This photo is what made me decide to start working on my Mustang again.
It was the summer of 1999 or 2000. We were having a car show at Buckley Air force Base in Colorado "Wings and Wheels". Everyone was having their cars picture taken with the p51 mustang (I made it through the line very late). I was driving around the hanger to head out for the day. The skies were getting really "grey" and I really didn't feel like driving home 50 miles with the good old 3:91 gears in the pouring rain<-- makes for a long loud ride.
Around the corner I drive......
What are the chances a Navy F14 (we are in Colorado) in Black with a red stripe would be on a stop while flying back to the coast? Very small. Nobody was around the hanger or the plane. I decided to park as humanly close as I could (mind you I am still quite far away). I aligned in a perfect profile, jumped out of the car and ran far enough back to get everything into the frame. Snapping away I must have taken a dozen pictures (still a film camera at this point folks) this is the only one to come out not blurry from my cursed shaky hands.
Along side me a man walks up and starts taking pictures as fast as he could. Both snapping away with our sub-par cameras. We started chatting as I explained I was just waiting for security to tell me to get lost and move the car. He started laughing saying he was hoping the owner of the car would leave it there for a few more minutes. I was talking to the pilot.
(edited- It appears the pilot Capt. J V Stivers was the CO of VX-9 . Apparently this guy is somebody very good at command and obviously one hell of a pilot).
I shook his hand and finally decided to head home. Neither of us realizing how drastically his life and all of ours were going to change in the coming years. He probably went off to war or to train others, my car would be totaled crushed by a drunk within a year.
This picture might have been a great discussion piece amongst himself and his pals, it sure was that perfect moment for me. I always have kept this bad printed (semi-gloss paper) copy at my desk. It has faded so badly I didn't think it would scan very well. This moment cannot be lost to my memory and stay there. Both of these symbols to me show the grace of American technology and power of design. When not used for their designed purposes they are so beautiful just as art.
If I can find the original negative I plan on having it drum scanned and turned into a nice poster.
Linear Mode
