https://www.instagram.com/1217__photography/?hl=en, https://www.flickr.com/photos/1217photography/

1217 Photography, 1200 Brooks Ave, Rochester, NY (2026)

09/20/2026

MAPS AIR MUSEUM
CANTON, OHIO, USA
JUNE 14, 2026
---------------------------------
One of the modern-era fighters on display at the MAPS Air Museum is this General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon, serial number 80-0513, construction number 61-234. Built as an F-16A Block 10D, this aircraft was delivered to the U.S. Air Force on September 10, 1981.
---------------------------------
ASSIGNMENTS:

🔹8th Tactical Fighter Wing — Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
The aircraft entered service with the 8th TFW in October 1981.

🔹17th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 20th Tactical Fighter Wing — Shaw AFB, South Carolina
In October 1982, 80-0513 moved to the 17th TFS at Shaw, continuing its operational fighter career.

🔹72nd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, 56th Tactical Training Wing — MacDill AFB, Florida
Beginning in October 1985, the F-16 served in the training role at MacDill, helping prepare pilots to operate the Fighting Falcon.

🔹89th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 906th Tactical Fighter Group — Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
In June 1989, the aircraft came home to Ohio, joining the Air Force Reserve’s 906th Tactical Fighter Group at Wright-Patterson.

🔹89th Fighter Squadron, 906th Tactical Fighter Group — Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
Following the squadron's redesignation in 1992, 80-0513 continued flying with the 89th Fighter Squadron.
---------------------------------
After completing its military service, 80-0513 was transferred to AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, on April 12, 1994, where it was stored as FG0142. It eventually entered the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force's loan program and was loaned to MAPS Air Museum in April 2015.
---------------------------------
The aircraft itself is an F-16A. It is NOT an F-16D. MAPS restored and painted the aircraft to represent F-16D 89-2082, an F-16D that served with the 112th Fighter Squadron “Stingers,” 180th Fighter Wing, Ohio Air National Guard, in Toledo. The reason is deeply personal. The markings honor Lt. Col. Kevin H. “Sonny” Sonnenberg, a native Ohioan and 112th Fighter Squadron F-16 pilot who was killed in Iraq in June 2007. MAPS chose to recreate Sonnenberg's aircraft markings as a memorial to him and the Ohio Air National Guard's F-16 community. The real 89-2082 was an F-16C Block 42F that served with several units, including the 19th Tactical Fighter Squadron/19th Fighter Squadron, 33rd Fighter Squadron, 112th Fighter Squadron, and 425th Fighter Squadron, and supported F-16 training for the Republic of Singapore Air Force. It later returned to the 112th FS and participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
---------------------------------
So when you see the F-16 at MAPS, you're actually looking at two stories in one aircraft: the authentic career of F-16A 80-0513, combined with a beautiful tribute to one of Ohio's very own. Thank you for your service, and your sacrifice will not be forgotten.

09/19/2026

DAYTON AIR SHOW
DAYTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KDAY)
VANDALIA, OHIO
JUNE 13, 2026
-----------------------------------
Blue Angel #5 (Lead Solo) Lieutenant Commander Connor O'Donnell and Blue Angel #6 (Opposing Solo) Major Scott Laux
-----------------------------------
PHOTOS COPYRIGHT OF 1217 PHOTOGRAPHY (JAMES MARION)

