[Leica] IMG: AOPA Barnstormers Party

[Jim Nichols]

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Assn. (AOPA) is holding its last regional 
fly-in of the year this weekend at our airport, hosted by the Beechcraft 
Heritage Museum. For the early arrivals, they put on a Barnstormers 
Party tonight, complete with live music from, where else, Nashville.  I 
introduced myself to one of the musicians, who uses the stage name, 
Jimmy Nichols.

After a nice day for the rapidly-arriving airplanes, heavy rain moved in 
as the crowd was arriving, so things got off to a slow start.  Standing 
at the entrance of the large museum hangar, I could see everything from 
Cubs to a DC-3 to a business jet, parked in the wet grass.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/AOPA+1.tif.html

I wandered around, looking at the few planes that were left in the 
corners as the hangar was emptied to set up tables, and found an early 
Staggerwing bearing the colors of barnstormer Roscoe Turner, along with 
a decal depicting Gilmore, the young lion, that he carried with him 
until it got too large to handle.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/AOPA+2.tif.html

The food was very tasty and plentiful.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/AOPA+3.tif.html

As the rain let up, the crowd increased rapidly.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/AOPA+4.tif.html

Live musicians from Nashville, some of whom are pilots, entertained the 
crowd.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/AOPA+5.tif.html

This attractive young lady was using her cell phone to photograph the 
radial engine that was on display, commenting that she was fascinated by 
intricate shiny parts.  I asked her to pose with the engine, and she 
willingly obliged.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/AOPA+6.tif.html

All with the X-E1 and 27mm, at ISOs from 400 to 1000.  The mixture of 
lighting made color balance a pain.

Comments and critiques welcomed.

-- 
Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA