Gallery Review: New Year's Montage 2017

As the year 2017 comes to a close, it's that time of year again. I wish you all a Happy New Year!

January 2017
The new year started out with my second full semester studying Aviation Science at Utah Valley University. Unfortunately, I practically got zero photography in for the month of January due to extenuating circumstances regarding my progress towards earning my certificate as a private pilot. This was by far one of my most frustrating semesters of school ever; aside from relentless winter weather, my patience was pushed beyond the limit waiting to fly so I could finish up my private pilot training. I had hoped I could finish up quickly so I could move on and start training for an Instrument rating but I was forced to change my plans, as I pushed back said plans to summer term. I only logged three flights during this month and little did I know it, but this was only just the beginning of my frustrations...

February 2017
Again, my least favorite month of the year as the themes of February often reminds me of past heartbreaks and painful, Valentine's Day-related memories. But I got a little planespotting in February after realizing that I didn't photograph anything in January. I found a new spotting vantage point in Provo during this month during a particular day where I was struck down with boredom. The biggest highlight of February was catching my very first Boeing 747-8F in Portland when I went home for President's Day weekend to visit family.

Alpine Air Express Beechcraft 1900C-1 (N114AX).

After cropping this photo, I was rather pleased with how it turned out with the background and the 1900.

Spirit Airlines Airbus A320-232 (N623NK). I was excited to finally catch this livery from Spirit Airlines, but this was also my first time catching another A320 operator with sharklets!

Boutique Air Pilatus PC-12/47 (N477SS). This was my first opportunity get a decent shot of Boutique Air's newly established operations in Portland since they started flights to Pendleton at the end of 2016. Also, it's a new airline (no matter how big or small!) to add to my portfolio!

Cathay Pacific Cargo Boeing 747-867F/SCD (B-LJE).

I love it when I get the red anti-collision beacon in my shots!

No matter where I go, it will always be a treat to see the beautiful "Queen of the Skies" grace us with her presence!

March 2017
What is there to say about March? My frustration with the delay in flight training came to a head during this month; towards the beginning, I was told that the flight school was hiring some new instructors and they had one lined up for me. I check back a few days after and my blood really boils as I get informed that the instructor that was lined up for me ended up not getting hired, which was a nice way of saying that my flight training got put on the back burner! This really was the most frustrating semester. At this point in the year, I could've gotten done with my private pilot training. It honestly should not have taken this long and I honestly believe no student pilot should've gone through such a clusterf**k that I've had to put up with. I also got to enjoy a Spring Break during this month so I used that time to get away from my problems in Provo for a few days and headed up to Idaho to visit relatives, where I got to go flying with my uncle and even got my first taste of flying in a taildragger aircraft (which I got to log time in!).

Pilatus PC-12/45 (N292P). I just absolutely love the color contrast in this photo!

Allegiant Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (N891GA).

The angle and the mountains in the background, makes this photo pop!

Allegiant Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (N872GA). The mountains make a beautiful backdrop.

Piel CP-30 Emeraude (N5TX), the plane where I got my first taste of flying in a taildragger with my uncle.

An over-wing view of St. Anthony and the Idaho countryside while my uncle and I flew around in the Emeraude. Thanks uncle Sam for instructing me on this flight and allowing me to log time on my introductory flight in a tail-dragger!

Cessna 525 Citation CJ1 (N66BE).

Allegiant Air Airbus A319-111 (N330NV). I never got tired of this view!

Cessna 560XL Citation Excel (N560JF).

Flight Options Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 600 (N905FL).

April 2017
Finally, I get assigned to a flight instructor to help me finish out my private pilot training! Much of this month was spent going through recurrent training so I could knock off the rust AND get back into proficiency of flying an airplane; I wouldn't have had to go through this if UVU did their jobs and got me a flight instructor sooner... The only thing I learned from this clusterf**k of a semester is that student pilots (who have paid their fees) can get screwed over from this pilot shortage that we seem to talk about often because it's not just happening with the airlines; it's happening at flight schools where flight instructors are in short supply. This trying experience I had to put up with during my Spring 2017 semester at Utah Valley University has made me somewhat of a critic on the notion of now being a great time to be in flight training because of a pilot shortage that's currently happening in the airlines... In fact, there's no pilot shortage! There's a flight instructor shortage and the flight schools need to do something about it! As for my photography, there's not much to say about it since my primary focus was on building up flight time and making up for lost time to catch up.

Allegiant Air Airbus A319-112 (N307NV). I got the red rotating beacon in this shot!

Key Lime Air (d/b/a Denver Air Connection) Fairchild-Dornier 328-300 328JET (N259DS).

Learjet 60 (N269JH).

