New York – My First Visit to the State

Syracuse, New York.

I’ve been to many states, but before March 2018, a trip to Boston brought me to the only state on the east coast I’ve visited north of Washington DC. An opportunity to visit Syracuse New York for volunteer Civil Air Patrol (CAP) duties would be my ticket to visit a new (to me) state. The image above is one of my first views of the city of Syracuse while on landing approach to Syracuse Hancock Airport. In the United States, Aviation research is increasingly turning to unmanned aerial systems for flight assignments. Civil Air Patrol is helping in the transition as many current Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have limited visibility for their pilots on the ground.

Advertisements

Cellpic Sunday – 12 August 2018

Syracuse, New York.

This week’s Travel Tuesday post tells of an early spring trip to Syracuse-Hancock Airport in New York. It was my first trip to that state and the purpose for my trip is featured there. Today’s cell pic is a teaser. Both of these planes are Civil Air Patrol (CAP) aircraft. The gray Cessna on the right is a veteran and the reason for the color is described in that post. With that, I’ll leave you guessing.

Fargo Airsho – Blue Angels In Flight

Fargo, North Dakota.

As an aviation enthusiast, I’ve always enjoyed the performances of our military flight demonstration teams. For many years, the Blue Angels have flown in Fargo at an event known as the Fargo Airsho (sic). The air show features many more performers than the Blue Angels, though. Between the jet powered biplane, the Army’s Golden Knights Parachute Team and many other acts, the show starts in the morning, but the Navy’s featured demonstration team doesn’t start until around 3 PM.

Cellpic Sunday – 1 July 2018

Albuquerque, New Mexico.

It was morning over the Rio Grande. The air was relatively still, though we couldn’t tell sailing above the terrain, the hot air balloon riding along with whatever wind pushed us along. One year ago today, our Albuquerque Steiner family reunion concluded its three-day celebration. When in the balloon capital of the world, it’s not a bad idea to get a bird’s eye view of the area. Regular readers may recall my collection of images from that experience. You will find it here.

Weekly Photo Challenge – Place in the World

Someone once said, “A mile of highway can take you a mile, but a mile of runway can take you anywhere.” It wasn’t until I was 48 years old when I discovered I had a place in the world, a place in the sky, actually. This week, Erica V. asks us to share our place in the world. She writes, “Where do you belong? In the hustle and bustle of a big city or amongst friendly faces in a small town? For this week’s challenge, show us your place in the world.” You can see her entire challenge post here.

Cellpic Sunday – 6 May 2018

Pelican Rapids, Minnesota.

This week’s Cellpic Sunday is a few hours late. This weekend we had a SAREx, a Civil Air Patrol term for a Search and Rescue Exercise, a rehearsal for when our wing might be called to prosecute a missing person or downed aircraft search. As a result, I was a bit busy last week in the planning stages. What does that have to do with the above image? Nothing, actually, other than being my excuse for not having this posted already.

National Museum of Nuclear Science and History – The Story of the Atomic Age

Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Warning – If you don’t “science”, you won’t like it here. OK, so maybe that’s a little strong. Museum fans with a bent toward science will find this place fascinating. After all, what self-respecting science nerd wouldn’t love to attend the Einstein Gala. As this is being published, it’s only a few days away. What goes on at the gala? Here are the details straight from the museum’s website:

The Einstein Gala is New Mexico’s biggest science party of the year! This prestigious black-tie event is the Museum’s most important fundraising event and features a cocktail reception with an amazing silent auction filled with the most unique items in Albuquerque, a delicious dinner experience among some of the most brilliant minds in science and history and thrilling entertainment featuring science experiments that will knock your socks off!