Herb Lingl, Author at Aerial Archives

Clear Lake Splash-In | Lakeport, CA | 2023

September 13, 2023 June 25, 2024 / By Herb Lingl / Aerial Photographs, Aerial Photography, Aircraft, Seaplanes

The volunteer Sea Scouts help Chris Brown reposition his turbo Cessna 206, TU206G, N247CB
at the Clear Lake Seaplane Splash-In, Lakeport, Lake County, California
Image ID: AHLC3935
© Herb Lingl/aerialarchives.com

The 2023 Clear Lake Splash-In takes place Friday, Sept. 22 through Sunday, Sept. 24 in Lakeport, California.

The event features a display of seaplanes, educational seminars and an opportunity to learn about careers in aviation. It draws pilots and people interested in aviation to the Lakeport for the weekend and this year, it has been combined with the Taste in Lakeport food and wine festival to showcase all that Lakeport has to offer.

Clear Lake Splash-In | Lakeport , CA | 2023 features a variety of free seminars, an evening reception with an aviation exhibition, a dinner for pilots and a display of seaplanes coming to Clear Lake for the event.

The Splash-In begins with a Friday evening with a dinner for seaplane pilots at the Lakeport residence of Tom and Ruth Lincoln. Tom Lincoln is the president of the Lake County Airmens Association. Registration for the dinner is available at Seaplane Pilots Dinner.

One of the highlights of the event will occur on Saturday, Sept 23, when a display of participating seaplanes will be held at Lakeport’s Library Park. Seaplanes arriving for the Splash-In include two Cessna 185s on floats, a Cessna 206 on floats, two Grumman Widgeon aircraft, a Lake Buccaneer, a Quicksilver on floats, a SeaMax and a SeaRey.

Saturday also features a full day of seminars about flying seaplanes, obtaining scholarships and career opportunities for young people in aviation.

The seminars take place within walking distance of the displayed seaplanes in the Council Chambers in Lakeport’s City Hall. The seminars are free, but registration is required due to limited seating available in the Council Chambers.

The seminar program is available at: Clear Lake Splash-In Seminar Program.

Registration for the free seminars is available at Clear Lake Splash-In Seminar Registration.

Seaplane pilots interested in participating in this year’s Splash-In can still register to participate at Clear Lake Splash-In Aircraft Registration.

The first 20 pilots who register to participate in the Clear Lake Splash-In will receive a free ticket to the Taste In Lakeport food and wine festival. The festival begins at 5:30pm on Saturday, Sept 23 and is within walking distance of seaplane display. Details about the Taste In Lakeport are available at: Taste In Lakeport.

The Splash-In also features an exhibition at the Historic Courthouse in Lakeport entitled Over Water: An Aviation History of Lake County. The museum is hosting a reception for exhibition from 5-7:00pm on Saturday, September 23. Attending the reception is free but requires registration. Registration for the reception is at Museum Reception Registration.

Pilots who are interested in getting back in the cockpit after a lapse in flying will be interested in the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s (AOPA) Rusty Pilots Seminar entitled Getting Back to Flying is Easier Than You Think. This seminar takes place on Sunday, Sept 24 from 9:00 am-12:30 pm at the offices of Esther Formula, USA in the Work Right Building near Lampson Field airport (1O2). This seminar will be lead by Captain Brian Schiff, a 25 year pilot for American Airlines who currently flies the MD-80.

To register for the AOPA seminar with Captain Schiff, please visit:

Getting Back to Flying is Easier Than You Think with Brian Schiff.

More information about the Clear Lake Splash-In | 2023 is available at Clear Lake Splash-In.

The Lakeport Street Main Street Association (LMSA) is producing the Clear Lake Splash-In. The LMSA supports businesses in Lakeport, California by organizing events and seminars that help businesses in Lakeport thrive. To learn more please visit Lakeport Street Main Street Association.

