[MRRiley]

Some links...

Performer/Display list - http://www.jsoh.org/pdf/aafb_as_full_list.pdf

Security - 2010 Joint Service Open House and Airshow: FAQs

[cardinal43]

I would be interested in riding with you, if I may. The Vienna NW side is the one heading back toward Centerville, correct? I noticed on the web site that the show opens at 8:00am. What time do you want to meet? I can be there anytime. I'll send you my cell phone number in a PM.

[mel]

I might be interested in riding with you maybe but can someone post the metro and shuttle options for getting there because I'm not entirely sure where Andrews AFB even is. So if I metro myself there, where would I go in order to shuttle in the rest of the way? Help?

Edit: okay nevermind. It's all there on the link and since I'm at work and not at home rocking the dialup I was able to pull it up without waiting an hour.

[MRRiley]

Tom,

I'm thinking we need to meet at the Metro between 0730-0800. And yes, the NW/Vienna side is on the side of outgoing/west I-66.

Mel,

If you decide to Metro in you could park at the Springfield metro and take the Blue line in and between King St & the Pentagon switch over to the Yellow line. Take Yellow toward town and at LeEnfant Plaza you'd want to switch to the Green line heading south to Branch Ave. The'll be running shuttles from there to the base.

Mike

[dadipentak]

Ooops--plans are changing: my daughter's social life may not permit. I'm not sure how this is going to play out...stay tuned.

[cardinal43]

Tom,

I'm thinking we need to meet at the Metro between 0730-0800. And yes, the NW/Vienna side is on the side of outgoing/west I-66.

Mel,

If you decide to Metro in you could park at the Springfield metro and take the Blue line in and between King St & the Pentagon switch over to the Yellow line. Take Yellow toward town and at LeEnfant Plaza you'd want to switch to the Green line heading south to Branch Ave. The'll be running shuttles from there to the base.

Mike

I'll be there. I will park in the garage on that side and meet up with you out in the parking circle area if that is OK.

[rt22306]

I'm still on. Weather is still forecast to be pretty good; mostly sunny, 10% chance of rain, and about 74 degrees. Just about right for sunburn. I will have my K10D and two lenses, and perhaps my ME or ZX-L to shoot up a roll of Kodachrome. My plan is to hop on Metro at Huntington with hopes to be on site around 9:30.

[MRRiley]

Sounds good Tom...

Headcount so far then is me & Tom in my truck and maybe Mel...

Metroing and/or shuttling in... rt22306 (Richard (right?)), Sigmoid (Jim), dadipentak (Dave & family) & rattrap (name?)

For that last group. please PM me and I will reply with my cell phone number to use once you get on the flightline.

Also, if there is anyone I missed or anyone else who wants to ride with me, let me know.

Mike

p.s. please no weapons or anything which might set off a dog as we enter the base. Entry should be uneventful but they do do random vehicle searches.

[shawnxji]

Cool, I'm late to the decision making but I'm set to go as well by this point - on Sunday however. I'm going to arrive early and I'm going by metro, taking the instructions off of their site.

JSOH

If anybody's going on Sunday let me know; I'll check this thread again on Sat evening. I plan to be there from ~8am - 12pm

Have fun y'all!

[rt22306]

Mike, I will have my Blackberry with me: 202-525-8004. I hope to be there 9:30-ish. I have my K-10D with 18-55, and 50-200 D-FAs. 20 Gb of memory. A ZX-L with three sets of batteries, and a 28-90. And just in case I pull the battery down in the K10D before the Blue Angels: my Nikon D90 and 70-300 will be a backup. If they all die on me, there will be a p&s Olympus too.

Sorry, no Canon.

[mel]

I think I'm out. My 10-year-old Civil War history buffs want to go to a reenactment in New Market. They're twins, they're 10, and they're cute. How can I say "no Mommy's going to go run off with her friends and shoot airplanes." I think I can't. If plans change however I'll make my way up htere.

[dadipentak]

I could say no to a trip to Plastic Land in 1/6000s but it would be a crime to discourage a genuine interest in history.

[rt22306]

My knees decided to call it a day not longer after the Blue Angels got airborne. Next year; fewer cameras and carry a folding chair. I lost Mike and Tom after going over to the beer tent and grabbing a Polish sausage. I hid the Nikon, and held on to my cowboy hat while shooting some more static display aircraft using the K10D and the ZX-L. Used up all the film too. Despite the sunscreen and hat, I still got sunburned (small price to pay!). The F22 was a blast, but I've got to say for a big aircraft the C17 can put on a show. All told, I took about 700 images between four cameras. Haven't downloaded, but viewing with the cameras (and hoping the Kodachrome turns out well) I have some worth printing, and possibly sharing by posting. From henceworth, maybe the 135-400mm and a point and shoot (the X70 for example).

As always, I was drawn to the WWII and other vintage craft like a moth to a lightbulb. I did note that quite a few other folks were equipped with Pentax models, and also Olympus mostly with the kit lenses; but what killed me was the number of folks shooting pics with their cell phones and Blackberry like gizmos. Sacrilege!!

[cardinal43]

Yep, yesterday was a blast. This was the first air show I have been to in at least 25 years, and the first time I have ever taken pics at one. Got to meet rt22306 (Richard), dadipentax (Dave), and his son Abe, and his 2 grandsons (nice manners). Mike and I looked around for Richard after our initial meeting, but never found him again. He was smart though, going to the beer tent and grabbing a polish sausage. The food lines were so long, I wound up not eating all day. We did meet 4 or 5 other Pentax shooters, and a couple of them had been to this forum, but aren't regulars. I agree with rt22306 about the number of people shooting with cell phones and blackberries. It was a hoot watching them trying to track an F22 flying at damn near the speed of sound. Although, I didn't do much better using my Tamron 70-300. Mike graciously allowed me to shoot quite a bit with his Tamron 28-75 (I've been interested in one), and it was really nice. Personally, I was suprised at how fast it auto-focused. I'm just now in the process of downloading stuff. Hopefully it will be pretty decent, and I will have some to post. I did learn that I really and truly suck at panning.

One other thing, I was truly impressed with all of the young military individuals that I met -- some in uniform and some in civies. I thanked every one of them for their service (I'm a verteran) wished them well. We met one guy that has been in for 13 years, and has been deployed to either Irqaq or Afghanistan for 6 tours.

[rt22306]

Tom, I need more practice panning also. My sharpest pic of an inflight aircraft was of the Blue Angels' C130. I was shooting from 1/250 to 1/500 on shutter priority (the propellers look better when they appear in motion, much over 1/250 and they are stopped) for most of the aerial displays. The markings on the F18s of the Blue Angels are all a bit fuzzy (I could blame it on the fact it was the Nikon, but along with panning the lens was all out at 300mm. Last year I got more keepers using an Oly with their 70-300mm which didn't have to go all the way out but on the E-620 the AF drives me batty!). Next show, just my 135-400 set at about 325mm and things should be sharper.

Myself, I did a bit over 20 years active and reserve Navy. I like to think the guys and gals then had it together but in fairness the folks serving now seem to have us beat!

P.S. You should have seen the line for hamburgers! I went to get something at 11:00, there three people in front of me for hot dogs and Italian/Polish sausages (I really wanted bratwurst though) and two at the beer tent. About an hour later the beer tent wasn't bad, but other drinks and sandwiches meant quite a wait in line.