May 2017
My Spring 2017 semester closed out early on during this month; somehow, I got through it! The primary focus of the month was to finish up some lingering flight training, continuing my studies in Aviation Science, and then move on with the next phase of flight training. Also worth noting during the beginning of the month/end of the semester: I passed my Instrument Rating Airplane (IRA) written exam as part of my Instrument Ground class!!! Other than dealing with the flight instructor shortage during the semester, the Instrument written exam was other big thing I was completely stressed out over... But I passed it, and I couldn't have been more happy! After the semester ended, I celebrated by going on a few photography missions in Provo and Salt Lake; one of the most notable catches during the month of May was photographing my very first Boeing 787 Dreamliner! As for my flying, I finally achieved the milestone of flying my very first solo cross-country flight as well.

Cessna 525C Citation CJ4 (N460RG).

Flight Options Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 600 (N908FL).

Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI)/Gulfstream G150 (N150KM).

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-700 (N608SK).

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200LR (N953SW).

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200LR (N441SW).

KLM - Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (PH-BHI) "Lavendel," my very first shot of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner!

I honestly expected that I would photograph my first 787 in Boeing's home turf somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Clearly, this occasion dictated otherwise! 

Not only was this my first Dreamliner sighting, but also my first shot of KLM's livery.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-700 (N611SK).

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200LR (N426SW).

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a United Express) Embraer ERJ-170-200LR E-175LR (N106SY).

Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-932/ER (N843DN). This was my first time spotting a Delta-operated 737 with split-scimitar winglets.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200ER (N702BR).

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200LR (N447SW).

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200LR (N431SW).

Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-832 (N37700).

Delta Air Lines Airbus A320-211 (N318US).

Delta Air Lines Boeing 717-2BD (N896AT).

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-440 (N8968E).

Delta Air Lines Boeing 717-2BD (N949AT).

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200ER (N685BR).

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-790 (N614AS).

Delta Air Lines Boeing 717-2BD (N717JL).

Delta Air Lines Airbus A320-212 (N352NW).

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-702 (N632SK).

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-700 (N630SK).

Delta Air Lines Airbus A320-212 (N365NW).

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-700 (N613SK).

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200LR (N448SW).

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-701ER (N641CA).

KaiserAir Boeing 737-7BX (N737KA). This was my first time catching this unique private carrier during a rare visit to Provo!

I also really love this livery!

Allegiant Air Airbus A319-111 (N326NV).

June 2017
As the year reached the midway point, I also reached an unexpected crossroads with regards to my flight training; my personal studies continued, but as far as flying goes, I've pretty much reached the end of the line and was waiting for an opportunity for a checkride. But I also started dealing with personal performance issues and lingering frustrations with UVU's flight program. After a little consulting from my flight instructor and UVU's chief flight instructor, I decided to step back and take a break from flight school stuff for a few weeks and planned to pick up where I left off starting in July. In addition to spotting on an opportunity-basis, I also got to attend my first aviation event of the year up in Heber City, Utah just a short drive away from Provo and finally got my warbird fix in. As part of my break from flight school, I went home to Oregon for about three weeks and did some things there, including a flight with my uncle down to Cottage Grove (where we unexpectedly saw a few cool things!) as well as a spotting trip to Portland. In the end, I spent the final days of this month at home with my family.

Allegiant Air Airbus A319-111 (N336NV). A unique angle when it comes to spotting from Provo Airport.

A shot featuring a few prominent features of Provo, Utah.

North American B-25J Mitchell "Maid in the Shade" (N125AZ) of the Commemorative Air Force Arizona Wing at their Heber City stop of the 2017 Flying Legends of Victory tour.

"Maid in the Shade" making her presence known with a mid-field overhead pass.

North American SNJ-4 Texan "Midnight Express" (N694US).

Nanchang CJ-6A (N75480).

Lockheed/Vega PV-2 Harpoon "Attu Warrior" (N7670C).

Boeing 75N1 Stearman (N7995).

Embraer EMB-505 Phenom 300 (N5DQ).

NetJets Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign (N306QS).

Bombardier BD-100-1A10 Challenger 300 (N26FE).

Yakovlev Yak-50 (N359FG).

Eclipse 500 (N382EA).

Aeronca 15AC Sedan (N1264H).

Rearwin Sportster 8500 (NC17099).

Fleet Model 2 (N448K).

Stinson SR-5 Reliant (NC14585).

Great Lakes Model 2T-1A Sports Trainer (NC31GL).

Rans S-7S (N8595Z).

Story Model 7 (N1269).

Express Series 90 (N264NS).

My uncle's Cessna 172N Skyhawk II (N5174E). Always a pleasure to fly in this aircraft!

United States Navy F/A-18A+ Hornet (162873) of Strike Fighter Squadron 204 (VFA-204) "River Rattlers." 

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-990/ER (N493AS) in the "More to Love" livery. Another highlight of special liveries from the year!

Condor Flugdienst Boeing 767-3Q8/ER (D-ABUT); I finally photographed the airline's currently livery this year!

Delta Air Lines Boeing 757-232 (N682DA).

United Parcel Service - UPS Airlines Boeing 767-34AF/ER (N303UP).

