Airshow | Tony's Takes Photography

Skip Stewart Airshows demonstrates how to cut a ribbon with style

October 16, 2023 by Tony

A plane piloted by Skip Stewart cuts a ribbon at the Grand Junction Airshow. (© Tony's Takes) — A plane piloted by Skip Stewart cuts a ribbon at the Grand Junction Airshow. (© Tony’s Takes)

Oh sure, we have seen the traditional ribbon cutting with a big pair of scissors and lots of talking heads. But, if you really want to put on a show, ask this stunt pilot to do it. 😉

Taken this past weekend at the Grand Junction Airshow, I had too many folks in front of me to track him as he approached only about 10 feet above the ground. I did, however, have a clear shot of one of the ribbons he was going to cut so I did my best to squeeze the trigger and capture the action as he arrived on target. Purposefully keeping the shutter speed slow while holding the camera in one position shows the speed of the plane as it moved through and performed this impressive maneuver.

Fun stuff and an impressive display for sure. I know this isn’t the usual type of ‘bird’ you expect to see on this page, so I ask you to indulge me for a few days while I share of my favorite shots from this cool event on Colorado’s Western Slope.

Air Force Lightning strikes in northern Colorado

November 3, 2021 by Tony Leave a Comment

An Air Force F-35 Lightning II banks hard generating vapor off its wings and flame from its afterburner. (© Tony's Takes) — An Air Force F-35 Lightning II banks hard generating vapor off its wings and flame from its afterburner. (© Tony’s Takes)

Of all the demonstrations at The Great Colorado Air Show last month, this was the one I was most looking forward to. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is the United States’ latest fighter aircraft and I expected it to be impressive – and it was.

The U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team and pilot Major Kristin “Beo” Wolfe put on a heck of a show. The single-seat, single-engine aircraft was amazing to watch, feel and hear.

It is interesting to note that there are three distinct versions of the F-35 Lighting II.

The F-35A, seen here, is the Air Force version and the lightest of the bunch. The Marine Corps flies the F-35B with it having the distinct capability of short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL), allowing it to operate in a wider variety of environments and off of Navy amphibious assault ships. The F-35C is the U.S. Navy’s version, beefed up with larger, foldable wings and stronger landing gear for operations off of aircraft carriers.

An Air Force F-35 Lightning II takes off with Colorado's Mount Meeker and Longs Peak in the background. (© Tony's Takes) — An Air Force F-35 Lightning II takes off with Colorado’s Mount Meeker and Longs Peak in the background. (© Tony’s Takes)

An Air Force F-35 Lightning II goes vertical. (© Tony's Takes) — An Air Force F-35 Lightning II goes vertical. (© Tony’s Takes)

An Air Force F-35 flies by with its weapons' bay doors open. (© Tony's Takes) — An Air Force F-35 flies by with its weapons’ bay doors open. (© Tony’s Takes)

An Air Force F-35 flies high in the sky with the snow-capped Rocky Mountains below. (© Tony's Takes) — An Air Force F-35 flies high in the sky with the snow-capped Rocky Mountains below. (© Tony’s Takes)

Rocky Mountain Airshow performs amaze

June 1, 2015 by Tony Leave a Comment

In addition to the main attraction, there were plenty of other things to keep folks entertained at the The Rocky Mountain Airshow. Here are a few of the pics I snapped of them.? Scroll down for the complete gallery.