Reflections of History, Fly-In to Victory Day, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, VA
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On Friday May 8, 2015, The Mall in Washington DC was witness to one of the most spectacular flying displays of World War II vintage airplanes. Over 50 aircraft took part in the Arsenal of Democracy: World War II Victory Capitol Flyover. This hour long flyby consisted of 15 historically sequenced warbird formations representing America’s major battles during the war.
As spectacular as this display was, I was unable to make any meaningful images which not only captured the planes but also the famous landmarks on The Mall. For those who wish to see the results of my effort, I have posted a few on the gallery where today’s image can also be found.
The following day, a few of the planes from the flyover took part in Fly-In to Victory Day: A Celebration of the End of World War II in Europe at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
The day itself did not start out too well. Low cloud prevented the expected planes from the flyover from being able to land. Being that the Udvar-Hazy Center is alongside Dulles International Airport meant that considerable coordination was needed just to get these warbirds on the ground. With the originally arranged window in the commercial airport’s take-off and landing schedule missed, it meant that it would be difficult to get the planned planes on the ground once the low cloud cleared. When we first arrived no one knew if any of the warbirds would be able to make it.
By early afternoon the low cloud had cleared. Negotiations with the control tower at Dulles provided a new window for five of the planes to be able to land. As can be imagined, once the planes were parked on the apron and the barriers removed to allow the pubic access, the planes became surrounded by people eager to get a closer look at these magnificent machines. As I wandered through the crowds capturing some close-ups of the details of the aircraft, the scene of today’s image caught my eye.
The planes were parked just outside the main building of the Udvar-Hazy Center. The surround to the large access doors, through which the exhibits in the museum are brought in, consisted of large glass panels. These panels reflected both the visitors and the planes they were here to see.
I don’t normally give anything but a descriptive title to my images. This one, though, deserved to be different. I have titled this one “Reflections of History” as the reflections in the windows are of both the historic planes as well as a one-off historic day which will never be repeated.
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