FedEx Express McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) MD-10-30F (N303FE).

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Embraer ERJ-170-200LR E-175LR (N251SY). This was my first time catching a SkyWest E-Jet in Delta colors.

United Parcel Service - UPS Airlines Boeing 767-34AF/ER (N352UP).

Spirit Airlines Airbus A320-232 (N642NK). My first time seeing this livery. I'm not a fan of this horrendous paint scheme, but I'm including it in my highlights anyways to denote my first time seeing it!

Frontier Airlines Airbus A321-211 (N701FR) "Otto the Owl." My first time seeing an A321 in the Frontier livery as well as my first time seeing an A321 equipped with sharklets!

Swift Air Boeing 737-401 (N420US). This was my first time seeing an aircraft from Swift Air!

FedEx Express McDonnell Douglas MD-11F (N582FE).

Virgin America Airbus A320-214 (N631VA) "chic mobile." The Virgin America name is becoming a dying breed as it gets integrated into Alaska Airlines!

July 2017
I spent the 4th of July holiday at home with family and friends in Oregon. After the patriotic holiday festivities were behind us, I flew back to Utah to pick up where I left off. I also went back up to Idaho this month not only to spend time with my relatives but to also attend the Idaho Falls Air Show for the first time! Major highlights from the first air show I got to attend this year included seeing the Blue Angels again after two years, the United States Air Force F-35A Lightning II (a first for me!), along with some rare warbirds! During the Idaho trip, I also had a chance to go down memory lane by visiting the Legacy Flight Museum. I even got to go do some flying with my uncle again as well!

A gorgeous view of the Great Salt Lake as my flight (Horizon Air Flight 2778) descended into Salt Lake City. This was my first time flying commercial in four years. It was also my first time flying with Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air as well as my first time flying in an Embraer E-175.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a American Eagle) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-701ER (N705SK). This was my first time photographing a CRJ in the new American livery.

Horizon Air (d/b/a Alaska Airlines) Embraer ERJ-170-200LR E-175LR (N622QX). This was the plane I flew back to Utah in. This was also my first time photographing one of Horizon Air's E-175s.

Alpine Air Express Beechcraft 1900C (N172GA).

Allegiant Air Airbus A319-111 (N309NV). This was my first time catching Allegiant's new livery!

It's always fun catching a new livery for the first time, as it holds a certain appeal that is pleasing to the eye!

Smoke Jumper De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter/VistaLiner (N97AR). This was certainly one of the more interesting catches of the year.

Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 (N923KB). This is probably one of my favorite liveries adorned on a business jet!

Fairchild-Swearingen SA-227TT Merlin IIIC (N6UP). In the world of general aviation, there are still many types of airplanes that I haven't seen yet!

Beechcraft SNB-5 Navigator (N90265), the Legacy Flight Museum's latest acquisition. I think this is the first time that the museum has had two twin-engine warbirds in its collection at the same time!

My uncle pulling out the Mooney M20F Executive (N9716M). The lighting of this photo made it unique

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900 (N689CA) just before the start of the Extreme Blue Thunder Air Show.

United States Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II (11-5037). My very first time getting to see an F-35 up close! Definitely one of the biggest highlights of the year for me!

United States Navy Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye (165647) from Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 120 (VAW-120) out of Naval Station Norfolk.

United States Navy Northrop F-5N Tiger II (761573) from Fighter Squadron Composite (VFC-13) "Saints" out of Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada.

United States Navy Northrop Grumman C-2A Greyhound (162148) from Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 120 (VAW-120) out of Naval Station Norfolk.

Grumman S2F-1 Tracker (N8115M).

North American NA-68/P-64 (N64NA) replica, another acquisition made by the Legacy Flight Museum earlier this year.

Empire Airlines (d/b/a FedEx Feeder) ATR-42-320 (N903FX). Always neat to see airliners on display at air shows!

North American P-51D Mustang (NL51YZ) NACA127, a unique and historical version of the legendary fighter used for aerospace research.

Always a patriotic moment when the featured parachute team skillfully brings in the American flag! The Idaho Falls Air Show marked my first time seeing the United States Army Black Daggers Parachute Team perform.

Beech C18S (N9109R) with Matt Younkin at the controls.

Beechcraft T-34A Mentor (N134JC) "Free Spirit" with Julie Clark at the controls.

Julie Clark sure is one patriotic lady and prime example of a rare breed of pilots!

North American FJ-4B Fury (N400FS), the only airworthy example in the world.

PZL-Mielec Lim-5 (NX717MG), a Polish license-build of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F "Fresco."

PZL-Mielec SBLim-2 (N515MG), a Polish license-build of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI "Fagot."

The two MiGs.

The MiG-15UTI making a pass.

The MiG-17 in afterburner!

Three rare jet warbirds in a three-ship formation.

It's truly a rare sight to see old fighters like this! I've waited a long time to see the MiG Fury Fighters air show routine and I was happy that it became a reality this year!

