Quiet Moments With The Birds and Hangar Glam - Dana Brejakova, Contributing Writer & Photographer

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Quiet Moments With The Birds and Hangar Glam

Dana Brejakova, Contributing Writer & Photographer

Have you ever wondered what happens when all the crowds and buzz of airshows and Fly-Ins disappear? Or when the airplanes are resting quietly on the ground before a big day or after they have returned from a trip? When everyone goes home and it is back to the hangars and maintenance shops, I still have a great playground to photoshoot in. Even though I miss those adrenaline-filled afternoons figuring out the perfection in a photograph where a fast-moving airplane needs to be crowned with a well-preserved propeller disc while fighting for a good spot in the crowds, I enjoy the peace and quiet. That is when the airplanes talk the loudest, at least to my lens. If you see a flock of resting planes on the ground during the evenings and early mornings without crowds, you may see me right there with them. Other times you can spot me submerged in the hangar schlock digging for cool rugged items that have stood the test of time.

So here is to the wonders of capturing the quiet moments when the birds are resting and when I can have one-on-one sessions with the airplanes.

Antique Airfield Fly-In in Blakesburg, Iowa, 2019. Amazingly polished 1938 Ryan SCW was sitting on the grass and I was observing her in awe.

Close-up of B-25 Panchito's massive Wright R-2600-9 Cyclone engine. Two of them can deliver 3,400 horsepower bringing the bird to the top speed of 355 miles per hour. Impressive results in the air and a majestic appearance on the ground.

P-47 Thunderbolt. Stunning condition of this warbird charmed my lens away.

P-47 Thunderbolt close-up. I love this shot. She glowed in diamond hues. After getting the shot I wanted I put the camera down and I just stood there quietly with her.

Peeking under the wing of the B-17 Yankee Lady to discover quite an intriguing angle of this beautifully maintained bomber. I could just lie down under that long wing and only wonder about all those brave men and women who were facing hell to defend the world from tyranny.

Detail of the sky beacon on B-17 Yankee Lady. The diamond glow that appears when the light conditions are just right makes these warbirds look silky smooth.

And as you guessed correctly the Super Guppy - our lighthouse - could not be forgotten here. Shining in the morning sun in the vicinity of our beloved T-hangars she always brings a sensation of being home. Patiently, she always sits there waving to us
every time we go on our adventures.

One more shot of the B-17 Yankee lady that received black and white dress from me to better capture her spirit a la 1940s. The respect deserving turbo supercharged nine-cylinder radial Cyclone R-1820-97 engine is a solid statement of, "I am a bad-ass,
you do not want to mess with me".

There is something about those radial engines. I do not know what it is exactly but they are like a magnet to me and, somehow, I love dressing them into black and white glam.

I admit, this one was not sitting quietly and she should not be a part of this collection. This iconic warbird was rather very noisy. However, she was also very graceful taxiing back to her spot at AirVenture Oshkosh 2023. I was lucky enough to be there when the crowds were gone and I ducked down behind the row of Mustangs and simply watched the dark beast F4U Corsair flowing by me.

The rugged looks of the Grumman HU-16 Albatross indicate she has seen better days. One could say she looks abandoned and sad and maybe she is but I come to sit under her wing here and there hoping she finds my camera action amusing.

Petit Jean Fly-In, 2021. The original photograph is exploding with colors but I wanted something else here. I wanted the 1940s postcard giving a hug to the
modern days of general aviation.

Douglas AD-6 (A-1) Skyraider Wiley Coyote at SunNFun 2019 caught my eye with her rugged looks and a cheeky addition to her prop.

This little one is not a real airplane but she has a special place in Jimmy the Squirrel's heart. She is an exact replica of Jimmy's Rose Parakeet he owned back in the day. Outstanding workmanship on this wooden model by Jimmy's friend Bill Schaerfl.

Uh-oh, Dana got lost somewhere in the deepest depths of the hangars sniffing for all things aviation to tell a story or two.

The carbon fiber spinner connected to Catto fixed-pitch 84 by 45 propeller on a homebuilt Javron Super Cub with its beautiful dark graphite texture posed for me
and who was I to say no?

Aviators during a pre-flight check very early in the morning. I loved that quiet moment when a man and a machine were synchronizing and bonded once again to have a safe flight. A pilot's promise to the bird she will be treated well and an airplane's promise to the pilot he will be taken up and brought down back safely.

RV-6 enjoying her TLC and a photoshoot before going to her new owner. The air is always heavy and sentimental when a good bird changes her home.

Jimmy's RV-8 is a looker and I always enjoy photo shooting her even when she rests in the hangar. What a lovely looking bird. "Do not ever sell her, Jimmy!", that is me screaming.

By Dana Brejakova, Contributing Writer & Photographer

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