US Air Force Academy gliders

[Limbwalker]

Spending some time with my son here in Colorado and the weather finally warmed up enough to get out. We were at the Air Force Academy this afternoon as the tow planes were sending the training gliders up.

Lucky for me, I had the 7D and Tamzooka handy!

Readying the tow by johnmagera, on Flickr

On it's way! by johnmagera, on Flickr

In tow! by johnmagera, on Flickr

USAFA glider by johnmagera, on Flickr

[Limbwalker]

As I was looking up, I saw this plane overhead and thought I'd snap a shot of it. Not too bad from 30,000 feet.

contrails by johnmagera, on Flickr

[TexasFlyer03]

First post on the green screen. Usually sit back and soak up info but after spending 5 years at the Academy I have to pipe up. I definitely have a love hate relationship for that place. After graduating I have a huge appreciation for what it did for me as I have 1 month left of pilot training at Vance AFB, OK. Juggling baseball and academics and military duties was the hardest thing I have ever done. Met my best friends there, got my butt kicked at times but turned into a man.

USAFA '13

FLY! FIGHT! WIN!

[Bayouboy]

Congrats on the academy adventure. My youngest son was torn between the academy and afrotc @ LSU.
He just received his acceptance letter from LSU. Looks like he will be a fighting tiger.

[TexasFlyer03]

I highly recommend your son doing ROTC. If he is committed it is well worth it.

[Limbwalker]

TexasFlyer, my son is USAFA '17 pre-med. I enjoyed hearing from him what it was like to be in those gliders. Something I've never done. Sure looks like an adventure.

[Bayouboy]

I highly recommend your son doing ROTC. If he is committed it is well worth it.

I have no doubt he will be committed. Plus, if he is going to do pre med and med school it will have him extremely busy. And, that is a a good thing
Plus, the scholarship is very helpful.

[TexasFlyer03]

Wow both pre-med, something I could have never done. The glider program is very well run, they do an excellent job down there. A couple guys that are in T-38s currently with me are former glider instructor pilots in their time as cadets.

[Lovebug]

Those are some cool pics. My daughter loved look at them. She is a Junior and in ROTC at the school. She seems to want to go into the air force but is still very unsure and can't decide what she wants to be when she grows up.

[Limbwalker]

Hmm, not sure why the 1st isn't showing up. Maybe I wasn't supposed to take that shot? Strange. I think I just got "edited."

Anyway, thanks Lovebug. I can highly recommend any of the military academies for your daughter. My son loves the USAFA, and I have a good friend who has a daughter there, and another daughter at the U.S. Naval Academy.

And despite conventional wisdom, kids from "regular" familes CAN and DO get into these elite schools. My son had exceptional grades and references coming out of high school (graduated a year early) and then joined the A&M Corps for a year in order to better his chance of getting into USAFA. He worked his butt off, but it paid off.

We are not a household of great means. We were trying to figure out how to pay for A&M in fact. And we don't have any connections in the military or with politicians.

It's great to know that even this day and age, a kid can work hard and get into one of these elite academies on their own. It does still happen. And frankly, I think the staff at the academy prefers to see that because they are all about hard work and dedication.

[Limbwalker]

Well, it shows up on my Flickr feed. Mods, if this photo isn't allowed, someone needs to let me know.

Readying the tow by johnmagera, on Flickr

[Limbwalker]

BTW, that last image was shot from the public overlook of the air field at the USAFA. Key word is PUBLIC overlook.

I was 1/3 mile away from the aircraft. That's 600mm on a 1.6x crop body for a 960mm effective view, and then cropped on top of that.

That Tamron is an amazing lens.

[Bayouboy]

Hmm, not sure why the 1st isn't showing up. Maybe I wasn't supposed to take that shot? Strange. I think I just got "edited."

Anyway, thanks Lovebug. I can highly recommend any of the military academies for your daughter. My son loves the USAFA, and I have a good friend who has a daughter there, and another daughter at the U.S. Naval Academy.

And despite conventional wisdom, kids from "regular" familes CAN and DO get into these elite schools. My son had exceptional grades and references coming out of high school (graduated a year early) and then joined the A&M Corps for a year in order to better his chance of getting into USAFA. He worked his butt off, but it paid off.

We are not a household of great means. We were trying to figure out how to pay for A&M in fact. And we don't have any connections in the military or with politicians.

It's great to know that even this day and age, a kid can work hard and get into one of these elite academies on their own. It does still happen. And frankly, I think the staff at the academy prefers to see that because they are all about hard work and dedication.

Here here! I can relate. And, congrats to your son and all the hard work. Most of today's kids are scared of the commitment after school. I for one think it is great and builds character. My youngest has wanted to attend LSU since the second grade He was recently accepted and is using AFROTC, the tops program, and academic scholarships to pay for his out of state schooling. Nothing wrong with a youngster earning their own way if they can. It has to mean more to them that way. And, it will keep their noses in the books rather than where they don't belong.

[Davoh]

I worked in an office on monument hill just a few miles north of the academy, many years ago. Enjoyed watching the gliders, as well as the graduation air show, from lawn chairs in the parking lot.

Coolest thing was the army vs air force football game at the academy stadium. Army and air force took turnsflying their air craft over the stadium. With the last being f16s flying THRU the stadium.

Was awesome. I miss that country.

[1028jdn]

Thats pretty cool!!