IAPA

Reno Air Races Day 2009 - Monday September 14th - Day 1.

2009-09-14T16:18:00.001-07:00

Calm day to day at the races, the first day of the qualifications to know who finally will compete in the races from Wednesday on. Picked up my credentials, looked for some old friends,walked around in the pits to see what is new,ask some of the competitors about their plans and expectations for the week-end. Noticed that the Unlimiteds set already some fast qualification times today, so hopefully we’ll have some good fast and safe races this week-end. Try to give you every day the best qualification times and results of the race heats of the six different race categories and the first pictures.

Afterwards did some shopping in the shopping’s nearby and for the rest relaxing in the hotel for the rest of the day.

Finally at Reno

2009-09-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

Finally at Reno

After a long drive from San Francisco, and of course some stops at some Napa wineries as the Moet & Chandon Winery for instance, we arrived well in Reno. Tomorrow morning getting my press accreditations and I'm ready for it.

I'll try to keep you informed daily

"Twan"

Murphy strikes back

2009-09-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

The very last days the back pain was resittable and with the medication there was no problem at all to be afraid of the meore than 24 Hrs flight to SFO.

But putting my camera gear in the overhead bins of the aircraft at Newark airport I suddenly felt such a pain flashing pain in my back that for the next hours I couldn't almost sit or walk around without very heavy pains. Now one day later I still feel the pain but think that won't change my plans to drive on Sunday further on to Reno.

So tomorrow some sight seeing in SFO and from Monday on "Let the races begin"

Twan

Murphy's law.

2009-07-10T01:39:00.000-07:00

Ever heard about Murphy's Law :

If anything can go wrong, it will.

Well a couple of weeks ago I met Murphy again.What initially wasn't more than a stupid fall into the bathroom, finally turned out in serious back problems that maybe will result in back surgery and many weeks of recovery.
All this came on the most unfortunate moment, the beginning of the European air show season, so I had to cancel my attendance at most of all fly-in's, air shows and aviation events which I was planned to attend in May and June.
Hopefully recovery will go the right way and soon you can read and enjoy my reports and pictures of some aviation events.The first one which is until now still on my planning EAA in Oshkosh WI.Let's cross fingers and hope for the best.

Twan

Sun 'n Fun 2009

2009-05-14T00:42:00.000-07:00

Since this week I up-loaded about 100 pictures of the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In.In those 100 pictures there are about 5 pictures of Ms. Patty Wagstaff, one of the best,if not the best female aerobatic pilots.

2 pictures in the plane,2 on the ground during her "ground air show display rehearsal" and 1 close -up when she was just a little bit relaxing pending on her car just before her display.

When I look at the amount of viewings of the pictures I notices the first mentioned pictures where viewed a couple of time, those of the rehearsal the double and the latter,-the close-up-so many more times.

Does this mean that I better stop taking pictures of airplanes at air shows and concentrate my self on pictures of nice looking ladies walking around at the air shows :-)) ??

Regards

Twan

Sun 'n Fun 2009 - A spring break for pilots and aviation enthusiasts.

2009-05-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

Back in Belgium after a week of much Sun 'n Fun in Lakeland.

After that week in Florida I realized how difficult it is to recover from jet-lag, getting used to temperatures of 30 and more,walking all day with over 25 kilo's of photo material,in the evening once back in the hotel download the pictures,read all the "junk mail" messages,find something to eat,and than.... start to write my blog.

I really could find the power to sit in front of the computer and start writing the blog.

So no blog about the Sun 'n Fun event but don't worry,I started already writing my report and selecting the pictures for the news report that will be put on the site very soon.

Regards

"Twan"

Belair at Antwerp Airport - A place to be !!

2009-03-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the press conference and the reception of the new Belair restaurant at Antwerp Airport.

The old cafeteria was taken over by Mr. Jan Vercruysse in 2004 with the aim to transform the old-fashioned cafeteria into a nice trendy restaurant.

Now five years later , the complete renovation of the restaurant has finally come to an end.Belair is now a very attractive restaurant receiving its customers in a trendy environment with a cozy bar, a nice tavern, modern business restaurant and a small lounge bar with a great covered and open terrace at the first floor, providing a magnificent view on the runway and all the activities on the airport.

Belair is the perfect place to wait for your flight, to have lunch with your business partners, to organize your events or just to enjoy the magnificent view over Antwerp Airport with a cup of coffee a tasteful ice-cream or a cold glass of one of our famous Belgian beers, not to mention the terrace which will be the perfect place for all airplane spotters and the nearby Stampe & Vertongen Museum with his magnificent collection of WWI airplanes and beyond.

Making the first reservation for this year.

2009-03-11T01:42:00.000-07:00

Except some sunny but still rather cold days, weather in Belgium is still very cloudy, raining depressive and surely not the weather you're looking for to fly some nice photo shoots.

So what else can you do then that start your planning for your next trips to sunnier places where the aviation action goes on.My first trip this year will be the Sun 'N Fun Fly-In in Lakeland Florida. It will be my first trip to Lakeland so I'm quiet a bit curious to see what's going on there.Have been several times to EAA Oshkosh, which is so big that even after a week you still didn't get all the time to do what you wanted.So I hope to have more time to speak to the pilots and their plane for some reports for the website and some magazines.

If some pilots who should be there too and are willing to have their plane and history on the web and in the magazines, do not hesitate to contact me.

If you did like I did, waiting a little bit to long before for making your hotel reservations and not want to sleep on a camping then you better look for an hotel in Tampa.Not that fare away from Linder Regional Airport at Lakeland where it all happens.

So I just finished my hotel, airline tickets and media credentials and now I'm looking out for April 16th to fly to the sunny Florida.

Greetz

Twan

It's new, it's the IAPA blog

2009-02-25T15:10:00.000-08:00

OK ... this is my first BLOG - I am not even sure what that word means, but as so many websites has a blog too, and apparently BLOGS are men and women expounding on whatever pops into their minds ....this might be interesting? Who knows?

SO I'll give it a try and from now on, you'll be at the first row -especially in summer months when I'm out some where on report at one or an other aviation event- to know all about it at first hand, and give your eventual remarks and comments.

Isn't that good?

Regards

Twan