AOPA is the world’s largest community of pilots, aircraft owners and aviation enthusiasts with representatives based in Frederick, MD., Washington, D.C., and seven regions across the United States. To learn more please visit Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

The Clear Lake Flying Club is producing the Clear Lake Splash-In Seminars. The flying club produces seminars, workshops and aviation events to promote aviation in Lake County, California and provides resources to assist young people in Lake County to pursue career opportunities in aviation. To learn more, please visit the Clear Lake Flying Club.

For additional details about the event, please visit the following web pages:

Clear Lake Splash-In

Clear Lake Splash-In Facebook Page

Clear Lake Flying Club Splash-In Media Release

Photographs of previous Clear Lake Splash-In events are available at:

Clear Lake Splash-In Photographs.

Alaska and British Columbia Aerial Photography Advance Shooting Notice | July 9-Aug 1, 2023

July 5, 2023 July 5, 2023 / By Herb Lingl / Aerial Photographs, Aerial Photography, Aerial Video

aerial photograph of the south Coastal Mountains, British Columbia, Canada, — aerial photograph of the south Coastal Mountains, British Columbia, Canada
Image ID: AHLE1680
© Herb Lingl/aerialarchives.com

I’ll be creating new aerial photography and video in Alaska and British Columbia from July 9 through August 1. I’ll be shooting aerial photography and video in Anchorage and the vicinity (Homer, Seward, Talkeetna and Valdez) first. Then I’ll be shooting along the Alaskan and British Columbia coastlines.

Along the Alaskan coastline, I intend to create aerial photographs and video of Cordova, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka and Yakutat. I’ll also be photographing the islands, shorelines, coves, bays, glaciers and mountains along the way.

In British Columbia I intend to create aerial photographs and video of Cortenay, Comox, Nanaimo, Port Hardy, Tofino, Victoria and Vancouver and the geographic features of Vancouver Island.

I’ll also be photographing seaplanes, seaplane operations and seaplane bases. If you have a unique seaplane that you think would be a good candidate for this project, I would be grateful if you contact me.

I have flexibility to accept assignments to create Alaska and British Columbia aerial photography and video in other portions of Alaska and British Columbia during this time.

If you have a project you’d like photographed in either Alaska or British Columbia, please contact me.

To view aerial photographs of Alaska and British Columbia available immediately please visit:

Aerial Photographs of Alaska

Aerial Photographs of British Columbia

License the photograph shown above or purchase a print

Clear Lake Aviation Gathering | 2023

May 4, 2023 June 22, 2023 / By Herb Lingl / Aerial Photographs, Aerial Photography, Aircraft, Events, Historical Aerial Photography, Seaplanes

Lake Buccaneer, LA4-200, N6176V, amphibious aircraft approaches a beach at Lake Berryessa during very calm conditions during the Clear Lake Aviation Gathering Fly Out on April 23, 2023 — Lake Buccaneer, LA4-200, N6176V, amphibious aircraft approaches a beach at Lake Berryessa during very calm conditions during the *Clear Lake Aviation Gathering* Fly Out
Image ID: AHLC4670
© Herb Lingl/aerialarchives.com

A diverse group of seaplane pilots, aerial photographers and other aviation professionals attended the Clear Lake Aviation Gathering that took place at Lampson Field Airport (1O2) in Lakeport, California on April 22 and 23, 2023.

The Clear Lake Flying Club (CLFC) hosted the conference and produced it with the Professional Aerial Photographers Association (PAPA).

Herb Lingl, education director of the CLFC noted that “One of the conference objectives is to develop opportunities for young people in Lake County, California to pursue careers in aviation.” Details about the youth program are at Clear Lake Flying Club Youth Program.

