Continuing along the aviation theme from my last post, I have made it to some great airshows over the summer. As much as I love flying around in a small plane, I also love the roar of two afterburning jet engines zooming by at nearly the speed of sound. Thankfully I am able to get my fix at a handful of airshows around the country every year. It started off in Louisville back in April, went through Traverse City in July, Cleveland over Labor Day, and culminated in Virginia Beach at NAS Oceana.

The Aeroshell aerobatic team performs in their T-6 Texans

Blue Angels solos 5 and 6 cross in front of the crowd

Combining things I love is definitely a recipe for an awesome time. More than just watching the planes rumble around me, I enjoy going after the "perfect shot" of a maneuver and also taking videos to truly capture the experience. You have to develop a feel for your camera and know exactly when to press the shutter to catch the subject perfectly in the frame. Videos also take practice since panning and following airplanes going over 600 miles per hour and passing right in front of you is harder than it sounds.

If you've brought a camera to an airshow before and have had trouble getting the shots you want, I'll leave you with a couple thoughts. First, a good zoom is always helpful so the bigger the better as long as you have steady hands or the camera has image stabilization. Second, I wouldn't actually recommend a tripod as it can hinder your ability to move quickly enough to follow the planes. Third, try "Sports" or "Action" mode on your camera if your shots are often coming out blurry. Last but not least, use Manual Focus if your camera has this option and set it to infinity to save time by eliminating the auto-focus lag.

An F4U Corsair lifts off at Cleveland's Burk Lakefront Airport

Showcasing the USAF's past and present in the Heritage Flight

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