Category: Photography
Breitling – Huntington Beach Airshow — 2017 – Day 3 b
This is my third set of pictures for the HB 2017 Airshow. Again I’m staying small scale: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, F-16 Viper, P-51 Mustang, C-47 (DC-3), OC Sheriff and USCG SAR helicopters.
Tomorrow, I’ll start adding pictures of the Snowbirds and Blue Angels.
Breitling – Huntington Beach Airshow — 2017 – Day 3 a
Well, we went back. Charlie decided that we should again get tickets — so I did.
About 10:30 am, we left home, stopped to get her another carton of cigs and drove to the beach. We had to wait an extra signal to get across PCH at Beach Blvd to get into the Huntington Beach City Beach parking lot. People were paying $30 to park and most were using credit/debit cards, making the wait longer than if they were using cash.
I, however, had a parking sticker on our car and we breezed in.
There were plenty of parking spaces and I selected a pull-through, took Di’s scooter out of the trunk, unfolded it and put the battery on and off we went.
Good thing we got there when we did. A half hour later, after Di’d bought some shirts, etc., I walked the bag back to the car and people were searching for the few remaining open spots.
We entered the Breitling tent; we were remembered by those who had been there on Friday. We found a nice table reserved for those with physical difficulties and sat down. We met more good people; we ate more good food and enjoyed more good drinks.
I took more than 500 photographs and will break them into several posts over the next few days. Today’s pictures will be of the Black Daggers, who made two drops about an hour and a half apart.
The first drop was a show the flag opening ceremony jump and the second was a simulated combat drop.
First, however, a word on light conditions. Most of the airshow was out over the water — to the south. Huntington Beach is a south facing beach. This means that for most of the show cameras were pointing in the general direction of the sun. Not the best direction to shoot in for good color pictures. Ah well, we all tried.
Bust: Breitling – Huntington Beach Airshow — 2017 – Day 1
Well, Charlie and I arrived at Huntington Beach a bit before noon today for the airshow. And it was a complete bust. We saw not a single plane (no Blue Angels; no Snowbirds; no F-16 Viper; no F-35 ) the entire afternoon. Fog, overcast, call it what you will; today there was no show.
And, worst of all, I had bought tickets for the Breitling show. $288 down the drain, or mostly down the drain.
No planes, no demonstrations. But I had a couple of plastics of wine; Charlie had part of a beer and we shared a meal.
But the airshow: no, nothing, nil, nada.
Hey, Breitling: how about a refund or a ticket for a second day?
However, things were not all black, bleak, out of focus or foggy, we met some very nice and interesting people.
Charlie actually got to meet the mounted police and their horses this year. She spoke with a fellow Canadian representing the Snowbirds. And, she met, spoke with and hugged members of the Black Daggers.
So, things weren’t a complete bust.
Picture of the Day — Question
How about we reserve a day on Facebook for positive thoughts and no negative or political posts?
I vote for Sunday.
I will, therefore, neither post nor share any further items having to deal with what I perceive as politics — on Sunday. I believe that I will also include liking, disliking or commenting on your posts/shares or those of others (regardless of whether I agree or disagree with them).
I have friends who are conservative; I have friends who are liberal. Some of them I consider reactionary and some I consider revolutionary. Some I consider just plain nuts — as, I assume, they also consider me (I am nuts, but that’s beside the point.). Let’s all just agree to disagree — and, if someone really offends us, take a walk around the block or have a drink . . . and, if you really need a drink, come on over — I’ve got plenty to go around.