Yesterday morning, we launched from Manassas for a day of aerial shooting in Virginia and West Virginia. The subject was an engineering project for a Fortune 100 annual report. We started a few minutes before sunrise, catching the rising sun and folds of mist on the horizon. After an hour of shooting, it was time for a break and to refuel. We radioed the FBO for a top off of Jet-A with no response. As we landed we understood why. Sitting before us were two magnificently restored WW II bombers: a B-17 and a B-24 Liberator. The FBO had their hand full refueling the B-17. I watched as the crew primed the engines by taking turns pushing the prop through a few revolutions. Of course, I wandered around a bit and shot a few close-ups of details of the planes.

(Rotating from Runway 33)

We air-taxied the Hughes 500 parallel to the taxiway with the B-17. I shot a few frames of her during her rollout and take-off. Wings for Freedom is the group that tours, flies and manages these incredible aircraft. They had flown into Warrenton the previous week for a weekend of static display and rides.

The day was long, tiring and tough. We spent six and a half hours in the ship with breaks in Winchester and Petersburg. But a day in the back seat of a turbine helicopter beats any day in an office.