USAF F-16 West Coast Demo Team salutes the crowd before takeoff
Captain Russ T. Piggott is the Commander and Demonstration Pilot
A special thank you to all of the uniformed men & women for their service to our country
F-16 taxis out in front of the crowd at Rocky Mountain Airport
Very fast/quick rotation provide serious pitch angle right after takeoff!!!
F-16 Viper going vertical on afterburners
Condensation is due to high angle of attack - this is even more impressive given Colorado's very low humidity
A high-G turn to the left with the burners lit
More Turnin' and Burnin'
Captain Piggott kept the burners lit for a good part of the show - yea!
I had noticed the overhead crescent moon earlier and hoped this shot might happen
The F-16 was wayyyy up there (0.16 & 0.32 seconds later) - next time a little lower please Captain Piggott! ;-)
USN F-18 Super Hornet West Coast Demo Team on takeoff
Passing over the Rocky Mountain Airport in front of the crowd
Backseater hanging out - just another day at the office! ;-)
F-18 Super Hornet going vertical
Pulling a hard right turn
Note only the left burner is lit plus right nozzle hasn't opened up. My brother (a former F-15 pilot) says sometimes they both don't light at the same time, although this persisted for several seconds which he said is a bit unusual.
3 seconds later - at least one stage of the right burner has lit & nozzle is starting to open
Taxiing in front of the crowd after landing
A great show - thanks WAPO & FLAMER
Lee Launderback's WWII P-51 takes off
Gear was coming up as prop spin captured by intentional slow shutter speed
Lee landing back at Rocky Mountain Airport after flyby with the F-16
I had filled my camera's memory card, so didn't get any pictures of that - D'OH!
US National Acrobatic Champion Patty Wagstaff taxis out
Which way is up?!? ;-)
I had switched to slow shutter speed and snapped this too early - D'OH!
Yaw'ing to the right - note rudder position
And then switch feet to yaw to the left
Patty's hair has a bit of yaw also
Patty lands and taxis by the crowd
And even gives 'em a wave as she passes in front of the F-16 Viper
We had arrived as the B-25 did its last flyover
Which then landed with the Colorado foothills in the background
Martha Jean passes in front of the crowd
B-17 fires up her rotary engines
Closeup of Sentimental Journey
Denver skyline behind the B-17
Zooming in with the 100-400 telephoto
The B-17 was actually back-taxiing on the main runway here
B-17's nickname was the Flying Fortress
When taking off, the B-17 just "floats" off the runway
I missed an earlier flying demo by Roy Halladay's T-33
My friend Dave and his son Jeffrey in front of the CU Buff Plane
Nice looking flight crew goes with that plane!