Conference Sessions

Attendees at the Clear Lake Aviation Gathering listen to the presentation by Dr. Stephen Bateman of AOPA. Among the pilots in the photograph from left to right are Amy Hartsfield, Rick Long, Mike Hayes, Tom Beattie, Tom Lincoln, Bryan Sydnor, Jason Johanson, Gordon Mills, Missy Lee, Tim Neuharth, Kent Carlomagno and Tom Wasson — Attendees at the *Clear Lake Aviation Gathering* listen to the presentation by Dr. Stephen Bateman of AOPA. Among the pilots in the photograph from left to right are Amy Hartsfield, Rick Long, Mike Hayes, Tom Beattie, Tom Lincoln, Bryan Sydnor, Jason Johanson, Gordon Mills, Missy Lee, Tim Neuharth, Kent Carlomagno and Tom Wasson.
Image ID: AHLC4669
© Herb Lingl/aerialarchives.com

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) sent Dr. Stephen Bateman to the conference from Frederick, MD to make presentations about flying clubs and the AOPA Foundation High School STEM Aviation Curriculum which AOPA makes available to high schools at no cost. Details about the curriculum are at AOPA Foundation High School STEM Aviation Curriculum.

Paul Koscheka, the Federal Aviation Administration’s FAASTeam Program Manager at the Sacramento FSDO, provided a briefing on the WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program. Three of the seminars at the conference qualified for WINGS credit.

Additional presenters at the conference included Tom Beattie, instructor and test pilot for ICON Aircraft, Kent Carlomagno, Terry Hayes from Foothill Aviation and the Backcountry Flying Experience, Gordon Mills from Alpine Aviation, Missy Lee, the owner of Alaska Floats and Skis, Herb Lingl, Rick Long, Jason Johanson who provides multi-engine seaplane training in a Twin Seabee and Tom Wasson from Tom’s Aircraft Enterprises.

During the session entitled Which Seaplane Is Right for You?, Tom discussed the ICON A5, Kent the SeaMax, Gordon the Lake Buccaneer, Rick the Quicksilver on floats and Jason the Twin Seabee.

Terry, Gordon, Missy and Jason were the panelists for the Emergency Procedures in Seaplanes session. They discussed emergency procedures as they applied to the specific flying environments in which they operate.

The conference included a session about the History of Aviation in Lake County. Lake County Museums curator J. Clark McAbee prepared a presentation about Navy and Pan Am seaplane operations at Clear Lake entitled Wings Over Water: Flying Boats on Clear Lake circa 1939-1958. Retired high school teachers Miles Turner and John Wiegand described the high school aviation programs they taught at the Lower Lake and Kelseyville High Schools in the 1970s. Paul Loewen, who built a globally recognized Mooney modification firm based at Lampson Field, described the airport’s history from the 1960s, his experience teaching aviation at Mendocino Community College and his experience flying a Fleetwings Sea Bird, a high school aviation project that Paul and his wife Shery flew to Clear Lake with Paul’s high school aviation teacher.

The conference session about the Future of Aviation in Lake County examined plans for the future of aviation in Lake County, including the possible construction of seaplane docks and a seaplane ramp in Lakeport, CA, and a presentation by Dave Dietz of Armstrong Consultants, which specializes in airport engineering, about developing vacant land at Lampson Field for the construction of new hangars.

Seaplane Flight Training on Clear Lake

Gordon Mills from Alpine Aviation provided flight training in the Lake Buccaneer, LA4-200, N6176V, shown at the top of this page to conference attendees who booked flight training before the conference.

Aerial Photography Exhibition

The conference included an aerial photography exhibit and competition. Aerial photographer Amy Hartsfield, PAPA Vice President of Programs, made a presentation about the Professional Aerial Photographers Association and presented information about the aerial photographers whose work was selected to be exhibited at the conference.

Wine Tasting and Catered Hangar Dinner

After the conference sessions, attendees sampled some of the finest wines made in Lake County. These included wines from the Shannon Family of Wines and Lincoln Wines produced by Tom and Ruth Lincoln.

The conference dinner was catered by Lake Event Design, Lake County’s premier event company.