Each jet is both distinctive in both appearance and in performance.

Former adversaries in an incredible formation break!

The MiG-15UTI in a photo pass.

The FJ-4B Fury making a pass.

The MiG-17 making a photo pass in afterburner!

A side-view pass of the MiG-15UTI.

Side-view pass of the Fury.

Side-view pass of the MiG-17 in afterburner! Always such a privilege to see planes like this to get an idea what it was like to have these flying in the hands of our adversaries.

Interavia I-3 (N4413N) flown by my friend Todd Therp (that's something I don't say often!).

Bell P-63C Kingcobra (NL163FS) flown by John Bagley, another warbird pilot I know.

It was great to see this rare warbird fly again since I last saw it in flight three years ago!

Only a handful of these warbirds exist so it's always a privilege to see one in action!

MX Aircraft MXS-R (N545EA) flown by Brad Wursten.

A paratrooper from the Army Black Daggers demonstrating an aerial insertion.

Red smoke signifies landing target and the paratrooper has his gear kicked off.

A perfect side-view of Matt Younkin's Beech C18S (N9109R), an aircraft ideal for service as a jump aircraft.

North American P-51D Mustang (N151AF) "Val-Halla."

United States Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II (11-5038) from the 61st Fighter Squadron out of Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona. My first time seeing this new state-of-the-art fighter fly up-close!

Making the unrestricted climb in afterburner.

First pass of the Heritage Flight.

Second pass of the Heritage Flight.

Third and final pass of the Heritage Flight.

The crossover formation split.

The F-35 making a pass in afterburner!

Contrails forming and that distinctive rear profile of the Lightning II.

Greg Anders making a Victory Roll pass in his father's P-51 Mustang.

The F-35 with contrails just beginning to form executing the break-pass.

Bottom view profile of the Lightning.

Mmmmm... I love the smell of afterburner in the morning!

Greg Anders making another pass in the venerable P-51.

Good side-view of the F-35A Lightning II on landing.

Back-taxiing to the ramp.

Greg Anders bringing in the P-51 with the F-35 right behind.

I am so glad I got to see the F-35 this year!

North American P-51D Mustang (N51RH) "Ole Yeller," formerly owned by the late-Bob Hoover and now owned by John Bagley; Lee Lauderback flew this legendary Mustang at the Idaho Falls Air Show.

Exiting a roll.

Photo pass. This has to be my best shot of "Ole Yeller" to date!

Halfway through a eight-point roll.

Another photo pass. Seeing "Ole Yeller" now evokes somber feelings, as many in the aviation community miss Robert A. "Bob" Hoover greatly... To this day, he is an inspiration to me and one of my heroes.

Grumman G-164A Show Cat (NX7699) with well-known air show pilot Gene Soucy at the controls.

Coming out of a half Cuban-eight.

Halfway through a four-point roll. Note the Piedmont Airlines logo.

Reminiscent of the old barnstorming days.

Never expected to see the Piedmont Airlines logo this far west!

Gene Soucy showing off by dancing on the main gears during landing!

Beech C18S (N9109R) with Matt Younkin at the controls following in his father's footsteps. 

Matt Younkin, master of energy (airspeed and altitude) management!

Lights flashing to add to the effects!

An incredible profile view of Matt Younkin's twin-Beech.

Matt Younkin making a photo pass.

The Elephant's Waltz.

United States Marine Corps Lockheed C-130T Hercules (164763) "Fat Albert." It was fortunate that we got to see "Fat Albert in Idaho Falls this year, as it was only the third air show appearance in 2017 at the time following a major overhaul that occurred in mid-2016. Little did we know it, but "Fat Albert" would once again be grounded following the Idaho Falls Air Show weekend as part of a fleet-wide grounding of all Marine C-130s in response to a crash of a Marine KC-130 that occurred on July 10, 2017 in Mississippi.

Executing a steep climb.

"Fat Albert" making a high-speed photo/parade pass!

High speed flat pass. 

Overhead pass.

"Fat Albert" making a steep bank as part of the short-field assault landing routine.

The United States Navy Blue Angels Diamond Formation. It was really unique show as the Diamond consisted of only three jets at the air show (for a total of five when including the solo pilots)! Even more bizarre, there were three variants of the legacy Hornets in this show routine. Blue Angel #1, a McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet (163485) with Commander Ryan Bernacchi at the controls leads Blue Angel #3, a McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B Hornet (162885) flown by Lieutenant Nate Scott and Blue Angel #4, a McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Hornet (163468) flown by Lieutenant Lance Benson.

United States Navy McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet (163444), Blue Angel #6 with Lieutenant Tyler Davies at the controls.

Commander Bernacchi leading the Diamond in the Diamond 360.

The Diamond Roll.

The Diamond Aileron Roll.

The Fortus.

The Diamond Dirty Loop.

United States Navy McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet (163451), Blue Angel #5 flown by Commander Frank Weisser.