09/18/2026

✈️ THIS DAY IN AVIATION HISTORY ✈️
---------------------------------
On September 18, 1947, a major transformation in the United States military officially took place with the implementation of the National Security Act of 1947, establishing the United States Air Force as an independent, co-equal military service.
---------------------------------
Although President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act into law on July 26, 1947, its provisions creating the Department of the Air Force and establishing the U.S. Air Force took effect on September 18. Truman signed the legislation aboard the presidential aircraft Douglas VC-54C “Sacred Cow.”
---------------------------------
The National Security Act was designed to reorganize America's national-security structure following World War II. It established the National Military Establishment, created the positions of Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the Air Force, and established the National Security Council and Central Intelligence Agency.
---------------------------------
For American military aviation, the most significant change was the creation of the Department of the Air Force and the United States Air Force (USAF). The Army Air Forces, which had grown into a massive organization during World War II, were transferred from the Department of the Army into the new Air Force.
---------------------------------
The transition marked the end of the U.S. Army's decades-long control of America's air arm. The Air Force's lineage, however, stretched back through the Army Air Forces, Army Air Corps, Air Service, and ultimately the Army's early aviation efforts.
---------------------------------
On September 18, W. Stuart Symington was sworn in as the first Secretary of the Air Force by Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson. A few days later, on September 26, General Carl A. Spaatz became the first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.
---------------------------------
The new service inherited much of the personnel, aircraft, bases, equipment, and organizational structure of the former Army Air Forces. Its initial force included the combat organizations that had been developed during and immediately after World War II, including Strategic Air Command, Tactical Air Command, and Air Defense Command.
---------------------------------
The creation of an independent Air Force represented the culmination of decades of debate over the role of airpower in America's national defense. World War II had demonstrated the enormous capabilities of strategic bombing, air superiority, tactical aviation, and global airlift, helping establish the case for an independent air service.
---------------------------------
PHOTOS COPYRIGHT OF 1217 PHOTOGRAPHY (JAMES MARION)

09/18/2026

✈️ THIS DAY IN AVIATION HISTORY ✈️
---------------------------------
On September 18, 2000, the Boeing X-32A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) concept demonstrator took to the skies for the first time, beginning Boeing's effort to win one of the most important fighter competitions in modern aviation history. The X-32A departed Boeing's facility at Palmdale, California, and flew to Edwards Air Force Base, where it would begin an intensive flight-test program. At the controls was Boeing Chief Test Pilot Fred Knox, a former U.S. Navy pilot and experienced carrier aviator. Knox was the only person aboard the single-seat X-32A. The aircraft took off shortly before 8:00 a.m. local time. The planned first flight was approximately 40 minutes, but it was shortened to about 20 minutes after the crew of an accompanying chase aircraft noticed a minor hydraulic-fluid leak. Knox nevertheless completed the initial airworthiness checks and landed safely at Edwards AFB. During the flight, he evaluated the aircraft's basic flying qualities and checked several onboard systems. Despite the abbreviated flight, Knox reported that the X-32A handled much as Boeing's simulators had predicted.
---------------------------------
The X-32 was Boeing's entry in the U.S. Department of Defense's Joint Strike Fighter competition. In 1996, Boeing received a four-year contract for the concept-demonstration phase of the program. Rather than developing completely separate aircraft for each service, the program sought a high degree of commonality in design, manufacturing, and operation. Boeing also placed considerable emphasis on digital design, simulation, and lean manufacturing techniques, attempting to reduce the cost and complexity of producing the eventual operational fighter. The objective was to develop a relatively affordable, stealthy, multirole tactical fighter that could satisfy the requirements of the:

🔹 U.S. Air Force — Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL)
🔹 U.S. Navy — Carrier operations
🔹 U.S. Marine Corps — Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL)
🔹 Royal Navy & Royal Air Force — STOVL

Boeing built two X-32 concept demonstrators X-32A (CTOL and carrier-approach testing) and X-32B (STOVL testing)
---------------------------------
POWERPLANT:

The X-32 was powered by a Pratt & Whitney JSF119-PW-614 afterburning turbofan, which produced more than 42,000 pounds of thrust, giving it a top speed of Mach 1.6 (approximately 1,200 mph or 1,931 km/h). The X-32A subsequently demonstrated that capability on December 21, 2000, when U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Edward Cabrera took the aircraft through Mach 1 at 30,000 feet during its 49th flight.
---------------------------------
The X-32A went on to complete 66 flights during roughly four months of testing. The X-32A completed the government's major CTOL and carrier-variant test objectives. Boeing reported that actual flight performance closely matched the company's extensive computer simulations. The second aircraft, X-32B, first flew on March 29, 2001, and was used to demonstrate Boeing's proposed STOVL system for the Marine Corps and British forces.
---------------------------------
JSF COMPETITION:

