Some old Reno pics

[Jan]

In the vertical for a formation loop... Note the other jets reflected in my helmet visor.

[Jan]

Formation roll from the slot position....

[Jan]

Joining up after takeoff...

[Jan]

Great shots Neal. Not surprised you used the 50 mm lens. Low and tight is how these teams fly so a close-in, relatively wide-angle lens works.

In the spirit of this cool series of images, I can share a few similar yet different photos taken from a video that was shot of me - I'd rather it was the whole formation than my mug - for International Watch magazine. I've done lots of writing on the Swiss watch world and have pretty good ties with Swiss watch brand Breitling. One of their watches is on my wrist right now actually.

When the Breitling Jet Team was here a few years ago I did several flights with them for video and features in the magazine. It was a terrific experience. And as Neal can attest being in very close formation with that many jets in a small piece of sky and maneuvering creates indelible memories.

Here's a first image taxiing out in the number 5 L-39 at Sun N' Fun with the team. Again, I wish the video cam had been turned the other way but you can see the other jets on the periphery in these shots.

[wingman]

Over the resort area of North Lake Tahoe.

For the photographers here, this was done with a 50mm lens. We were pretty low.

[wingman]

It was that. This is in the Truckee River Canyon over Interstate 80 --- on the way to Lake Tahoe.

[RAD2LTR]

Working for John Tegler also got me into a 45 minute ride with the Snowbirds. Still one of the most vivid experiences of my life....

Now that was an epic flight. Very cool.

Will

[wingman]

Working for John Tegler also got me into a 45 minute ride with the Snowbirds. Still one of the most vivid experiences of my life....

[Jan]

Good old Dennis. I had a feeling. Never got to share a T-6 with him but the HU-16... now there's another story.

It gave me a chuckle when you mentioned him hauling back on the stick when the race started. As you said, you had been to a couple Renos by then... What were you expecting? Just teasing you Neal...

And I'm also enjoying hearing about how Dad got that ride arranged. When I said "greasing the wheels", I was just using an expression. I know very well how he could make some terrific things happen and yes, he was definitely an adventure to be with. Eric, Chris, Mom and I all benefitted from his dynamism and the force of his personality. We had some amazing experiences and opportunities because of him, and not just in air racing.

He also instilled a measure of that adventurism in Eric, Chris and me. Over the years, I've been able to have lots of unique, up-close-and-personal experiences with people, machines, performing and other things in the realms of music, entertainment, aviation, auto racing, sailing, travel, broadcasting and more. Dad's example and my writing career gave me a roadmap for gaining access to worlds and situations I could never have experienced otherwise.

I may not be wealthy... But as they say, I'm rich in experience.

[wingman]

That's great shot Neal. And it makes me smile to hear how you enjoyed Mojave and how Dad helped grease the wheels for opportunities like this air-to-air. Do you remember who was chauffering you in the pace plane?

John did a lot more than grease the wheels in this case. He set the whole thing up. I tried to connect with him each morning, and one morning he just said to go to the T-6 area at a certain time for a pace plane flight. I'd never seen the inside of a Warbird at this time. So they load me in with little conversation or anything and off we go. I shot like crazy, and then got a real shock with the pullup to start the race. Nobody told me about that -- Dennis really pulls -- I was a passenger in a couple of race starts by him over the years and it was always the same. So we watch the race and come on in to land. We taxi up in front of the crowd and Dennis stops, turns in his seat and yells "OK, Hop out". I remember a very long moment standing on the seat, engine running and Dennis and the whole world watching while I tried to decide which foot to step out of the airplane with. You need to step on this little peg stuck on the outside of the airplane, and then do a giant step forward and down onto the wing (with two big cameras swinging from my neck). If you start the maneuver wrong you are fu#ked...

Working for John Tegler could be an adventure.

The pilot was Dennis Beuhn -- many time champion in more recent times. The airplane was the black T-6 owned by Jim Mott.

Neal

[Jan]

That's great shot Neal. And it makes me smile to hear how you enjoyed Mojave and how Dad helped grease the wheels for opportunities like this air-to-air. Do you remember who was chauffering you in the pace plane?

[wingman]

This was at Mojave 1978. My first Pace Plane ride.

[wingman]

Not something I was fortunate enough to do... How did you like shooting at Mojave Neal?

I loved both the Mojave races I got to shoot. By Mojave 78 I had a couple Renos under my belt, and had already been published a bit I think. Mojave was a bit more relaxed than Reno, and the light and angles were very different. I was working for your Dad, so my access was spectacular. John was deeply invoved in everything and talking to everyone. I was also getting to know a number of the players at this point. I knew Kerchenfout, Crocker, Bob Love, Dan Martin, and others through NAG, in the Bay area where we all lived. I was getting to know the Chino people too. I got my first Warbird ride and my first air to air chances at Mojave. I enjoyed Mojave...

[wingman]

77? was there on Lloyds crew senior in high school. 76 had Darryl Greenamyer with famous oxen towed out to pits? Unfortunate mayday by Lyle Shelton

No, this was 1979. My first Mojave was in 1978.

[Jan]

An experiment here. I loaded this pretty big, hoping that a couple of clicks on the image will give a large version and a slider thingie underneath to move across the whole thing. It's a neat lineup of varying sorts of airplanes and vehicles...

It was Mojave 1978, I think.

Great shot Neal - Airplanes: Wally McDonnell, "Cotton Jenny", Jim Miller "Texas Gem" (my favorite F1 at the time), two Dehavilland Vampires (plus a Ford F100 pickup), Dan Martin's "Ridge Runner", Fred Sebby's "Green Machine", "Red Baron" with Steve doing the driving, Clay Klabo's "Fat Cat" and a B-25 (don't remember which one).

Other cars, L to R - International Lodestar short-bus school bus, Ford Fairmont in its glorious inaugural year of production, tug.. don't know which brand..., Ford Granada - what you'd buy if you had more money than the Fairmont required...