Picture of the Week

Banner Pickup

Just a few weeks ago, we were wondering what happened to sky writers and ad banners – and why they so rarely show up in "POTW" entries.

Vincent Czaplyski of Exeter, New Hampshire was apparently thinking the same thing – but instead of sitting around the house wondering, he grabbed his camera and hit the pavement.  The result was this fetching photo fromHampton Airfield in Hampton, New Hampshire.

This Is Not a Tea Cup!

Chris Andrews and sonPierre Andrews of Prevessin, France had us turning our heads wayyy to the right – and then back to the left – with this intriguing perspective shot.

As you’ve probably guessed, it’s a composite of several shots, all taken at the Monial Air Balloons Meet in Chambley, France.  Pierre (the photographer) had plenty of balloons to shoot because this gathering was part of an attempt to break a record for having the most inflated balloons in a line.  According to Chris, the official count at this attempt was 261 balloons – with another 150 or so on the field.  (Say, Chris – how did you guys do with the record?)

Oh, and just in case you haven’t fallen out of your seat looking at all the pretty balloons yet, Chris tells us "I am the piloting the green/red/yellow balloon just behind and to the right of the Volvo balloon."

The Crew

Oh, we’re going to hear from readers for sure this week – running two digitally manipulated photos back-to-back is sure to bring in some comments, but how could we resist?

John Karas of Greenfield, Wisconsin snapped this shot at AirVenture, but used a sepia-tone filter and a little grain to give it "an authentic ’40s look."  And man, does it look great on the screen!

Alaskan Ingenuity

Dale Gardner of Smithfield, Utah asks, "What you do with your pickup after the rear-end goes out?"

Even after seeing the photo, you may find yourself at a loss for an answer.  Don’t sweat it.  Our "POTW" copy editor puzzled over it for half an hour before Dale eased his mind with this explanation:  "It would be [an] easy [question] for those you [who] live in Alaska and hang around float planes, but for our desert-going types, I had to ask someone. The lift is used to move float planes from ground parking to the water."

("Ahhh," says our "POTW" editor, feeling a little less clueless.)

Warming the Bear

John Meyer of Kirkland, Washington writes, "The weather at the 2002 Reno Air Races was very cold.  This shot was taken as theRare Bear was being warmed up to do battle."

Hmm – it’s interesting how many great pictures we’ve seen from the ’02 Races … .

Diana Sunday of Sonora, California "apologize[s] for the quality of this photo, but I had just enough time to grab the camera and click before I was called upon to provide the ‘thrust’ for my granddaughter Marissa’s first check ride."

No apology necessary, Diana – we’ll gladly let a little duty to the future of flying get in the way of a good "POTW" opportunity.  Besides, just imagine the photos you’ll be sending us when she’s 16!

John Willis of Morwell, Victoria (Australia) takes us down under to the home of Gippsland Aeronautics, where the Gipps team "recently rolled out the 100th copy of the GA8 Airvan eight-seat utility aircraft."

Rob Fox ofRob Fox Photography did the honors on this beautiful sunset shot.

Stoney Truett of Cayce, South Carolina found inspiration in last week’s deHavilland Beaver photo – so it seemed appropriate to let him close out this week’s edition of "POTW" just as Derich Hofmann and Chris Marshall didlast week.

"Many of us rarely get to see one of these beautiful aircraft at a time," writes Stoney, "but I was fortunate enough to visit a fishing lodge in Alaska where this was a main mode of transport. This is their fleet at sunrise."