… what better way to start a new day than to head to the airport and be treated to a low pass by our latest and greatest military aircraft. Two F-35’s made an appearance this morning and did several low passes before heading back out and returning to their home base. To learn more about the F-35, click here.
The shot above shows them coming in for a pass down runway 3 … they had their “scoops” open which are intakes for the fans used in vertical or STOL operations … check out the huge blast coming down from the aircraft as it travels down the runway … click on the link above to learn more how this is integral to the operation of the aircraft. I was on A2 near the north end of the field shooting the sequences and each time they passed almost directly over me I was introduced to sound such as I have never heard in my life … pure pain … but what a rush! Ear protection next time.
In the photo you are looking down runway 21 … traveling in the opposite direction it is runway 3. Runways are numbered by the compass heading and drop the last digit. Runway 21 means that the direction of travel is 210 on the compass rose and the reciprocal is 30 on the compass rose, drop the ten and you have runway 3. The yellow signs you see going down the runway are access markers where you can enter or leave the runway and go to the taxiway and travel to whichever ramp you are going to.
The image below shows one of the F-35’s with the scoop retracted and banking in front of Wilson Mountain and coming around for another low pass down the runway … awesome beyond belief!
If you live in the Sedona area, the sound they generate most likely drew your attention to these magnificent machines … awesome is the only way to describe them … give thanks to all those who serve in the military and the job they do to keep us safe.
Into the weekend for me and the plan is to be back Monday morning. Have a wonderful day and weekend … smile … keep breathing and be kind!
Ted
And though age and infirmity overtake
me, and I come not within sight of the castle of my
dreams, teach me still to be thankful for life, and for
time’s olden memories that are good and sweet; and
may the evening’s twilight find me gentle still.
excerpt from A Prayer by Max Ehrmann
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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com
In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.
Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses. By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.
More about Ted Grussing …
10 Comments
Magnificent as they may be in appearance they are for war and killing. They are also military and belong on military bases not small town airports or completely disrupting the state and national parks we have!
A Bald Eagle is magnificent to see in flight not a killing machine. You may have been impressed with them but I’d hardly class them as “magnificent “!
A bald eagle is absolute a killing machine!! What do you think the razor sharp beak, daggerlike talons and fish-hunting, mouse-spotting eyesight is for? Sightseeing?
Any eagle that isn’t a brutal killing machine is a dead eagle.
Oooh Ahhh! But not here! Go to an airbase and see an air show if you like that kind of noise! We do not need it here!
There is zero need for these aircraft doing training over Sedona, especially hovering at low speed over housing like they did!
I was standing outside on my bridge to my entryway watching them fly by. My bridge started to vibrate from the noise as they passed over. I haven’t heard a jet that loud since I worked at SFO airport and the 727’s would take off.
Jim
a bald eagle cannot crash into housing or businesses and kill dozens or hundreds of people.
Any pilot including Ted G. will tell you that low and slow/hovering maneuvers are the most difficult to perform for pilots and lead to malfunctions and crashes often.
I know you’re likely a M’erican “Payidiot”who likely never served and you love your rights but not the rights of others and you like noisy vehicles, shooting animals with AR-15’s and other unnecessary BS but some of us happen to like Sedona as a quiet place to retire.
As I have stated YOU can move to a military installation community that has an airbase on it and enjoy that noise 24-7!
I did my time on bases and overseas in combat and want to enjoy some peace and quiet now!
These extremely loud and low flying military jets have no place in Sedona, especially flying so low over our residential areas.
https://youtu.be/5pyDNOxbb-Q
F-35 crashes!
Thanks for your opinion John! Don’t forget the squadrons of fast attack helicopters that are also creating unnecessary noise over Sedona as they stop by for Brunch and expensive fueling at the airport.
Two A-10 warthogs flew into and out of Sedona today sans any hot dogging for the cameras, and without endangering the community! Kudos to them! That’s how it should be done and they also did so quickly but quietly- amazing how that can happen even though they still should not be landing at the Sedona airport unless they have an in flight emergency or are engaged in a real world mission requiring their presence in the area NOT training exercises adjacent to here which is where they should be doing their refueling and tactical maneuvers!