After the dinner, conference attendees voted Jean Luc Kaiser’s aerial photograph of the private Islet of Loreto in northern Italy as their favorite photograph on display. The islet is close to Aero Club Como, one of the oldest seaplane flying clubs in the world. Jean Luc, who owns L’Europe vue du Ciel, a French aerial photography company, received a cash prize for his winning entry.

Raffle Prizes

Raffle winners also received their prizes after the dinner. Donors of raffle prizes benefiting the Clear Lake Flying Club Youth Aviation Program included:

Kent Carlomagno
Mike and Terry Hayes
Tom and Ruth Lincoln and
Herb Lingl

and

Aerial Archives
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Airport Muse
Clear Lake Flying Club
Clear Lake Pilot Supplies
Meadowlark Publishing
Nalas Cleaning Expertise
Professional Aerial Photographers Association and
Tailwheel Ferry Pilot

Fly Out to Lake Berryessa

Seaplanes beached at the shoreline of Lake Berryessa during the *Clear Lake Aviation Gathering*, as a Lake Buccaneer approaches (background left).
© Byron Hernandez
Image ID: AHLC4668

Sunday featured a seaplane fly out to Lake Berryessa.

The fly out included an ICON A5 flown by Tom Beattie, two Lake Buccaneers, one flown by Gordon Mills the other by Henry Roberson from Air Carriage Inc. and a Cessna 206 on floats flown by Byron Hernandez.

More Information

The full conference program is at Clear Lake Aviation Gathering 2023 Program.

An article that appeared in the magazine Water Flying about the conference is at Water Flying article.

An article that appeared in the magazine In Flight USA about the conference is at In Flight USA article.

An article that appeared in the Lake County Record Bee about the conference is at Record Bee Article-Print and Record Bee Article-Online.

More information about Lampson Field airport is at Lampson Field.

For over forty years, Lake County has hosted the Clear Lake Splash In. This year’s Splash In is scheduled to take place on September 23-24, 2023 in Lakeport. Photographs of previous Clear Lake Splash In events are at photographs of the Clear Lake Splash In.

A selection of aerial photographs of Lake County are at aerial photographs of Lake County.

More information about Lake County, California is at Lake County Visitor Information.

Aerial Photographs of Drought at California’s Clear Lake

November 6, 2022 November 9, 2022 / By Herb Lingl / Aerial Photographs, Aerial Photography

Piers in North Lakeport, Lake County, California do not reach Clear Lake during a drought, November, 2022 — aerial photograph of piers in North Lakeport, California
Image ID: AHLE1726

Aerial photographs of the drought at California’s Clear Lake show the lake at historically low levels. Many residential piers around Clear Lake are now far from the water’s edge. Particularly impacted are areas where Clear Lake has a relatively shallow depth drop off. The residential piers in the photograph above are an example of the numerous piers in North Lakeport that are similarly impacted by Clear Lake’s low water level. There are similar high and dry piers in Lakeport, Lower Lake, Clearlake and other locations around the Lake with shallow shorelines.

Numerous residential developments with channels designed to provide access to Clear Lake such as Lakeport Lagoons are completely dry, some overgrown with weeds.

aerial photograph piers at Lakeport Lagoons, Clear Lake in Lakeport, Lake County, California during the drought, November, 2022 — aerial photograph of piers at Lakeport Lagoons, Lakeport, CA
Image ID: AHLE1730

The Rumsey Gage reading indicates the water level of Clear Lake. Zero Rumsey equals 1318.257′ above mean sea level, the normal low level of Clear Lake. Cache Creek Dam controls the level of Clear Lake. The Yolo Water and Power Company built the dam on the south fork of Cache Creek in 1914. The Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District now owns and operates Cache Creek Dam. Yolo County has rights to water in Clear Lake covered by several decrees one of which stipulates that Clear Lake’s water level shall be maintained between zero and 7.56′ above Rumsey. If Clear Lake is “full” on May 1, defined as 7.56′ above Rumsey, Yolo County may withdraw up to 150,000 acre feet of water. If Clear Lake is 3.22′ above Rumsey or lower on May 1, Yolo may not withdraw water from the Lake.

