Thomas Aircraft Images: Recently Added Galleries and Collections

Office Photos

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:50:51 GMT

Black & White Images

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 03:23:35 GMT

2011 Fort Smith Airshow

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:14:00 GMT

2011 Memphis Airshow

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 03:09:32 GMT

2011 Homecoming

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 01:13:42 GMT

VFA-106 Hornets @ LIT 27 Sept. 2011

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:42:23 GMT

Portraits

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:42:11 GMT

VMA-223 Harriers @ LIT - 22 July

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 01:34:52 GMT

Slide Show

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:34:56 GMT

No. 409 TFS CF-18 Hornet @ LIT 061711

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 00:44:54 GMT

2011 Salute to Veterans Airshow

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:15:05 GMT

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to attend the Salute to Veterans airshow in Columbia Missouri. While the Salute to Veterans airshow is a small show, no where on par with say Nellis, Miramar, or Oceana, it does for a myriad of reasons hold a special place with me.

The airshow really centers around honoring veterans of the US military. The show is held on Memorial Day weekend, and has been every year since 1990. The first year I attended, 1993, the Blue Angels were the headlining act at the airshow. That was also the first airshow I ever shot as a “serious” photographer. I had convinced my dad to lend me his 30 year old Pentax Spotmatic, 70-200 and 28mm lenses. I can still remember that weekend, driving back and fouth from Warrensburg, MO every day and shooting over 30 rolls of 36 exposure print film, boy my right thumb was sore!!!

I can remember staying late on that Sunday afternoon after all the attendees had left (security was a bit loose in those days). My buddy and I were standing next to a USMC EA-6B Prowler from VMAQ-3 which had just recently stood up. The crew walked up and talked with us a bit as they suited up for departure. We literally stood less than 25 feet from them as they started up and taxied out, I think I still have a hearing loss from that day, but it was worth it.

The US Navy and US Marine Corps have traditionally had a good percentage of the presence at the Salute to Veterans due to the Navy ROTC unit at the nearby University of Missouri. I can remember a ramp full of Tomcats, Hornets, Prowlers, and Harriers. The Salute to Veterans airshow is also unique in that it’s one of the few free airshows at a civilian air field today. The entire airshow and ceremonies on Memorial day are funded through donations to the Salute to Veterans foundation. It is truly inspiring to see how a community comes together to honor those who have served and sacrificed for our country.

While I grew up in Kansas City, the Columbia Regional Airport has a “homey” feel for me. I’ve attended the Salute to Veterans airshow many times over the past 23 years, and COU was the first airport I ever flew to on a solo cross country while I was getting my pilots license.

This year, due to some crazy weather and a tragic mishap several weeks earlier with the US Navy’s Hornet Demo Team, this year seemed to lack the usual tempo of previous shows. Patrol Squadron 16 brought a P-3C Orion for static display from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL. The crew brought bottled water and cannned goods to be donated to the victims of the recent deadly Joplin MO tornado, well done War Hawks!!! A rare Supermarine Seafire graced the ramp, as did a MH-60S from HSC-26, along with twin Warthogs from the 442nd Fighter Wing based out of Whiteman Air Force Base.

All in all it was a nice show, if a little slow at times. While those of you who know me might think that the Canadian Air Forces CF-18 demo was the highlight of the show you’d be wrong. About halfway through the A-10 West demo, our 6 year old son was getting antsy, even though his favorite airplane was flying. It had been a long hot day up until this point and the flying had only recently picked back up. My wife in her infinite wisdom handed Noah one of my cameras and told him to start taking pictures like “daddy”. To say it was magical is an understatement to see my son trying to “be like dad” and get some pictures of airplanes. For the first time at an airshow that I was at to shoot seriously as a photographer, I put my camera down and helped Noah find the airplanes and just enjoyed the moment. Sometimes we aviation photographers get all wrapped up in trying to “get the shot”, maybe just maybe every once in a while we need to put down our cameras and just be present in the moment, but I digress.