Boeing's X-32 ultimately competed against the Lockheed Martin X-35. In October 2001, the Department of Defense selected the X-35 as the winner of the JSF competition. The X-35 subsequently evolved into the F-35 Lightning II, eventually becoming the F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C. Although the X-32 never entered production, the program produced advances in stealth technology, digital design, simulation and manufacturing techniques that Boeing subsequently applied to other aircraft programs.
---------------------------------
PHOTOS COPYRIGHT OF 1217 PHOTOGRAPHY (JAMES MARION)

09/17/2026

✈️ THIS DAY IN AVIATION HISTORY ✈️
---------------------------------
On September 17, 2013, at 11:02 a.m. PDT, the first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, registered N789EX and designated ZB001, took to the skies for the first time from Paine Field in Everett, Washington. At the controls were 787-9 Senior Project Pilot Mike Bryan and 787 Chief Pilot Randy Neville. During the flight, the aircraft climbed to approximately 20,400 feet and reached 250 knots (about 288 mph). After completing its initial test program, the aircraft landed at Boeing Field in Seattle at 4:18 p.m., completing a 5-hour, 16-minute flight.
---------------------------------
N789EX then became the primary test aircraft for the 787-9 development program. It eventually accumulated approximately 596 hours and 227 test flights before being withdrawn from Boeing's flight-test program on January 3, 2015. After completing Boeing's testing, the aircraft underwent preparation for delivery and was repainted in Air New Zealand colors. It was re-registered as ZK-NZC and delivered to Air New Zealand on August 25, 2015. The former prototype subsequently entered revenue service, with its first commercial flight taking place on September 1, 2015, between Auckland and Brisbane.
---------------------------------
The 787-9 was developed as a stretched version of the 787-8, offering airlines greater passenger and cargo capacity while retaining the Dreamliner family's long-range capability and fuel efficiency. The aircraft is approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) longer than the 787-8 and was designed to carry roughly 40 more passengers while flying about 300 nautical miles farther. The 787-9 has become by far the most successful and popular member of the 787 family. As of August 2026, 761 Boeing 787-9s had been delivered, with 1,495 ordered. Today, the 787-9 is operated by airlines around the world. United Airlines is currently the largest operator, with approximately 48 787-9s in service, followed by All Nippon Airways with about 44.
---------------------------------
SPECIFICATIONS:

✈️ Engines: 2 × GE GEnx-1B or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000
🚀 Cruise Speed: Mach 0.85 (≈561 mph)
🌎 Range: Up to 8,300 nautical miles (15,370 km)
👥 Passenger Capacity: 250–325 passengers (typical two-class configuration)
---------------------------------
PHOTOS COPYRIGHT OF 1217 PHOTOGRAPHY (JAMES MARION)

09/16/2026

COLUMBUS AIR SHOW
RICKENBACKER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KLCK)
JUNE 20, 2026
-----------------------------------
The C-147A is one of the aircraft used by the US Army Golden Knights. The C-147A is a military variant of the de Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 and is currently the primary heavy-lift aircraft for the team. It is used for larger team jumps, hauling equipment, and flying team members between show locations
-----------------------------------
PHOTOS COPYRIGHT OF 1217 PHOTOGRAPHY (JAMES MARION)

