By Ted Grussing
Of mountains and men … volcanic fields and fighter pilots … eruptions and Bad Angel.
I had a beautiful flight today and decided to shoot aligned images of various volcanic peaks of the San Francisco Volcanic Field on the Coconino Plateau. I took this shot from about 11,000’msl E of Kendrick peak (10,418’ msl) looking towards the WSW. From the right foreground is Kendrick Peak, Sitgreaves Mountain (9388’ msl) and Bill Williams Mountain (9,264’ msl). Bill Williams is one of the oldest at about 2,8 million years since last eruption, Sitgreaves Mtn at about 1.9 million years and Kendrick Peak about 1.4 million years old, so in this photo you are looking back from about 1.4 million years to 2.8 million years ago. All in all there are about 600 volcanic cones on the plateau.
I spent a couple of hours up there shooting, starting from, WSW of Bill Williams and then up to the SF Peaks. A fun day and the air was rocking so soaring was excellent too with max lift at about 8oo’ per minute.
A friend sent me a link to the most fascinating story of a fighter pilot in WWII that I have ever read. The story of Louis Edward Curdes, one of the most diverse fighter pilots of the war, flying P-38’s in the European Theater and P-51’s in the Pacific Theater. He received two Distinguished Flying Crosses. He is one of only three fighter pilots to have shot down enemy aircraft of all three members of the Axis of Evil, Germany, Italy and Japan … and the only one credited with shooting down a USA transport aircraft and he received his second Distinguished Flying Cross for shooting down the USAAF C-47 which coincidently was carrying his girlfriend on board. They later married. So on his P-51 nick named BAD ANGEL his kills represented by the national flags included 7 German Aircraft, 1 Italian, 1 Japanese and 1 American.
It is a fantastic read (not long) and you can read it at: http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?topic=318273.0
Like how many people can shoot down the plane carrying their girlfriend, be decorated for doing so and then marry her. He was born in 1919, retired from the USAF a Lt. Col. In 1963 and passed from this life in 1995.
We’re into the weekend, enjoy your family and friends … smile a lot and keep breathing … back Monday morning
Ted
The green of all the fields is mine, the stars, the night, the wind at play,
A peaceful heart, while quietly
I go my way
— 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.
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