aerial photograph of Cache Creek, Lower Lake Lake County, — aerial photograph of Cache Creek and Clear Lake.
Image ID: AHLE1731

When Clear Lake is full it has a surface area of 43,790 acres and contains 1,155,000 acre-feet of water. When the Lake is at Zero Rumsey it has a surface area of 39,170 acres and contains 842,000 acre-feet of water. As of November 6, 2022, the Lake is at less than 2.6′ below Rumsey.

Clear Lake’s evaporation rate during the summer is approximately 3′ according to Lake County’s Department of Public Works Water Resources Division.

The drought has dramatically changed some of the creeks and sloughs around the Lake together with the nature of their surrounding habitat.

aerial photograph of Rodman Slough, Lake County, California during a drought, November, 2022 — aerial photograph of Rodman Slough during drought conditions
Image ID: AHLE1725

Rodman Slough is a wetland that drains into Clear Lake. It is fed by Scotts Creek and Middle Creek and is an important habitat for wildlife including fish, birds and amphibians. Rodman Slough is a remnant of a much larger wetland area drained for farmland that included Tule Lake, a seasonal lake that forms in the winter when Scotts Creek overflows. The slough is an important stopover point for migratory birds. It has a large rookery of great blue heron and is an important breeding and nursery area for black bass, catfish and black and white crappie.

aerial photograph of a flock of American White Pelicans at Clear Lake
Image ID: AHLE1714

Hundreds of American White Pelicans spend the winter at Clear Lake. The flock shown above is located on a sandbar just outside of Clear Lake State Park. The white pelicans are particularly attracted to Clear Lake because it is a shallow lake making it easier for them to locate minnows than they could at adjacent bodies of water such as Lake Pillsbury or the Indian Valley Reservoir. Because Clear Lake is a shallow lake, the impacts on the Lake’s shoreline can be dramatic during droughts and floods.

Please use these links to view additional related photography:

Aerial Photographs of Lake County, California

Aerial Photographs of the Drought in the Western United States

Aerial Photographs of Wetlands

Photographs of the Drought at Clear Lake

Aerial Photographs of the Response to Hurricane Ian Staged at the Sebring International Raceway

October 27, 2022 October 27, 2022 / By Herb Lingl / Aerial Photographs, Aerial Photography, Aircraft, Seaplanes

aerial photograph of Sebring International Raceway during the staging of the Hurricane Ian response, September 30, 2022, Sebring, Florida
Image ID: AHLE1665

Entirely by accident I had the opportunity to create aerial photographs of the response to Hurricane Ian Staged at the Sebring International Raceway.

On September 26, 2022 I started training for the multi engine seaplane rating with certified flight instructor Ben Lively of Lockwood Aviation in the Air Cam at the Sebring Regional Airport (KSEF). The Air Cam was originally developed by Phil Lockwood to fly photo missions in the Ndoki Rain Forest in the northern Congo Basin.

Lockwood Aircraft Air Cam N51SC parked at Sebring Regional Airport (KSEF) at dawn
Image ID: AHLE1599

The FAA check ride was scheduled for September 29 Jon Brown at the Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base in Winter Haven, Florida. Hurricane Ian was approaching, however, with landfall forecast for on the evening before the check ride. The hurricane, the fifth most powerful to hit the United States, ultimately made landfall south of Sebring, but did damage Sebring. Among the casualties was a Piper Warrior that was tied down at KSEF. A tornado caused by the hurricane pulled the tie downs and aircraft from the tarmac and tossed it on its back.

