I was worried I wouldn't be able to get out of bed on Saturday.
This wasn't good cause I had the opportunity to shoot an airshow this weekend, and with aircraft being one of my favorite photography subjects, I had to find a way.
Earlier in the week, I had my annual Flu vaccination and this time opted for the nasal mist. Fast forward to Thursday and I could barely function. Headache, fever, sore throat..... I was a mess.
Saturday rolled around and I didn't feel great but pulled myself out of bed and headed out to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, unloaded my gear, flashed my "Media" pass at the gate, headed for the press tent to find a place to drop my bags, and slump into a chair to catch my breath.
You can do this.
This is fun, remember?
U.S. Air Force F22
The weather over the weekend was pretty crappy. Defiantly not the best for photos, and nothing compared to my last show. That said, while the schedule of performances was a bit light, those that did failed to disappoint. First off was the F22 demo where the U.S. Air Force's top of the line fifth generation fighter was put through its paces. Think what you will of the costs and all the production issues which have plagued the program over the years, but the Raptor is an amazing piece of machinery. I've been lucky to spend some time around the F22's during my career in the Air National Guard but I'm still amazed and impressed when I have the opportunity to watch one of these demos where the aircraft is put through its paces.
I spent some time after the F22 Demo walking around checking out the static displays. Lots of cool aircraft to see but one thing that caught my eye was the Red Bull skating demo. These guys were lots of fun to watch and an opportunity to shoot something I hadn't before.
Saturday capped off with the U.S. Navy's Aerial Demonstration Team, the Blue Angels. I've seen them quite a few times now and I'm still so very impressed with their performances.
Saturday was for me to go shoot but Sunday was for the family. Raquel and I took the boys in the afternoon to see the static displays and to view the Blue Angels performance. The boys gravitated to the helicopters, checking out the cockpit of a Blackhawk and the interior and guns of a Chinook. After those, we found a nice spot to watch the Blue Angels perform and again they didnt disappoint. Robert and Christopher were so excited by the show, much more than we ever thought. Christopher just screamed with joy after every pass and Robert was so impressed he had to go get autographs after. He was sure to tell each pilot "I really like how you fly." Funny Kid. Christopher, when asked what his favorite part was said, "When the planes go upside down!"
Before we left, we surprised the boys with a couple Blue Angel F/A18 toys. They were so excited and took off "flying" them throughout the crowd. Both boys clung tightly to them throughout dinner and even to bed.
It was a fun filled weekend. I'm thankful to be feeling better, shoot some decent pictures, and spend some time with the family.