Three Planes for the President and Other Light Armor

C-17 globemaster iii based out of Charleston AFB carries the limos and other light armor.

While Air Force One pulled a sneak and slid over on 13R after the dog-leg turn onto his final (cross winds were bad) rather than his usual 13L landing, the Vice-President arrived separately on another government plane for executive branch use. The C-17 globe master iii sat parked at the far end, what looked to be on the threshold of runway 18. I have not seen that runway used since May of 2005. Highland Park, University Park and  Preston Hollow does not  like the noise! 

There were also two weather systems in the area in the early morning hours. A low level stream of moisture from the Gulf (visible between the buildings downtown) and an upper level system. By the time the Vice-President landed, the skies had already cleared leaving only strong southern pressure gradient with gusting 18-32 MPH cross winds. There was one Southwest that came in sideways from the cross winds. Always fun to see the bigger planes twist in the wind.☺ Still believe that is why Air Force One came in on 13R with the longest runway at Love. ATC ♥ calling  the shots by the book yesterday, most likely.  Usually, in past trips, he handles the shorter runway with ease. Not totally sure, but the new parking garage is being built on that side of the field. That could also have played a part in crossing over to Dal-Forth Fueling for parking. It's always a poetry-in-motion and just fun to watch. This will also end President Obama's trips to Dallas, most likely unless something else jumps off.

Hope to see the new 747-800 when our next president makes his first trip to Dallas. My one shot of  Air Force One in 2009 landing is still a super seller. I was hoping for arrival to be on 13L as always, but now we know, it didn't happen!

The Vice President's arrival on 13-L tail number 80001

Air Force One on 13-R tail number 28000

♥ ATC-Air Traffic Control

Happy 2016 From Dallas

New Year is about reflecting on the past and hopes for the future. The older I get it seems to me that the reflecting list grows longer than the hopes for the future list. It is not a negative statement by any means.  It's all based in fact. What also seems to stack the deck on the reflective side is the archive of this blog. While reflecting, some of the past articles even made me laugh. My, how times change perspectives. Then, finally, if not being struck again by one of my amazing eureka points, it hit me that the hopes for the future is by design a short list. It's always going to be a short list. Peace, Hope and Joy. Three words over many, but powerful words at that. I did gleam a couple of things from the review of past January's list. Rather timely, but still in a different way that they were and are now viewed.

One,the latest tornadoes and the path of destruction and death that befell the peninsula at Lake Ray Hubbard generated my archives and brought up an article about the area that was struck hard. Bad Karma, some say. Yes, the city of Dallas sale on the sly--made to look like the voters had approved the sale when it was a legal manipulation of words that tricked a lost of voters--of Robinson Park to the city of Rowlett. That area, Dalrock and I-30 was where the most damage and the most deaths occured .The question of the landmark water tower in line of  the 13-mile on-the-ground- tornadoes for a sale of land does make a story that movies have been made from.

Another post came up about an old college professor, now deceased, that was an early mentor for me. He had written so many translation on the works of Percy Bysshe Shelley, loved American Jazz, was a connaisseur of fine brandy and quoted Shelley repeatedly. The most famous of his likes could be a tribute to those that lost their lives on I-30.  

Death is the veil which 

Those who live call Life.

They sleep, and it is lifted.

Two, there were a lot of broken hearts in Arlington on New Year's Eve. There were a lot of joyous fans as well. Like a stop light, there were green hearts and red hearts. The green hearts go back to Ingham County to re-group.

A red-tailed bird ( I would not want to misrepresent, especially to those of 600mm lens, the experts in all fields. )

The last full year for Obama in the White House. He will have to fly on this old bird because the Military has announced that the new Boeing 747-800's will have to wait because of budget  restraints. Don has his own plane and helicopter, anyway. Is that The Omen? Nah, that must be the 40-year old film by that name that I'm thinking about.

edit peninsula and description 01Jan16

What Do You Do In A Traffic Jam ?

This guy knows how to wait out a traffic jam on a hot summer day.

This past Wednesday, President Obama (with the help of Governor Rick Perry) created a traffic jam on the Dallas North Tollway that lasted more than an hour while the president's motorcade moved from Love Field to a prominent Dallas Attorney's home in North Dallas. The arrival of Air Force One at DFW International was a first for Obama, making him only the third sitting President to land at DFW.  Air Force One had not landed at DFW since 1992. From DFW, the president took Marine One, along with it's decoy look-alike and three Osprey's that carried the press corp to Love Field.  The reason for the switch: Love Field has been undergoing a major renovation of both terminals and runway/taxiways. The last time Air Force One landed at Love, the flight deck at DalFort Fueling was cramped, to say the least, but dodging yellow cones and barrels from the left hand seat of Air Force One, some seven stories up in the air, was like watching some test driver move in and out between cones in a zig-zag pattern along a test track that only a professional could handle.

The work that Love Field was undergoing on Wednesday was due to be finished in time for the arrival of Air Force One ( SAM 29000 ran late arriving as Air Force One anyway) and the work was finished, but at the time the schedule was put into place, the White House Staff for Schedule Making decided to land at DFW to error on the safe side. After all, it was  POTUS that was being juggled around in the schedule. As it ended up, the meeting with Governor Perry and others was held in one of the conference rooms at DalFort Fueling where Air Force One usually parks anyway.

