Photography by Hank Plumley

Red Flag 12-3 Will Be Held February 27th – March 16th

Hank Plumley — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:43:34 +0000

From the Nellis AFB website:

Release Number: 140212

2/14/2012 - NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. – Southern Nevada residents may notice increased military aircraft activity as the Air Force conducts Red Flag 12-3 from Feb. 27 to March 16, 2012.

Red Flag is a realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies. The exercise is organized at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and hosted north of Las Vegas on the Nevada Test and Training Range–the U.S. Air Force’s premier military training area with more than 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land. With 1,900 possible targets, realistic threat systems and an opposing enemy force that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world, Nellis and the NTTR are the home of a “peacetime battlefield,” providing combat air forces with the ability to train to fight together, survive together and win together.

Full story on the Nellis Air Force Base website

2012 Winter In Cleveland, Ohio

Hank Plumley — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:23:56 +0000

So far the winter has been very hit and miss in Cleveland. Photo ops are hard to find themed as winter. Have been shooting aircraft at Hopkins more than snow. Don’t get me wrong, I am NOT praying for snow!!!

This weekend had a nice cold snap and a little storm, only 5 inches but the winds made for some nice shots along the lakefront.

Enjoy !

Close up of the Cleveland light house in February, 2012 after a winter storm.

Lake Erie's waters have encased Edgewater Beach in a deep layer of ice.

The Cleveland lighthouse is taking a battering and iced up. Cleveland, February 2012.

America’s Book of Secrets – Area 51 Premiers Saturday 2/11/2012

Hank Plumley — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:32:16 +0000

It is one of the most covert military bases on American soil, protecting the nation’s most confidential research and development. For decades, the highest levels of government had denied its existence. But behind the barbed wire fences and surveillance cameras are secrets . . . read more .

It’s a fairly new documentary series on the secrets of certain locations in America. So far the series has been done very well, not much whacko type reporting in the episodes at all. Lot’s of facts, theories and great background information.

Am looking forward to catching this episode.

10pm eastern on Saturday February 11, 2012 with reairs on Sunday and Monday.

If you tune in you may a photo or two that you recognize !

The border to Area 51 in Rachel, Nevada 2010

Playing with Long Exposure

Hank Plumley — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:35:52 +0000

Recently went out and about thanks to some nice, not so cold weather to play around with long exposure shots. Here are two, one being the opposite of what I was going for!

This long exposure of an outbound freight train was shot at the Berea yard in Northeast Ohio. February 2012

Not fully thinking, I started a long exposure shot and didn't realize the lights were dead on with the camera! This is a nice result though.

Red Flag 12-2 NOTAMs

Hank Plumley — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:21:31 +0000

Below are the converted NOTAMs for Nellis Air Force Base’s Red Flag exercises taking place January 23, 2012 thru February 3rd, 2012.

Red Flag begins today. According the the Nellis NOTAMS the (local) times are as follows for the next two weeks, Mon-Fri:

Launch times:

11:15am-12:00pm and again at 6:00pm-7:30pm

Recovery times:

1:30pm-3:00pm and again at 9:00pm-10:30pm

If you are heading out to Rachel to catch the action, add roughly 1 to 1.5 hours on the launch times.

Feel free to read Nellis Air Force Base plane spotting tips posts for info on the base.

Also read Rachel plane spotting tips during Red Flag for info on the area.

Enjoy and looking forward to the photos !

Red Flag 12-2 Scheduled January 23rd – February 3rd

Hank Plumley — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:07:48 +0000

Southern Nevada residents may notice increased military aircraft activity as the Air Force conducts Red Flag 12-2 Jan. 23 – Feb. 3 2012.

Throughout the Red Flag exercise, more than 90 aircraft are scheduled to depart Nellis Air Force Base twice a day, around noon and again around 6 p.m. Aircraft may remain in the air for up to four hours. The flying times are scheduled to accommodate the other flying missions at Nellis and provide Red Flag participants with valuable training in planning and executing a wide-variety of combat missions.

The exercise will include units from:
Nevada, Colorado, South Dakota, Louisiana, Utah, California, Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Massachusetts and Oklahoma flying aircraft including the F-15 Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, E-3 Sentry, A-10 Thunderbolt II, B-1 Lancer, and KC-135 Stratotanker.

In addition to U.S. aircraft, the Saudi Royal Air Force and the Republic of Korea will participate with their nation’s F-15 aircraft.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Nellis will hold a Red Flag Media Day Jan. 31 2012. Outlets interested in attending the media day can call (702) 652-2750 to RSVP no later than Jan. 20. Media requests submitted after Jan. 20 will not be facilitated.

DOMESTIC MEDIA; Please email this address with your 1) Full name 2) Birthday 3) Major Media Outlet represented 4) Coverage goal at Red Flag 12-2

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA Please email this address with your 1) Full name 2) Birthday 3) PASSPORT NATIONALITY AND FULL PASSPORT ID # 4) Major Media Outlet represented 5) Coverage goal at Red Flag 12-2.

Thanks for your time,

-Nellis Public Affairs.

——as the dates draw closer I will post the NOTAMS for the launch and recovery times.

—-If you plan on attending Red Flag at Nellis Air Force Base, feel free to read the plane spotting at Nellis post.

Have fun and share the photos !!!