Double Farvel pass.

The two solos formed up.

Echelon Parade pass.

The Sneak Pass by Blue Angel #6!

Line-Abreast Loop.

The Diamond formed up single-file.

The Vertical Break.

The Barrel Roll Break.

The Section High-Alpha Pass

The Diamond Burner 270.

The solos prior to forming up with the Diamond to create the Delta formation.

The Delta Roll. 

The Blue Angel Fleur de Lis.

The Delta Loop Break Cross.

The Delta Breakout. It was great to see the Blue Angels and their legacy Hornets again! Best to see them with their older F/A-18s while you still can, because in the coming years, they will upgrade to the Super Hornets!

Mooney M20M Bravo DX (N794RS) just before going on a quick flight with my uncle and one of his friends, the owner of this turbo-Mooney.

A view of St. Anthony and the Idaho countryside during the final few moments of this flight. Special thanks to my friend Travis Hess for allowing me to tag along on this flight!

August 2017
The month of August marks one year since moving out to Provo, which was hard to believe... The month signified the start of another semester. During this month, I got back into flight training by joining the flight school Platinum Aviation and flying out of Spanish Fork with another new instructor (Pathetic, right? Especially with how my flight training has been...). I also got to attend two different warbird events as well; the Wings & Horsepower car show in Heber City, Warbirds Over Utah in Bountiful. And somewhat surprisingly, I found myself back home in Oregon for a few days as I had to go fetch my sister to bring her back to Provo as she was starting school a few weeks after I did. While I was home, I got in an unexpected round of plane-spotting at Portland International with a few notable highlights.

Commemorative Air Force Rocky Mountain Wing's Grumman (General Motors) TBM-3E Avenger (NL53503) at the 2017 Wings & Horsepower Car Show in Heber City.

Boeing 75N1 Stearman (N7995) in flight during the 2017 Wings & Horsepower Car Show.

North American T-6G Texan (N49388) in flight during the 2017 Wings & Horsepower Car Show.

NetJets Cessna 680A Citation Latitude (N536QS). This was my first time getting a good shot of this fairly new corporate jet.

Executive Jet Management Gulfstream Aerospace G-IV (N489VR).

Fairchild Model F-24R-46 (NC81285). This was my first time catching one of these vintage relics of the 1930s and 40s!

NetJets Gulfstream Aerospace G-IV-X G450 (N415QS).

Platinum Aviation Diamond DA-20-C1 Katana Eclipse (N802CT), one of the planes I flew and logged time in as part of my flight training in Spanish Fork. This plane is also special to me because it would be the plane that I would earn my Private Pilot License in!

Stinson L-5 Sentinel (N4914) "Swamp Angel" at the 2017 Warbirds Over Utah in Bountiful.

Stemme S-10VT (N140VT) at the 2017 Warbirds Over Utah.

Aeronca 7AC Champion (N2914E) at the 2017 Warbirds Over Utah.

Piper L-4J Grasshopper (N5580) at the 2017 Warbirds Over Utah.

North American T-6G Texan (N49388) at the 2017 Warbirds Over Utah.

Beech G18S (N50WA) at the 2017 Warbirds Over Utah.

Tecnam P2006T (N998TA). This occasion was my first time seeing one of these Italian birds fly!

Aviat A-1B Husky (N155WW).

Taylorcraft BC-12-65 (NC36044).

JetBlue Airways Airbus A320-232 (N621JB) "Do-Be-Do-Be-Blue."

Horizon Air (d/b/a Alaska Airlines) Embraer ERJ-170-200LR E-175LR (N626QX). This was only my second time seeing one of Horizon Air's E-Jets in action.

Atlas Air (d/b/a Cathay Pacific Cargo) Boeing 747-87UF/SCD (N856GT). This was my first time catching a U.S. registered Boeing 747-8 as well as my very first time catching one of Atlas Air's aircraft.

Spirit Airlines Airbus A319-132 (N530NK). Glad to see that there were still some airframes with the airline's mid-2000s livery around, even though many (myself included) are NOT fans of this airline.

September 2017
September ended up being a very eventful month for me! The regular semester was in full swing, and flight training continued, as did my personal air show season. This month ended up being a double-whammy involving TWO air shows! I got to attend the Historic Wendover Air Show in Wendover, Utah during the second weekend of the month; this ended up being one of my big "bucket list" items as I've always wanted to visit the historic airfield there! One week later, I found myself in Reno, Nevada attending the 54th National Championship Air Races after not being able to attend in 2016. Following the air races, I continued re-currency flight training and only did plane-spotting when unusual occasions presented themselves (think college football charters!).

Face-to-face with a G200.

Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI)/Gulstream Aerospace G200 (N588WH).

Face-to-face with a Mad Dog!

Allegiant Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (N419NV).

Fairchild C-123K Provider (N709RR), used as a film prop for the 1997 film 'Con Air.'

