Defenders of Liberty Air Show – Barksdale AFB 2012

For those of you who don’t know much about me, I am a fighter pilot trapped in a lawyer/photographer/super handsome body. Seriously, I LOVE me some planes! Perhaps this is due in part to those killer leather jackets that pilots get to wear, or maybe even my love for the movie The Rocketeer. But, mostly, growing up in Shreveport, LA, it’s because almost everyday I see a B-52 flying over head. And once a year the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds come to town to tease me.

This year’s airshow happened on the perfect weekend! I had just finished a long week of trial and, unfortunately, my beautiful wife, Nicole, had to work. So that left me all alone on a weekend when the airshow was going on. Sunday April 22nd turned into Kevin Berg day! (Stolen from the Bernie Mac show where he sang a song, “ba bum bum Bernie Mac Day.” Yeah, I sang “ba bum bum Kevin Berg day” all the way to the airshow and most of the day.) I got onto Barskdale Air Force Base about 9am on Sunday morning and didn’t leave until 4:30pm. I ate a hamburger, snacked on some nachos, and enjoyed some awesome airplanes. I even got to meet up with a good friend, J-Dub, for part of the day.

Since I knew I was going to be seeing some awesome airplanes, I couldn’t NOT bring my camera! I loaded up my trusty Canon and a few lenses, and I took LOTS of pictures…

First up, a few pictures of the iconic B-52. They haven’t made a B-52 in over 60 years, yet these are still some of the most effective planes in the Air Force!







I am pretty disappointed in myself with my pictures of the Stealth Bomber. I was just so amazed at seeing one in person I spent more time gawking than snapping pictures!


This is Old “Spooky.”  Man, is this plane cool or what?!?!


The offical show started with a stunt plane and a sky diver!




They had a B-52 demonstration where they simulated a bombing run…

and there was a killer explosion!!!

Up next were the Black Diamonds…


But the main attraction was gearing up!



And, after some fanfare, the Thunderbirds hit the air!





Ok…what movie is this picture and quote from…”beccause we were inverted.”


And I’ll end with my personal favorite!

As Kevin Berg day came to an end, I had some awesome pictures, a bit of a sunburn, and a lot of fun! I highly recommend making an effort to support air shows and other fun local activities! Thanks for stopping by!  Check back on Thursday for another fun post!

2 comments
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  • MomMay 1, 2012 - 1:50 pm

    Wow! Fantastic pictures, Kevin! I can almost hear these planes roar overhead!ReplyCancel

  • KennieMay 7, 2012 - 1:14 pm

    The inverted one is my favorite! Great shots Kevin!!!!ReplyCancel