President Obama Visits Cleveland – January 4, 2012

Hank Plumley — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:00:52 +0000

Some photos from President Obama’s visit to Cleveland, Ohio on January 4, 2012. Air Force One flew into KCLE, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

Enjoy !

Head on shot of AF 28000, 92-9000 Air Force One, Boeing 747-200B VC-25, on approach to KCLE, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, January 4, 2012.

One of the Presidential Limos in the motorcade in Cleveland, Ohio January 4, 2012.

AF 28000, 92-9000 Air Force One, Boeing 747-200B VC-25, takes off from KCLE, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, January 4, 2012.

Side shot of AF 28000, 92-9000 Air Force One, Boeing 747-200B VC-25, takes off from KCLE, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, January 4, 2012.

Side shot of 6509, MH-65C C/N 6104, United States Coast Guard Aerospatiale Dolphin helicopter, KCLE January 4, 2012.

2011 Year In Review

Hank Plumley — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:00:58 +0000

Another year has come and gone, 2011 seemed to fly by in a heartbeat unlike 2010. What began as a year that seemed to have nothing but potholes and low points, turned out to be a really good one both professionally and personally. Here’s a look back at 2011 through my trusty best friend, my camera.

February saw the completion of a new photo gallery. Never did I think I would spend so much time on the gallery versus actually taking pictures! But finally I am satisfied with the gallery I have, for now at least. It took more than a year and 6 different versions to finally find one that I thought was decent. Should it be so hard to display photos on your own domain? I think the techies out there need to work on providing more out of the box galleries for us photogs !

The sign for Edwards Air Force Base in California, November 2010. As Seen on SPEEDTV !

April was a very good month. Firstly I finally bellied up and built a Facebook Page. While I still am learning the ins and outs, I have seen some benefits from having it. A producer from the SPEED TV show Car Warriors contacted me to seek approval for use of a few of my Edwards AFB photos. Needless to say, I let them use the shots! First time having my photos on national television. April also saw PhotosbyHank on Twitter, can never be too social right?

Things REALLY got busy in May. The weather in Ohio finally broke, and was able to get good weather photos at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

N73406 Continental Airlines, Boeing 737-924 on departure from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, KCLE May 27 2011

Was also chased by a tornado, which is a byproduct of the nicer weather trying to move into the Cleveland area.

Also during May, on the personal side of things, decided to take a hard look at relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada. Of course to get an accurate idea of whether this would work, recon trips would be needed!

June saw the first of three trips to Vegas. While they were not all fun and sun, it’s always a good trip when you’re in Vegas. No matter when or why I am in Vegas, Nellis Air Force Base and McCarran plane spotting is a must, and this trip was no different.

N415NV Allegiant Air, McDonnell Douglas MD-82 departing McCarran International Airport, KLAS June 2011.

The mountains provide excellent backdrops to McCarran. Always love plane spotting there and unlike Cleveland Hopkins, no one pushes you away just because you have a camera in your hands!

N37DG, Czech Aerovodochody L29 Delfin landing during A Gathering of Eagles XV, July 2011.

July was very busy. Was able to cover A Gathering of Eagles Air Show in Willoughby, Ohio for the first time. Was a great air show that featured many aircraft that don’t frequent the larger shows. If you’re in Ohio and are searching for another air show, be sure to attend this one, you won’t be disappointed!

Was also lucky enough to take a media ride on the Yankee Air Museum‘s Yankee Lady B-17 ! It was a great, great ride for sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7GtosUBIsc

Finally, July saw the launch of the Just-Vegas Blog. Photography and Las Vegas are too large of topics to have to share one blog! So to spare the readers, Just-Vegas was created to keep this blog focused primarily on photography.

August was a bit laid back. Attended the Cleveland Browns Training Camp in Berea, Ohio at the end of the month.

Colt McCoy fires a pass, August 10, 2011.

September saw the annual Cleveland National Air Show.

Tight shot of The USAF Thunderbirds lead solo #5 at the 2011 Cleveland National Air Show at Burke Lakefront Airport, Sunday demo.

And another trip to Las Vegas.

WA AF 78-0485, F-15C Eagle, side shot while on approach to Nellis Air Force Base, September 2011.

November rolled in with a bang, which it does each year, and the 2011 Aviation Nation Air Show at Nellis Air Force Base. Which means, another trip to Vegas !

The Patriots Jet Team cross over break during the 2011 Aviation Nation Air Show at Nellis Air Force Base.

Also the tree lighting in downtown Cleveland.

Old Stone Church on Public Square during the 2011 Winterfest in Cleveland, Ohio. November 2011.

Finally in December made the decision to “Go West young man” like a wise man once said. Vegas baby! So 2012 should be an exciting year to say the least!

Would like to wish all my readers a very Happy New Year !

Sunset From 30,000 Feet and Night Approach and Landing at KMDW November

Hank Plumley — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:00:29 +0000

First video is a very short one of the sunset on a flight from Las Vegas to Chicago. The angle wasn’t the best, but still worth shooting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPymvu_kg9g

The next video is of a night approach and landing into Chicago Midway aboard the same flight as the first video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnFT8kbl-nA

Video of Takeoff from Las Vegas November 2011

Hank Plumley — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:00:36 +0000

Never a great moment for me, leaving Las Vegas. Though I will admit, the awesome desert landscape makes leaving a tad easier. Filmed on a Southwest Airlines flight, McCarran International Airport.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-0eV6-bFdM