Friday Night Photos Wild Blue Yonder Edition

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 5:00pm

Welcome to Friday Night Photos everyone. Your once a week break from the daily madness of the crazy world we live in. Post any photos, memes, music, or whatever else you find of interest that helps you escape the madness.

The Navy's flight demonstration team the Blue Angels spend the winter months based at NAF El Centro in the Imperial valley. Most mornings they have an hour long practice session so yesterday morning I got up early and made the 1-1/2 hour drive to El Centro to shoot their practice. The best part about going to one of their practice sessions is there are no crowds. There was maybe 100 people there. When they perform at an airshow there will be upwards of 100,000 people that come to watch them fly.

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Submitted by humphrey on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 6:29pm

Not to be a downer as air shows are quite entertaining but the

sad part is that they are in reality just glorifying the MIC.

That said you once again provided excellent images.

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 7:30pm

Hi, humphrey

@humphrey
You're not being a downer at all. While I do appreciate the skill required for the precision flying, I'm not happy with the way our military is promoted and used.

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by earthling1 on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 6:32pm

Those Super Hornets are awesome to watch

You must have been laying on your back?
Nice crisp shots.
Thanks.

—

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 7:48pm

Hi, e1

@earthling1
I wasn't laying on my back but there were some shots where I was pointing the camera straight up. As for the crispness, I shot 560+ frames of which there were 33 sharp enough to edit and save. the 12 I posted here were the best of those.

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by QMS on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 6:42pm

hornets are a good name for those critters

.
your upside-down and right side-up shot
along with the sideways picture do envision
the crazy insect hornets in flight

thx

—

question everything

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 7:58pm

Hi, Q

@QMS
Here's one shot at a different angle of the right side-up, up side-down I took at an airshow about a dozen years ago.

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by QMS on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 7:59pm

the two are as one

@Socialprogressive
in a mirror-like precision
the skill of these pilots is amazing

—

question everything

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 7:10pm

Hi Social

Great photos of those flying machines. I think all inspiration comes from nature originally, the birds and the bees, the flowers and the trees. I prefer watching the birds and insects in flight, but am often amazed at what man has developed from their original observation.

My favourite is the photo of the super hornets and their trails. I like your musical choice as well. How did you experience the intense sounds they make?

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 8:00pm

Watching birds fly

@janis b
inspired man to build a flying machine. We've come a long way since the Wright brothers.

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 7:17pm

Hi all

I hope you're enjoying the start of the weekend.

Dreaming of rain

In the sun

Be well and enjoy

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 7:40pm

ps

@janis b

I'll be away for the next couple of weeks, and look forward to sharing some photos of a different landscape when I return.

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 8:58pm

Enjoy your time away

@janis b
Looking forward to see what you see during your travels.

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 8:14pm

Hi, Janis

@janis b
So I'm guessing washing the car rain dance didn't bring you any rain. We're 2/3rds of the way through winter and have only had 1-1/2" of rain so far. At this time in a normal winter we would have 6-1/2". Very creative use of the mesh and empty paper towel roll.

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 8:25pm

Hi Social

@Socialprogressive

So far, I haven't learned the tricks or dance steps that work. I do a lot of wishing though. It's a precarious time for you in SD and me here in West Auckland. I wish us both some rainy days soon.

Submitted by QMS on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 7:42pm

the blossom blown

onto the wet window
is evocative of stormy weather
and your sculpture is understated beauty
very nice

—

question everything

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 7:52pm

Thanks Q

@QMS

I always enjoy your impressions. 'Understated' is so apt for a sculpture made from mesh wrapping paper and an empty roll of paper towels.

Cheers to you

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 8:35pm

(No subject)

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 9:01pm

I couldn't have said it better :)

@enhydra lutris

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I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 9:08pm

Too funny!

@Socialprogressive

Thanks for the laugh, Social

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 9:29pm

Thanks, Janis

@janis b
Trying my best to bring a smile during these bleak times.

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 9:35pm

It definitely brings cheer, Social

@Socialprogressive

Thank you for all.

Submitted by dystopian on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 10:36pm

Hi pixelators

Hi all, Hey SP!

Awesome airplane shots sp! Great to see them without the crowds.

I am busy at work so can't hang around... gotta fly.

Thanks for the OT and outstanding photos SP!

happy trails all!

—

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 11:10pm

Gotta fly

@dystopian
Appropriate reply for a thread featuring airplanes. Don't work to hard.

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by on the cusp on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 11:29pm

Years ago, i attended a big Blue Angels show

in the Houston area.
It was breathtaking, but the longer I looked around, the more recruiters for the Air Force I saw, in booths, talking to young people.
I wanted to run through the crowd and yell, NOOOOO! RUN!
Beautiful pictures, sp, thanks so much, as always!

—

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Sat, 02/22/2025 - 12:21am

Hi, otc

@on the cusp
Since most airshows where the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds perform are on military bases I don't have a problem with recruiters being there. I'm not real thrilled with them being on high school and collage campus'.

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.