January that saw bitter cold weather, and a record for total snow fall, we finally have a break. With temperatures pushing into the 50s, and clear skies, a spotting trip was called for. Yes, it was windy - the gusts almost matched the temperature, but nothing was going to spoil the afternoon.









A couple of years ago, while out spotting, I sarcastically remarked "I must have seen every JetBlue airplane today!" That got me to thinking. New York is the headquarters for JetBlue, and they have extensive operations at the city's airports. Maybe I did have photos of every JetBlue airplane. Well, not quite, but I was a good bit on the way to getting the whole fleet. Checking fleet lists online, they have operated 175 different aircraft to date, including about 20 that they sold to foreign airlines. Turns out, I've now captured all but 6 of their aircraft - including all the transferred airplanes. I've had this one for a while, but today I caught it with new tail colors.



And today even featured a short, very positive, visit from one of Nassau County's Finest.

Enough Already...

The snow that fell overnight set a record. This is officially the snowiest month in history on Long Island, and it's not over yet.







We've run out of places to put the snow...


Let's hope for some warmer weather, and an end to all this snow.