United States Navy Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet (166420) of Strike Fighter Squadron 122 (VFA-122) "Flying Eagles" out of NAS Lemoore.

British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) Jet Provost 3A (N374XM).

Douglas C-54E Skymaster (N8502R).

A flight of four Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs of the 34th Fighter Squadron, the "Rude Rams."

The right-trailing F-35 beginning to break formation.

Lt. Colonel Matthew Johnston showing off the Lightning II with some contrails!

Canadair CL-30 CT-133 Silver Star 3 (NX333MJ) "Big Blue."

Owned and operated by Kay Eckhardt, who holds more hours in the T-33 than any other civilian warbird pilot in the world.

Gotta love that Blue Angels livery!

PZL-Mielec Lim-5 (NX717MG).

With David "Cujo" Macaluso at the controls.

Photo pass with the brakes deployed.

High speed pass in afterburner!

Dirty pass.

United States Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II (13-5071) from the 34th Fighter Squadron, the "Rude Rams."

Face-to-face with the Lightning II!

Glad I got to see some F-35s from Hill AFB in addition to the ones from Luke AFB!

Business end of the F-35!

A jumper from the GoPro 'Bomb Squad' and the American flag. Air shows are never short of that American patriotism!

Canadair CL-30 CT-133 Silver Star 3 (N133HH) "Ace Maker II."

Greg "Wired" Colyer at the controls.

The Dirty Pass.

The Photo Pass.

High speed pass.

Canadair CL-13B Sabre 6 (N80FS).

PZL-Mielec Lim-5 (NX717MG).

The hunter becomes the hunted!

High speed photo pass by "Cujo" in the MiG-17.

First formation pass with two former Cold War adversaries.

Second formation pass.

Third and final pass before the pair breaks formation.

The MiG-Sabre demo team beginning the split.

"Cujo" making a solo photo pass in the MiG-17!

Richard "Doc" Sugden making a solo photo pass in the Sabre!

"Cujo" with the MiG-17 in afterburner!

High speed pass by "Doc" in the Sabre!

The pair breaking formation for the landing sequence.

North American T-6G Texan (N49388).

At the controls is Barry Hancock.

Photo pass of the Texan.

A jumper from the GoPro 'Bomb Squad' in a parachute with the sponsor's name.

A GoPro 'Bomb Squad' member with a black parachute canopy.

A GoPro jumper in a red, white and blue parachute canopy.

GoPro jumper with the American flag.

United States Navy Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet (168928) of Strike Fighter Squadron 122 (VFA-122) "Flying Eagles" out of NAS Lemoore executing a Dirty Roll.

Demonstrating carrier landing configuration.

The Inverted Pass.

The Photo Pass.

Carrier break to land.

Mmmmm.... I love the smell of afterburner in the mornings!

United States Air Force Air Reserve Component (ARC) Northrop T-38C Talon (66-4361) from the 340th Flying Training Group out of Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

United States Marine Corps Boeing T-45C Goshawk (167084) of Training Air Wing Two (TW-2) out of NAS Kingsville.

United States Navy Boeing EA-18G Growler (168932) of Electronic Attack Squadron 139 (VAQ-139) "Cougars" out NAS Whidbey Island. This was my first time seeing the new Growler!

Royal Canadian Air Force McDonnell Douglas CF-188B CF-18B (188925) of 410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron "Cougars" out of CFB Cold Lake. It's a basic F/A-18, but I've never seen a Canadian variant before!

Royal Canadian Air Force BAE Systems CT-155 Hawk (155220) of 419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron out of CFB Cold Lake.

Royal Canadian Air Force Raytheon CT-156 Harvard II (156116) of the NATO Flight Training in Canada (NFTC) out of CFB Moose Jaw.

United States Navy Northrop F-5N Tiger II (761578) of Fighter Squadron Composite (VFC-13) "Saints" from NAS Fallon.

Stratos 714 (N403KT). The prototype and a new entry into the industry, therefore my first time seeing one of these!

Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (N534BE) "The Duchess of Dakota."

Lockheed P-38J Lightning (NX138AM) "23 Skidoo."

Martin-Baker MB-5 replica (N445MB).

United States Air Force Fairchild A-10C Thunderbolt II (81-0960) of the 355th Fighter Wing out of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tuscon, Arizona.

Soko G-2 Galeb (NX90SR) Race #107 "Wildest Dreams."

Add another jet warbird to my portfolio!

North American P-51D Mustang (NL151BP) Race #62 "Bunny."

Grumman (General Motors) FM-2 Wildcat (N5833) Race #41 "Martlet."

Supermarine 361 Spirtfire LF.IXc (NX959RT) Race #84 "Normandy Split."

Curtiss P-40E Warhawk (N2416X) Race #42 "Texas Warhawk."

Vought (Goodyear) FG-1D Corsair (NX209TW) Race #85 "Whistling Death."

Shots like this makes going to air shows worth it!

Merlin magic!

A special fly-by honoring Bob Hoover at the first Reno Air Races since his passing.

