Happy Friday.  I am enjoying a day off today.  With Memorial Day on Monday it makes for a 4 day weekend.  Hope to get out and shoot this afternoon as it doesn’t sound like the weather is going to be all that great for the rest of the weekend.

I had training in Cedar Rapids late yesterday afternoon and after my portion of the session was over I headed home.  At 7:30 p.m. it is still very light out and so there is always an opportunity for a photography.

Nikon D800 | Nikon 80 – 400 mm lens | ISO 100 1/800 sec @ f5.6

I was going by the airport in Monticello on the way home and saw this Chinook helicopter getting ready to take off from the airport.  By the time I got the car slowed down and stopped, got my camera out and set up it was already airborne.   it is an amazing helicopter.  Some interesting facts about the Chinook:

The Chinook is a multi-mission, heavy-lift transport helicopter. Its primary mission is to move troops, artillery, ammunition, fuel, water, barrier materials, supplies and equipment on the battlefield. Its secondary missions include medical evacuation, disaster relief, search and rescue, aircraft recovery, fire fighting, parachute drops, heavy construction and civil development.

Chinook helicopters were introduced in 1962 as the CH-47 Chinook, and models A, B and C were deployed in Vietnam. As the product of a modernization program, which included refurbishing existing CH-47s, the first CH-47Ds were delivered in 1982 and were produced until 1994. A central element in the Gulf War, they continue to be the standard for the U.S. Army in the global campaign against terrorism. Since its introduction 1,179 Chinooks have been built.

Well that’s it for today.  Hope you enjoy your Friday and this Memorial Holiday weekend.  Remember please to give thanks for all the brave men and women who have and are serving our country.  Thanks for stopping by and be careful.