The old neighborhood where mom had lived has changed a lot since she passed over. It's more youthful now. Many of the wonderful 1950-60 era sprawling one floor ranch-styles have been purchased up, torn down and rebuilt with McMansions, the process of reclaiming perfectly good neighborhoods and putting two story and still sprawling houses with both double and a single garage doors and roof lines that make Edgar Allen Poe's House of Seven Gables easy to count by today's standards.

On Wednesday, the neighborhood's  neighbors were all out in force to catch a glimpse of POTUS. I can recall doing the same thing when Carter, Nixon and Johnson had come to my neighborhood after I had left the nest and started my own family. Nothing in life really changes much, just the GPS points and neighborhood names and a little architecture meddling hear and there.

This was the first time out of the last six trips to the Metroplex that I have failed to go watch Air Force One arrive. Actually, I had planned to go over to the old neighborhood and do what all the old neighbors were doing--wait to catch a glimpse of the president. But, that would be worse than getting caught up in traffic snarls at either of the two airports, the tollway etc.,etc.

St. Michael Drive runs from Forest Lane near Medical City Hospital  to Royal Lane between US 75 Central Expressway to Hillcrest Avenue. At Royal Lane, St. Michael becomes Boedecker, continues to run south and ends in the new parking lot of the George W. Bush Presidential Library on the campus of Southern Methodist University. When ever I cross Boedecker to this day, I sing the word to the tune of "Gold-Finger!" by saying, Boe--Decker!-- is a street. It's just one of those things that I like to do. The area is just west and behind the JCC (Jewish Community Center) on Northhaven Road. Midbury runs one street north of Northhaven.


The part of the street were the president would be attending is  east of St. Michael on a cul-de-sac. I'm sure the Secret Service were pulling out their hair again because it is such a "dead end" type- area. It's one of the things mom liked about the neighborhood. She liked driving the back roads and she knew every angle of that neighborhood like the back of her hand. You never wanted to race her on the expressways. Just when you thought you had won--you looked up and saw the baby blue Buick  coming at you. She would park having gotten the right-of-way and all you could do was to pull in next to her (and laugh to yourself in defeat).

For now, there will be a count down to to the retirement of this SAM-29000 and the back-up. The bigger and more modern and upgraded 747-800 with the elongated second deck will await a new President in 2016. There has been talk of  a new Marine One and others in the detail. Most people get excited over a new car. I get excited over a new presidential plane. After all, it is the most visible source for our American Democracy on display where ever it flies. So make the best of presidential motorcade traffic jams!!

Free Enterprise Evidence

Wednesday afternoon, I drove over to Love Field to see the President's plane and motorcade. This would be my fourth for President Obama's arrival. The difference between this visit and the three previous was actually three-fold in differences.

For one, the previous trips the President has made were in early afternoons. This trip was late afternoon with the President's plane touching down almost on the dot of 5P.M. Sunset was a bit shy of 5:30, so the late afternoon sun was already casting long deep shadows.

Second, a strong cold front had passed during the early part of mid morning and the winds were coming out of the northwest. What that means to regional airports is that the airports are "flipped". When an airport is flipped by ATC (Air Traffic Control) it changes the approach and departure patterns. So normal landings at Love Field on 13L and 13R become 31R and 31L. The previous times, the President's plane has made that long graceful approach from the approach dogleg out over 635 into the runway that runs behind the Frontier of Flight Museum and the fork of Lemmon Avenue known as 13L. But, because of the wind direction on Wednesday, Air Force One made its approach over downtown in between Cedar Springs and Denton/Maple Avenue or 31L.

Finally, the one thing that really stood out on this trip more than any other trips in the past that I have attended was an enterprising young man selling a full pole of cotton candy! Now, who says that the President hasn't created free enterprise and job creation?

A gentleman buys one for his lovely wife.

A little self indulgence is needed after a busy day

Landing on Runway 31L at Love Field.

Dallas on the World Stage--Again!

SAM 29000 parked at a FBO at Love Field

The fleet of 5 helicopters returns from Waco and West,Texas

A Dallas Policeman prevents well-wishers from getting to the better picture spots this time.

A beast of beauty

Good Bye until Next Trip

The dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, on the campus of Southern Methodist University, was a success for all concerned. With all five living Presidents in attendance and a long and impressive dignitary list, security was tight. The event was by Event Ticket and Invitation only.
Even the protest gallery across Central Expressway from the event had a national television personality in their group.

The activity and security around Love Field was also tighter than in the past when Air Force One or SAM 29000 has been in town. It's never as much fun when security must be tightened but it is still exciting to see the most visible form of our government either arriving,parked or departing the field.

At Love Field, the crowds grew while waiting for the fleet of helicopters to return from Waco and West, Texas. The arrival was a bit late but just short of the seven o'clock hour, the 747's four big engines kicked up dust on the runway as it rotated and lifted off  and began its climb out in the glare of an early springs setting sun.










 

Lost Images Revealed

The Baddest of the SS. This is for real an example of "Don't Tread On Me"! 

Air Force One on Final at Love Field,Dallas
Taken moments before my prized image from that day's shoot.

Basically, I hate it when I index images and mis-direct one here and there. Such is the case with this post. These two I have searched high and low for a year. Today, it was "Bingo" because they were found and now have been re-indexed to be where they should be filed. But, since  they have been found, I think there is still some interest by my readers. Enjoy.