Journey to Geneseo
Setting aside a weekend for an easy road trip is something that I always enjoy, especially if decisions can be made on the fly all you have to do is simply enjoy the drive. This past summer, I finally had the opportunity to make one of these trips to an event I have been told to get to for years. With less than a week until the event kicked off, the decision was made to book a room and hit the road for “The Greatest Show on Turf” at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, New York.
A quick snap from a rest area just outside of Cohocton, New York
With my camera gear neatly packed and a weekend bag ready to go, I finally hit the road and started the nearly five-hour drive to where I would be staying in Rochester, New York. The first leg to Binghamton was easy enough as I had just made that trip the weekend before, but from there on the trip was all new to me. Winding through the rolling New York hills just below the Finger Lakes made for an easy drive. After a few stops to take in the views, the empty roads made the hours melt away as I made my way along Hemlock Lake and eventually through Geneseo before pulling into my hotel in Rochester for the night.
Hemlock Lake, New York
After getting a later start than I wanted to the next morning, I hit the road to drive 30 minutes back down to Geneseo where event traffic was already winding around SUNY Geneseo’s sprawling campus. The show itself had already started while those of us in traffic could only catch short glimpses of the first performers between the trees as we waited to move. By the time I was able to park the first F22 Raptor demo had already ended and there was still an easy quarter mile trek from my spot to the front line. After walking through the grass, I finally made it to the flight line where the aircraft were openly displayed.
At the flight line, pilots and crew members could be seen chatting with visitors as crowds moved from aircraft to aircraft. It was long until those around the aircraft were asked to back away as the pilots made their way into the cockpits of their aircraft to start up. Soon enough, they were off, and the crowds raced back to the flight line fence. After meeting up with another photographer and friend of mine, the time came to swap lenses and claim a decent spot as the warbirds entered the air.
The show itself was on. The fighter flight made their way over the crowd in a close formation before Lou Horschel broke off in his Corsair for his own aerial display. The bare bones look of his “factory fresh” Corsair made for an interesting contrast against the other fighters it would later be parked by. As Lou wrapped up his display, pilots Thom Richard and Dave Hadfield made their first passes in their P-40 and Spitfire.
It was great to see Thom fly for a second time this year after he put on some incredible displays at WWII Weekend in June, but it was a treat to see him flying alongside Dave Hadfield in the Spitfire. As someone who has followed along with Dave’s YouTube channel for years, it was nice to see him flying in person, but even nicer to have a chance to meet him later on after the show.
The displays kept coming as the show rolled on. With flybys and Paratrooper drops from the National Warplane Museum’s very own C-47 “W7” and the Tunison Foundation’s “Placid Lassie” which was freshly home from flying over in Europe. Rob Holland trilled crowds with his impressive aerobatics before Scott “Scooter” Yoak would come screaming over the crowd in his P-51 “Quicksilver.”
Eventually there was a lull as eager crowds searched the skies for whatever was next. For those of us who arrived too late, we were about to get our second chance as the F-22 passed overhead, startling those who didn’t see it coming. The striking display was yet another first for me on this trip having never had the chance to see the F-22 Demo Team at work.
After a few final passes, the show came to a close. Crowds made their way back to their cars and slowly back to the streets of Geneseo. While most people were set on going home, a few of us stayed behind to walk the flightline once again since there weren’t any crowds to compete with. The aircraft are simply there, sitting in the open, and sometimes with their pilots and crew nearby.
After walking down the line, I spotted Dave Hadfield under the wing of the Spitfire. After a brief hello, we started to talk about the Spitfire and his time flying over all these years.
I asked if I could take a few portraits of him under the wing before I left, which he was more than happy to sit in for.
With a few hours to go before the night shoot, I decided to head into Geneseo to grab something to eat and to kill some time. Nestled at the western end of the Finger Lakes, the picturesque town sits just up the hill from the museum. Down at the end of main street and just outside of SUNY Geneseo’s campus, the Geneseo Summer Festival was in full swing for its final evening as the sun slowly set over the town.
Eventually, I made my way back down to the museum with a bit of time to spare. Overhead, the fighter flight was in a close formation for an evening photo op as the rest of the photographers started to meet up for the night shoot. A few of us made our way back to the flightline to capture the fighters on their way back down and to snag a few sunset photos before the golden-orange light was gone. Soon enough though it was time to get back to it.
The night shoot was something I was not expecting. Run by Mike Killian, participating aircraft were spread out across the field with 10 total taking part to run up for photos. What started out easy as blue hour took over quickly grew into a race to cover each aircraft as the night got later. With our shoes soaked from the mist that slowly settled in and mosquitos seemingly eating everyone alive, photographers moved from position to position to capture that perfect moment.
Lit up against the dark New York sky, each aircraft made for a spectacular sight. Starting off with a Stearman running up against a sky of purple and blue and moving on to a pair of WWI era fighters after the sky hard gone dark. Soon, it was off to the pair of C-47s before moving on to Thom’s P-40 and Scott’s P-51, with Quicksilver’s polished propellor creating a dazzling display as the light reflected off of it. A bucket list item for many however was Lou Horschel’s Corsair as he folded the wings for a few long exposures. The battle for the right spot was fierce as photographers squeezed in next to each other to get the perfect head-on angle. Eventually, we ended the night with a pair of Texans. Blue and white flames belched from their exhausts as their pilots ran them up for all of us before shutting down for the night. With that, 12 hours of photography came to a close and so did my first trip to the show in Geneseo.
As the sun rose on Sunday morning and all of my things were packed up, there was still one last stop to make. After a quick trip I found myself looking out across Lake Ontario at the end of the Genesee River. Then, it was time to hit the road. Taking the back roads through the rolling hills and valleys along Canandaigua Lake before getting back on the highway once again.
After years of schedules not lining up, I was finally able to make it to Geneseo. I had been told many times that it was a show that I had to make it to, and I can say that those who said that were right. From the air displays to the night shoot, the show itself was fantastic, and to enjoy it alongside other photographers and friends just adds to it. Add in a trip with no plans except for an airshow and time to enjoy everything along the way, and you have one weekend trip that is worth doing again.
The Day
The Night