09/15/2026

✈️ THIS DAY IN AVIATION HISTORY ✈️
---------------------------------
On September 15, 1991, the McDonnell Douglas YC-17A performed its maiden flight from Long Beach Airport, California, with pilot Bill Casey, co-pilot Lt. Col. George London of the 6510th Test Wing, loadmaster Ted Venturini, and flight test engineer George Van de Graaf on board. This aircraft was commonly referred to as T1 and was given a lifespan of only 5 years. During flight testing, it set 33 world records, which was more than any other airlifter in history. After completing the extensive C-17 flight test program, it supported many other flight and propulsion test programs for the USAF and NASA. The aircraft was periodically rebuilt and refurbished over the years, and its lifespan grew from five to 21 years. Not satisfied with just being a successful test aircraft, T1 would make numerous appearances on the big screen. T1's screen credits include "Transformers" (2007), "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (2009), "Iron Man" (2008), "Iron Man 2" (2010), and Toby Keith's music video for "American Soldier". After two decades of flight testing and film cameos, T1 would be retired from service. The National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, would become the new home for this historic aircraft in 2012. I had the pleasure of seeing this aircraft in person multiple times during my visits to Dayton for the annual airshow.
-----------------------------------
PHOTOS COPYRIGHT OF 1217 PHOTOGRAPHY (JAMES MARION)

09/14/2026

CLEVELAND NATIONAL AIR SHOW
CLEVELAND BURKE LAKEFRONT AIRPORT
CLEVELAND, OHIO
SEPTEMBER 6, 2026
-----------------------------------
This Lockheed C-130H Hercules (92-3023), one of the workhorses of the United States Air Force, put on a display at the annual show over Lake Erie. This Herk belongs to the 757th Airlift Squadron “Blue Tigers”, stationed at Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna, Ohio.
-----------------------------------
Built by Lockheed at Marietta, Georgia, and carrying construction number 382-5314, 92-3023 was delivered to the U.S. Air Force in 1992. 92-3023's early operational career was with the 731st Airlift Squadron, part of the 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson AFB, Colorado. The 302nd is an Air Force Reserve Command unit assigned to the 22nd Air Force. Today, the 731st continues to operate C-130H Hercules aircraft from Peterson Space Force Base, performing tactical airlift, airdrop, aeromedical evacuation, and the specialized Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) mission. The 302nd Airlift Wing has operated C-130s from Peterson since 1985 and remains one of the Air Force Reserve's major tactical airlift organizations.
-----------------------------------
By May 1998, 92-3023 had transferred to the 773rd Airlift Squadron, part of the 910th Airlift Wing at Youngstown-Warren Air Reserve Station, Ohio. The 773rd was known as the “Fleagles,” with the motto “Quiet Professionals.” Its C-130 crews performed worldwide airlift operations and supported contingency and humanitarian missions. During the Vietnam War era, the squadron operated from the Philippines and rotated aircraft and crews into Vietnam. After being reactivated at Youngstown in 1995, the 773rd became a major part of the 910th Airlift Wing's C-130 force. Following September 11, 2001, its personnel were repeatedly mobilized for operations in Southwest Asia, including Iraq and Afghanistan, where they provided airlift and airdrop support. It remained with the 773rd through its later Reserve career, although the aircraft briefly appeared on the books of AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, in November 2008 while undergoing work. It was not permanently retired or placed into storage and subsequently returned to service with the 773rd. Six years later, on March 31, 2014, the 773rd Airlift Squadron was ultimately inactivated.
-----------------------------------
After the deactivation of the 773rd, its personnel and mission were consolidated into the 757th Airlift Squadron, known as the Blue Tigers. 92-3023 was among those integrated into the squadron. The Blue Tigers are assigned to the 910th Operations Group, 910th Airlift Wing, Air Force Reserve Command, and are based at Youngstown Air Reserve Station (YARS), Vienna, Ohio. They have an especially unique mission. In addition to conventional airlift, the 910th Airlift Wing operates the Air Force's only large-scale aerial spray capability, using C-130s equipped for missions such as mosquito control and dispersal operations. The squadron's history also includes the use of its aircraft for disaster-response operations.
-----------------------------------
PHOTOS COPYRIGHT OF 1217 PHOTOGRAPHY (JAMES MRION)

1217 Photography

09/20/2026

09/19/2026

09/18/2026

09/18/2026

09/17/2026

09/16/2026

09/15/2026

09/14/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request