It's New Year's Eve! And, While Alcohol Makes Everyone Look Prettier, It Still Does Nothing To Improve One's Photographs. We're OK with That.

Shot location: LTN (Photo by Bob Holland)

New Economy Class Coffee Service. Brought To You Courtesy Of Economic Hardship.

Shot location: IAH (Photo courtesy of our long-lost Texas Smartphone Division)

"Mine's Bigger Than Yours - Longer, Too." Two Metal Tubes Compare Notes.

Shot location: MUC (Photo by Nik French)

In The "Spirit" Of The Season - A Merry Christmas To All From Totally Jacked Up Aircraft Photos.

Blessings and thanks to all of our contributors and readers.  The ride continues on into 2013.

Shot location: SAN (Visual gift courtesy of Bill Hough)

A Very Merry Christmas Courtesy Of Boeing Commercial Airplane Group.

Some of you loyal readers may not be aware, but in addition to all things aviation, I am also a big-time cyclist, as well.  Thus, it is indeed a rare occasion when one can come across cool corporate cycling jerseys.  Even rarer still are aviation cycling jerseys.  That being the case, when my contact at Boeing offered up these two beauties, well, how could I refuse?  I mean, c’mon, it is the 787 Dreamliner, and the new 737 MAX, for cryin’ out loud!  With the 787 just entering service, and the 737 MAX is still on the drawing board, to not only to see, but to receive these jerseys, was indeed a Christmas treat.

                                                                        Front of the jerseys

With the Holiday Season in full-swing I admit to not riding as much as I would have liked, which kinda’ bugs me.  However, Christmas is a time of year quite a bit busier than others, so I am sure this a common theme among many a rider right now.  I mean, there are parties to go to, food and drinks galore, plus short daylight hours, so squeezing in a ride can be a little more difficult than usual.  Well, new jerseys makes the incentive to get on out and ride that much greater.

                                                                   The rear of the jerseys

On the path leading up to Christmas and the New Year, I have indeed been blessed with good friends and now some killer riding apparel, too.

I feel rich.

If You Are Feeling A Little "Fuzzy" During All The Holiday Partying, Well, You Are Not Alone.

Usually we all feel like this on New Year's.

Shot location: CMQ (Photo by Damian Freiberg)

"A Piece Of The Action."

Like that old line from Gangster Movies refers to (real Gangsters, not Rappers) when one gets in on the Heist, we provide our loyal viewers with their own "Piece" of the Booty.

It was also the title of a killer Star Trek episode in 1968.

Shot location: SNA (Photo by Sean "Mr. Airport" Moran)

No Frills Airport Security - Do Decoys REALLY Fool Anyone?

Kinda' makes you wonder how this fella' will do on his "Security" job, being his avian equivalent doesn't seem to do such a stellar job scaring anything away.

Airport photo: HNL (Photo by ValkyrieXB70)

Owl decoy photo: Pick a place - Birds coast to coast are not fooled by these hunks of plastic.

Celebrity Tails And Winglets.

In this case, baseball star Alex Rodriguez.

Shot location: ONT

Turbines, Diesels & Steam.

Shot location: Birmingham, Alabama

Twofer Tuesday - Our Sharpshooters Never Quit.

Shot location: SAN (Photos by Bill Hough)

Italian Fine Art.

Shot location: MAN (Masterpiece by Nik French)

What's Got More Thrills Than A Hollywood Action Movie? A Tug Fire At The Airport, Of Course!

Shot location: LAX (Photo by Ben Wang)

The Artisit Titled This Piece "Brunei Blunder."

Shot location: LHR (Photo by Alex Peake)

From The "Well, Isn't This Interesting" Department - Cessna Citation Hits Deer On Runway. Plane Destroyed.

Apparently the Citation II (registration N6763L, operated by United States Customs and Border Patrol) struck the deer upon touchdown, the left fuel tank burst, and lots of happy, volatile Jet-A went directly into the #1 intake.  The light show must have been amazing.  The crew escaped unhurt.

There was no mention of the condition of the deer, or whether it was an American Deer, or a member of a Cartel.

Shot location: GRD (Photographer unidentified)

As One Bird Said To The Other - "Race You To The Threshold!"

Shot location: OOL (Photo by Terry Magee)

Shamu Is Not The Only Thing San Diego Is Famous For.

Photos courtesy of Bill Hough

"Son, What Would You Like For Christmas? A Turbine-Powered Go-Cart, Dad!"