As I mentioned earlier the Canadian CF-18 put on an awesome demo, and for me was the highlight of the demo’s at the airshow. We had positioned ourselves along the crowd line in such a manner that we were about 50 feet from the Hornet that would be used for the demo. While for me this was the perfect spot to watch and photograph the Hornet start up and go through it’s preflight checks, being bathed in hot exhaust from two General Electric F404 engines was not what my wife had in mind. Needless to say she was a good sport when it was over, and I got my jet exhaust fix that weekend.

While certainly not the biggest airshow in the United States, the Salute to Veterans show has and will continue to hold a special place in my heart, I’m already looking forward to next year. My sincere thanks goes out to all the volunteers and donors that make that show possible every year. My family and I would also like to extend a sincere “thank you” to the men and women who have and continue to serve in our countries armed forces.

Andrew Thomas - June 3, 2011

C-130 @ LIT 050611

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Sat, 07 May 2011 00:47:44 GMT

April 25th 2011 Storm

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:39:22 GMT

2011 Snow Day

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:48:25 GMT

2009 San Francisco

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:38:36 GMT

Helicopters - Military & Civilian

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:45:23 GMT

188th FW F-16's @ LIT, Nov. 2006 - Archive

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 04:28:15 GMT

VMA-223 Harriers @ LIT - 3 Mar 11

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 02:51:21 GMT

AV-8B Harrier Walk Around

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 19:44:17 GMT

Arkansas ANG 188th Fighter Wing "Flying Razorbacks"

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 00:00:27 GMT

The United States Air Force's 188th Fighter Wing (188 FW) is an Air Combat Command (ACC)-gained unit of the Air National Guard (ANG) located at Fort Smith, Arkansas

VFA-14 "Tophatters"

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 03:29:18 GMT

The Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (VFA-14) "Tophatters" are a United States Navy fighter attack squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. They fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet, and are the Navy's oldest active squadron, having formed in 1919. Their callsign is Camelot, and their tail code is NH

VMFA-312 Checkerboards

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 02:35:22 GMT

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 (VMFA-312) is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. Also known as the "Checkerboards", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW)

VMA-223 Bulldogs

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 02:29:57 GMT

Marine Attack Squadron 223 (VMA-223) is a United States Marine Corps fixed wing attack squadron that consists of AV-8B Harrier (V/STOL) jets. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 (MAG-14) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW). The squadron uses "Stone" as its radio callsign

One Man-One Goal

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 02:19:46 GMT

VFA-146 Blue Diamonds

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:44:29 GMT

Strike Fighter Squadron 146 (VFA-146) also known as the "Blue Diamonds" is a United States Navy an operational fleet strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore California. They fly the F/A-18C Hornet and are attached to Carrier Air Wing 14 (CVW 14), deployed aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Their tailcode is NG and their radio callsign is Diamond

VFA-86 Sidewinders

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:39:54 GMT

Strike Fighter Squadron 86 (VFA-86) is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina. Known as the Sidewinders, they fall under the command of Carrier Air Wing Eleven. Their call sign is Winder, tail code is NH, and they fly the F/A-18C Hornet.

VAQ-135 Black Ravens

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:03:29 GMT

Electronic Attack Squadron 135 (VAQ-135) is a United States Navy electronic attack squadron. Known as the Black Ravens, the squadron operates the EA-6B Prowler carrier-based electronic warfare jet aircraft. The squadron is permanently stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, in Oak Harbor, Washington on Puget Sound and deploys as part of Carrier Air Wing 11 (CVW-11) on board the USS Nimitz (CVN-68). The squadron radio callsign is "Thunder". Currently switching to the EA-18G Growler.

2010 Thunder Over the Rock - 9 & 10 Oct. 2010

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 01:45:14 GMT

2010 NLR HS Homecoming

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 02:07:49 GMT

95th Fighter Sq. "Boneheads" Final Flights F-15C Eagle

andy.melody.thomas@gmail.com (Thomas Aircraft Images) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 22:04:29 GMT