Three different sounds, but all from the era where Bob Hoover did his "pilot $#*%."

The Missing Man Formation, always emotional to witness knowing it's in honor of an aviator who has flown west...

United States Air Force Fairchild A-10C Thunderbolt II (82-0648) of the 355th Fighter Wing out of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tuscon, Arizona.

Photo pass by the 'hog!'

High-speed pass.

Overhead sneak-pass.

Nevada Air National Guard Lockheed C-130H Hercules (93-7313).

Mustang versus Yak! Shots like this are always exciting at the Reno Air Races!

North American P-51D Mustang (N5441V) Race #14 "Spam Can/Dolly."

North American P-51A Mustang (N51Z) Race #6 "Shanty Irish." I live for rare planes like this! And it certainly doesn't get rarer than a P-51A Mustang!

North American P-51D Mustang (N64824) Race #31 "Speedball Alice."

North American P-51D Mustang (NL151D) Race #44 "Sparky/Blondie."

Yakovlev Yak-3M (ZK-VVS) Race #35 "Full Noise."

Honda HA-420 HondaJet (N426HJ). First time photographing one!

Soko G-2A Galeb (N196SG) Race #4 "Soko O'no."

Six beautiful warbirds from the Texas Flying Legends Museum!

Five American planes plus a British one!

One of my all-time favorite warbird(s) shots of the year!

Gotta love the 'Spit!'

North American B-25J Mitchell (N5672V) "Betty's Dream."

Mustang and Warhawk together! I love formation shots like this!

Corsair and Spitfire. Another great shot, but talk about an odd-couple!

Another great shot of Mustang and Warhawk!

Grumman (General Motors) TBM-3E Avenger (NL7226C).

United States Marine Corps McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II (163868) of Marine Attack Squadron 311 (VMA-311), the "Tomcats" out of MCAS Yuma.

High-speed pass showing the hard-points.

What's a hover demonstration without a little smoke??? 

A menacing face-to-face! The Harrier is one badass jet!

Aero L-39 Albatros (N757SF) Race #15 "Darkstar II."

De Havilland DH.155 Vampire (N172LA) Race #44 "Stealth."

North American P-51D Mustang (N551VC) Race #5 "Voodoo" in the white record-breaking attempt paint scheme. Steven Hinton achieved quite a feat this year in "Voodoo!"

It's not everyday one gets to see the World's Fastest Piston Powered Aircraft. The new record (designated the C-1e) stands at 531.53 mph!

The father & son Hinton pilots; Steve Hinton in the CT-133 (right) and his son Steven Hinton in the P-51 (left).

Envoy Air (d/b/a American Eagle) Embraer EMB-135KL ERJ-140LR (N856AE). My first time photographing Envoy Air and seeing an ERJ in airline colors!

October 2017
Air show season was behind me come October. Much of the month was spent polishing up on flight training as my main priority along with a few spotting trip when occasion (usually college charters and unusual visitors) presented itself. I also found myself flying home to Oregon for a few short days on personal business as well. October ended up being a tough month for me as well because I've had to endure personal challenges as well as a family tragedy.

Sun Country Airlines Boeing 737-8FH (N820SY) "Lake Minnetonka." First time catching split-scimitar winglets on a Sun Country 737!

Allegiant Air Airbus A319-111 (N332NV). Only my second time photographing Allegiant's new livery.

Sun Country Airlines Boeing 737-8BK (N818SY).

Sorensen BF9-2 Phantom "Unfinished Business" (N81973).

Frontier Airlines Airbus A319-112 (N951FR) "Benny the Brown Bear."

JetBlue Airways Airbus A320-232 (N569JB) "Blues Brothers."

A view of the Great Salt Lake as my flight (Southwest Airlines Flight 5021) departed Salt Lake City for Sacramento.

A view of Lake Tahoe and the Truckee-Tahoe Airport as my flight descended towards Sacramento.

A view of Sacramento International Airport, an airport I've never been to before.

Air Transport International-ATI (d/b/a Amazon Prime Air) Boeing 767-319/ER/BDSF (N347AZ). A new cargo livery I got to see for the first time this year!

A view of Crater Lake as my flight (Southwest Airlines Flight 279) headed to Portland from Sacramento.

Weatherly 620B (N90379). A crop-duster I've never seen before and it's unusual too, because it's got a radial engine. 

Airgyro Tercel (N557AT). Something unique I've never seen before.

November 2017
A couple of unique spotting opportunities were the highlights for November. Also, during the Thanksgiving holiday break, I returned to eastern Idaho to spend time with my relatives and took a few photos there as well. November was also my month to shine! It took me a lot longer than I wanted it to be, but I FINALLY received my Private Pilot Certification at the end of this month!

Sun Country Airlines Boeing 737-8K2 (N817SY) "Lake Independence."

Allegiant Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (N425NV).