When Santa checks his list for whose been naughty or nice, this little gem should go to someone VERY naughty.

Here is the eBay link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jet-Engine-Powered-Go-Kart-Boeing-Gas-Turbine-Rat-Rod-/150874839038

Just Fokking Around.

Shot location: LPL (Photo by John Spencer)

Mistaken Identity - Will The Real N642SW Please Come Forward.

There is nothing wrong with your computer screen.  See, while "The best of the rest" aviation photos are our stock in trade, this photo is extra-special.  And, here is why.

See, while this happy Boeing 737 is plowing the skies innocuously registered N642SW, it is in fact, really N642WN.  N642SW is actually a Piper PA-24-250 Comanche registered to the Georgia Corporation.

What makes this even more interesting is if the cops caught you doing this on your vehicle, they would assume it is stolen, and take your car away.

Thanks to Michael Dawson for the info and the photo from our very own, sunny LAX.

It's Sunday. How Low Can Your A380 Go?

Shot location: LHR (Photos by Allan Huse)

Long Live The Dobbs Lot!

                                                 Memories of The Way It Once Was.  Photo by "CL"

Not that long ago, at an airport which seems like a Billion miles away now, there was once the spotting Mecca of Los Angeles International Airport for those "In The Know."  The Dobbs Lot.

This parking lot belonged to the now defunct inflight-catering company Dobbs, and it was right up against the fence, allowing totally unobstructed, close-up viewing of all the movements on the North Complex (Taxiway Alpha-Alpha, AA, had not been built yet).  You got to watch every takeoff, and every arrival had to taxi-back right in front of you, so you saw absolutely EVERYTHING.

The Dobbs Lot was a hit with aviation fans of all types, from children, to the curious, to the registration collectors, to the photographers.  I myself spent many a days spotting from The Dobbs.  It was a destination unto itself.

I don't recall the year it died, but an era did indeed pass when some City Idiot figured the lot would be a fine place to park all of the Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA) shuttle buses.  It was, as we all experienced, the beginning of the end of creative spotting at LAX.

And, in the Post 9-11 world, we witnessed the rise of an army of complete assholes known as the Airport Police.

True story, folks.

Dobbs Lot - R.I.P.

Another Tick Of The Clock - Another Birthday.

                         Out Bicycling In An attempt to Remain Ever-Young, Carpinteria, California, 2012

Yes, it's our Founder's Birthday again.  One small tick of the calendar, one giant tick of the Hobbs Meter on the old airframe, um, body.

Totally Jacked Up Aircraft Photos To The "Rescue."

Shot location: OOL (Photo by Aaron Coghill)

How Many "Cranes" Can You Count In The Photo?

Shot location: PHX (Photo by ValkyrieXB70)

Saturday Night Special.

Shot location: SEA (Photos by our Pacific Northwest Bureau Chief)

Friday Night Lights.

Shot location: MAN (Photo by Nik French)

Wednesday Is UFO Day (No, Not The Band).

Shot location: ICN (Photo by Bru)

Twofer Tuesday.

Shot location: SJU (Photos courtesy of Captain Morgan's Rum - Or so we're told)

Citation Crash in Brazil Caught On Security Camera.

No details on injuries or the registration, but they sure took one heck of a ride.

It's Nostalgia Monday.

                                            Photo From The Collection Of The Late Alex Bustamante

Shot location: EMT, 1968

Veteran's Day - Our Salute To All Whom Have Served.

Shot location: LGB (Photo by Michael Breckshot)

Iwo Jima, February 23, 1945

Even Without Wings, These Boeing 737's Are A Mile High.

Shot location: Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.

Our Salute To The Magnificent Lockheed L-1011 And The United States Marine Corps.

                                                                     Pilot's Overhead Panel

One cold night in January 2007, American Trans Air (ATA) L-1011, registration N164AT, arrived with a load of Marines from HNL.  Being the ATA maintenance staff at the time, we were thrilled to finally get our hands on one of their Lockheed's, since to that point, we had been subsisting on a steady diet of Boeing 737-800's, 757-200's and 757-300's.

The flight crew were gracious enough to give us the V.I.P. tour of every part of the Old Gal, from tip to stern.  We crawled through spaces in the fuselage we never thought we could, and yes, you pretty much can move the whole length of the plane completely under the floor.  From a maintenance standpoint, she is a dream.

Also, the young lads deplaning were all in full uniform with packs and weapons.  It was kinda' cool to see a whole plane load of armed passengers for a change.

Shot location: ONT

It's November 7th, 2012.