mckphotography

05/21/2026

The U.S. Army’s heavy lifter…

The venerable CH-47F Chinook is a true workhorse. Utilitarian and powerful. Cargo, troop ship, ingress and egress, search and rescue, you name it!

Thanks to the 101st Airborne’s G Company of the 6th Battalion for bringing down their Chinook to the Red White and Blue Airshow for static display. It has a hit on the ramp!

Images taken 5-26

05/14/2026

Remembering a true American patriot, Dan Fordice…

I remember walking up to the crowd line as a little boy with my dad and brother at The Best Little Airshow in the World in Tallulah and being so excited to see a P-51, not in a museum collecting dust but in its natural habitat for the first time. We stood there and watched the pilot fire up that big Packard V-1650 Merlin. The Mustang roared to life, and taxiied out to join other warbirds in the air. As a young adult, I can now remember and appreciate the joy that brought my dad. The pilot was Captain (ret.) Dan K. Fordice, and the plane was his beloved and iconic P-51D Mustang ‘Charlotte’s Chariot II’.

I am not going to pretend like I knew Dan because I did not. However, I had the privilege of meeting him once before. His presence filled the room, and his big personality did not go unnoticed. I always looked forward to seeing him around, especially in the air at the Red, White, and Blue Airshow. I have photographed ‘Charlotte’s Chariot II’ more than any other P-51. Just Dan being behind the controls made each one of those photos mean so much more.

If anything is certain, Dan’s profound character and faith has been reflected in the outpouring of support this week. He touched so many in so many ways. The testimonies of his life from all over are inspirational, and he leaves a massive void in the airshow and local community that will never be filled. We continue to send love and prayer to the Fordice family, Dan’s friends, and all of those who he impacted.

Thank you, Dan for bringing history to life, sharing ‘Charlotte’s Chariot II’ with all of us. And thank you, for your service to our country and to its people.

““His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭21‬ ‭

Blue skies and tailwinds, Dan.

05/14/2026

An American original fueled by America’s Coffee 🇺🇸

Whether it is barnstorming aerobatics or accelerating vertically with a TWR over 1, Jarrod Lindeman in his Jet Waco amazes crowds with a 1929 Taperwing Waco sporting a P&W 985 radial and a GE J85 turbojet. It’s something you have to see to believe!

Images taken 5/2-3/26

05/13/2026

Yesterday, we lost a dear friend, supporter, and true aviator, Dan Fordice.

Dan was a tremendous part of our organization and a close friend to so many of our members. He was always eager to share his passion for aviation, generously bringing his aircraft to our events and helping inspire countless people through the love of flight. His presence, kindness, and enthusiasm will be deeply missed.

There is some comfort in knowing that Dan passed away doing what he truly loved - flying an aircraft he loved. Few people live with the passion and dedication to aviation that Dan carried throughout his life.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and everyone whose lives he touched. His legacy will continue to live on in the skies and in the hearts of all who knew him.

Blue Skies and Tailwinds, Dan-O.

05/07/2026

04/27/2026

THIS WEEK is the !

Can’t wait to celebrate America’s 250!

See y’all out on the ramp!

04/10/2026

The Raptor yearns for the stratosphere…

While not exactly in the stratosphere, the F-22 Raptor Demo Team climbed high above the Wings Over Meridian Air Show to perform the Raptor’s signature falling leaf and power loop maneuvers. Flare dumps accompanied both awe-inspiring maneuvers against a perfect blue sky.

While these maneuvers stay under 5,000ft, the Raptor has a service ceiling beyond 65,000ft. If you’re going to be the king of the skies, you have to be able to reach some altitude.

Images taken 3-28-26

04/10/2026

The significance of Artemis II cannot be understated…

As 4 humans return home today from a nearly 700,000 mile journey, we are living through history. While we have been to the Moon 9 times in the past and it has taken far too long to go back, this mission ushers in a new era of spaceflight. Below are just some of the accomplishments of the mission:

- First trip to the Moon in 54 years since Apollo 17 left in 1972
- Farthest distance traveled by humans from Earth (252,760 miles)
- First crewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft
- Complex manual orbital maneuvers
- First lunar survey with human eyes since 1972
- Observed and named new impact craters
- Over 10,000 new photos and videos of the Moon taken with 32 modern digital cameras
- Most powerful crewed launch in history (8.8 million lbs of thrust atop the SLS

Now above is my rudimentary sketch of the orbital mechanics of the mission. The blue represents the Moon’s orbit around Earth. The solid red is a rough estimate of where the Orion has been at the time of taking the photo, and the dashed red represents Orion’s trajectory home.

Upcoming Artemis missions:

- Artemis III (mid-2027): Testing of the Orion spacecraft, SpaceX and Blue Origin’s lunar landers, and Axiom’s new spacesuits in Earth orbit
- Artemis IV (early 2028): First crewed lunar landing on the Moon in 56 years
- Artemis V (late 2028): Second landing; beginning of “moon base” construction

Images taken 3-7-26

04/04/2026

Formation Friday brought to you by the NextGen Eagles Formation Aerobatic Team

2 Christen Eagles flying aerobatics against a perfect blue sky at the Wings Over Meridian Air Show was a sight to behold!

Images taken 3-28-26