45 of 131

|

For all the gee-whiz gadgetry in a modern airliner, the ability of a pilot to see and know "everything" about his or her aircraft remains limited. Once in the cockpit, there is simply too much of the aircraft that they cannot see with their own eyes, and the sensors are limited to key-essential items. That's where the walk-around comes into play, the time where one of the pilots physically walks around the aircraft to eyeball the plane as a whole.

But what a lot of people forget is that there is always one-last-look before the plane heads off on its merry way.

In the case of this 787 Dreamliner, that last eyeball of the aircraft is handled by the airline's ground engineer. With the plane's engines spun up, he commences a quick yet thorough visual inspection to make sure no anomalies have popped up or have been missed by the previous walk-around. In a few more moments, he will have flashed the crew the thumbs up that all is fine to proceed.

Aviation is a passion of mine... always has been. And photography is a means of sharing that passion with others. If I'm not flying a plane or sitting in one, then I'm likely training a lens towards it. While I've flown planes for only a fraction of my life, I've always considered myself a pilot. And pilots love sharing their experiences with others. It's easy to tell others how to takeoff, but only when I pass on that sense of joy that I feel of breaking Earth's surly bonds do most people understand why I love doing what I do. That's what I try to do with my photos. Besides proximity, I aim to convey a story or stir up the emotions within the viewer when they gaze upon my work. Here's hoping you enjoy your little stay in my...