about us
This work is the living product of a lifelong interest in military aviation.
For those of you who know us (and have been anticipating our website launch for some time now), we thank you for your patience! We are confident that you will be thrilled and intrigued by IMAGE-PLANE's inaugural web-edition!
We have thoroughly enjoyed our many aviation experiences throughout the past four decades, documenting the developments of this unique genre in multiple media forms. Our photos, illustrations and written works have been published in books and magazine projects over the years, in tempo with the goal to add our contributions to the collective historical record of military aviation information; to provide dramatic images and video content of aircraft in action, complete with accurate written information, commentary and illustrations for detailed reference and enthusiast appreciation.
Although this is a plane website, it is not intended to be plain, by any means! 'Dad-jokes' aside, our effort here is designed to provide a stimulating, informative look into the world of military aviation. As with any specialty subject matter in this ‘instant information’ era, we are aware that there are countless aviation websites competing for your valuable browsing time. A large number of these sites are devoted to military aviation and of these, the majority concentrate on the presentation of images. We understand and share the passion of these intrepid web-publishers! It is our hope that this website -- under the IMAGE-PLANE banner -- will compete admirably with other worthy sites and attract followers with the kind of refreshing visual experience that puts us in the forefront of your mind. We hope to earn the reputation as your ‘’go to’ site for inspiration and information concerning military aviation.
image-plane ... inception
The memory of a single image can be the spark that ignites a lifelong interest in something. For this writer, the something is aviation; and that image is without question, the unmistakable form of the classic F-4 Phantom II -- thrusting into the sky with pure bruit force! An impressive visual souvenir indeed, especially as seen from the eyes of a young boy, flipping through the pages of Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine in the early 1970s.
My brother and I used to have access to the surplus 'reading material' around the offices of a military installation in downtown Toronto (long-since demolished), where our dad served as an RCAF reserve officer. We would excitedly divide up the back issues and compete to find the coolest pictures of the very latest aircraft of the day. "Wow, look at this one!", I would exclaim, shoving the opened magazine page into my brother's face. He would counter with, "Yeah, that's neat but you gotta see this jet!". For hours, we would scour the pages of those great magazines, clipping out pictures and articles for our aviation scrap books. Our vigorous stripping of vital aviation info and images from these proud magazines was ok, since these editions had already served their purpose as current aviation interest material for the duty staff and were already marked for disposal. Given new life as the core of our personal scrap book 'publications' (and fueling our minds with aviation wonder) would prove a far more worthy fate for those printed aeronautical artifacts.
A funny thing I recall about those days: Our dad always told us, "This information is TOP SECRET, you know!". I think there may have been a mischievous grin at the corner of his mouth, as he finished his very military statement. The information contained in those periodicals was, of course, public knowledge at the time -- at least in aviation industry circles -- but to my brother and I, that stern, cautionary statement from the Flight Lieutenant, made it even more exciting for us to memorize the photographs and read the data!
But I digress.
It was there, in those 'top secret' pages that I first laid eyes on the Phantom II. It was a fully loaded F-4 -- a USAF 'C' or 'D' model, as I recall -- roaring down the runway somewhere in Southeast Asia, afterburners spewing twenty-foot flames and wingtip vortices squeezing condensation out of the humid air. That was just the image to do the trick! The F-4 became my favorite aircraft and 'sealed the deal' for a love of military aviation.
As exciting as that two-dimensional magazine image was then, a few years later I would get the chance to see a strikingly similar sequence: Air National Guard F-4s at a local air show -- this time, with my own eyes (and ears). The sight and sound was downright life changing! There was no doubt about the result: an insatiable appetite for more and more of this ‘aviation sensory overload’. It became a passion, firmly rooted for life. We hope our images and informative text might provide a similar spark for visitors to this site.
Delighting and inspiring the aviation curiosity of folks new to the genre as well as you experienced 'airplane geeks' out there: that's is the bottom line for our efforts. Your viewer appreciation and enthusiasm provide all the rewards needed for our efforts in this publishing adventure. Throughout these pages and links, we strive to create a fluid viewing experience, passing along to you; intriguing imagery, interesting facts and most of all: our excitement and shared appreciation for the subject of military aviation.
GRAPHIC DESIGN and TECHNICAL ILLUSTRATION
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