Sun Country Airlines Boeing 737-8BK (N808SY) "Lake of the Clouds." This was my first time photographing Sun Country's new, updated livery.

Allegiant Air Airbus A319-111 (N301NV).

Deluxe Public Charter (d/b/a JetSuiteX) Embraer EMB-135LR ERJ-135LR (N251JX). This was my first time catching a JetSuiteX ERJ-135!

Gates Learjet 35A (N354CL).

ATEC v.o.s. 322 Faeta (N1014C).

Howard DGA-15P (NC52991).

AutoGyro Cavalon (N509QB). Another unique Gyrowing that I've never seen before!

Right after passing my Private Pilot Checkride. November 29, 2017 will be a day I will always remember; the day where my hard work and struggles FINALLY paid off as I got my Private Pilots Certification.
(Photo credit: Harold Rice, my awesome flight instructor who saw to it that I'd get my private pilot training done!)

December 2017
And just like that, I make it to another December after enduring 2017, one of the most hellish years I ever had (no thanks to UVU's Aviation program!). I finished my regular semester of school strong before getting ready to going home for the holiday season to be with my family. And in between school work and personal life and before I officially went home, I continued to fly! With my newly-earned privileges as newly-minted private pilot, I began exercising them by taking my first passengers with me on local flights around the southern Wasatch Valley out of my home base in Spanish Fork, something I've longed to do. Another highlight of the month was that I also got myself checked out in another aircraft type while I was still in Utah. After getting home for the holidays, in typical Oregonian fashion, I ended the year with a spotting trip close to home in Portland and got a few more shots I've wanted since being away from home.

Ultimate Jetcharters (d/b/a Ultimate Air Shuttle) Embraer EMB-135LR ERJ-135LR (N356BZ). Another rare, and first catch for me this year!

Piper PA-28RT-201 Arrow IV (N160LL).

Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee Cruiser (N7625F). This is the aircraft I got checked out in a month after earning my license to add to my repertoire and logbook.

Allegiant Air Airbus A319-111 (N333NV). So I ended up catching three different airframes in the new Allegiant livery this year alone!

Horizon Air (d/b/a Alaska Airlines) Embraer ERJ-170-200LR E-175LR (N624QX).

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-990 (N317AS). I always love getting shots like this!

Sun Country Airlines Boeing 737-752 (N714SY) "Lake Vermilion." The rarer 737-700s of Sun Country Airlines will be going away soon...

Virgin America Airbus A320-214 (N284VA) "Rabid Badger." My first time catching a sharklet-equipped A320 in Virgin America colors and just in time too, because this airline brand will soon be no more in April 2018!

Horizon Air (d/b/a Alaska Airlines) Embraer ERJ-170-200LR E-175LR (N623QX).

Ameriflight Fairchild SA-227AC Metro III (N673AV).

Horizon Air (d/b/a Alaska Airlines) Bombardier DHC-8-402 Dash 8 Q400 (N436QX). My first time catching the new Alaska livery on a Horizon turboprop!

Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-3P6/ER (N155DL).

Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-832 (N3758Y) in SkyTeam colors.

Horizon Air (d/b/a Alaska Airlines) Bombardier DHC-8-401 Dash 8 Q400 (N439QX). I scored two Horizon turboprops with the new livery this year on the same spotting trip! It's always exciting to catch something that's initially rare and forthcoming before it becomes a common sight!

Volaris Airbus A320-233 (N518VL) "Sarai." My first time seeing a Volaris livery after waiting three years!

Boutique Air Pilatus PC-12/47 (N478SS).

American Airlines Boeing 737-823 (N905NN) "AstroJet." It's always fun and exciting to catch airline retro liveries and I finally scored one from American Airlines this year!

Spirit Airlines Airbus A320-232 (N629NK).

Now for a special feature as part of this year's montage, I dedicate a portion of December to the people I took flying as my first passengers! I am grateful to them for having confidence in me and for braving a flight with me as a newly-minted pilot! It was truly a privilege in taking the people who I love and care about flying and introducing them to a side of aviation very few people ever get to experience. Furthermore, it is an absolute privilege for me to be able to do my part as a General Aviation pilot and introduce new people to the industry I'm obsessed with!

Photo credits go to my respective passengers, who all took selfies on the days I took them flying.

My first ever passenger, my youngest sister Cloe.

My good roommate, Josh Ziegner.

My lovely friend and a very observant passenger, Fran Fehlberg!

My roommate all the way from Ecuador, Darwin Dender. Way to catch me off-guard and get my unflattering side!

My lovely friend and "Southern belle," Erin Solomon!

My good friend and fellow aviation/history enthusiast, Dallin Vance!

I am so glad to put the year 2017 behind me! It was one tough year that really tested my patience and pushed me beyond my limits, given the frustrations and challenges I've endured. Here's hoping to a more prosperous 2018 filled with greater accomplishments. Here's to more opportunities to take people flying and for cooler aviation photography moments in 2018!

Happy New Year everyone!