Once the weather passed, visibility was outstanding. Ben and I began training again on Friday and by Saturday I noticed the massive response by utility services vehicles being staged at the Sebring International Raceway. I began taking aerial photographs of the response to Hurricane Ian staged at the raceway from the Air Cam on the afternoon of September 30.

Equipment being staged from the Raceway included Duke Energy utility trucks to help restore power and equipment provided by the US Army Corp of Engineers.

Jon Brown rescheduled the check ride for Sunday, October 2 despite the fact that it was a weekend and power was still out at Winter Haven. Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base is a world renowned seaplane training base that has certified more than 22,000 seaplane pilots in the 57 years since Jon’s father, Jack founded the base.

Flying the Air Cam back from Winter Haven after the check ride I documented some of the aftermath of the hurricane from the air, including extensive flooding even in Florida’s inland areas.

aerial photograph of flooding at Avon Park Executive Airport (KAVO), Avon Park, Florida after Hurricane Ian; runway 10-28 is being used as a staging area to the response to Ian’s destruction Image ID: AHLE1689

When I returned to KSEF in the middle of the afternoon on October 2, most of the equipment being staged out of Sebring International Raceway was still in the field. Most of it returned to the Raceway every evening in a massive procession.

aerial photograph of the Sebring Regional Airport (KSEF) with the Sebring International Raceway in the background, Sebring, Florida
Image ID: AHLE1690

Please use these links to view additional related photography:

Aerial Photographs of the Sebring International Raceway

Aerial Photographs of Airports

Aerial Photographs of Florida

Photographs of the Lockwood Air Cam

New Aerial Photography of the Pacific Northwest: British Columbia, Washington & Oregon | August, 2022

September 13, 2022 September 18, 2022 / By Herb Lingl / Aerial Photographs, Aerial Photography

aerial photograph of the Klinaklini Glacier, British Columbia, Canada
Image ID: AHLE1599

From August 12 through August 31, I had the opportunity to create new aerial photography of the Pacific Northwest.

Flying over the mountains from Bella Coola, British Columbia to Comox, Vancouver Island brought me to the Klinaklini Glacier shown in the aerial photograph above.

The Klinklini Glacier is the largest glacier in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia and one of the largest glaciers in North America. It is located west of the Klinaklini River and the head of the Knight Inlet. Scientists are studying its changes and retreat over time. The glaciers of British Columbia contain a large portion of the total water supply of Canada.

Visibility was exceptional during most of the days during which I acquired new aerial photography of the Pacific Northwest.

Areas I photographed in British Columbia include Vancouver, Victoria, the Frasier River Valley, the Okanagan Valley, much of the eastern shoreline of Vancouver Island and the Coast Mountains of British Columbia.

Atmospheric conditions in Seattle, the remainder of Puget Sound, Portland and the Columbia River were all exceptional for aerial photography while I was working there.

To see the details of this photography flight, please download this interactive pdf which has the route of flight shown in the graphic below together with links to the locations and to larger versions of the photographs.

Please use these links to view additional aerial photography for the locations covered by this trip:

Aerial Photography of British Columbia

Aerial Photography of Washington

Aerial Photography of Oregon

Aerial Photography of Vancouver, BC

Aerial Photography of Portland, OR

License Image ID: AHLE1599 shown above or purchase a print

The Route of the Flight

Pacific Northwest Aerial Photography Aerial Archives 2022 — Route of Flight for Aerial Photography of the Pacific Northwest, August, 2022

Aerial Photographs of Brown Field and Tijuana International Airport

May 31, 2022 June 1, 2022 / By Herb Lingl / Aerial Photographs, Aerial Photography, Historical Aerial Photography

historical aerial photograph of Brown Field Airport (SDM), Otay Mesa, California and Tijuana Airport (TIJ), Tijuana, Mexico, 1955 — historical aerial photograph of Brown Field Airport (SDM), Otay Mesa, San Diego County, California and Tijuana Airport (TIJ), Tijuana, Baja, Mexico, 1955.
Image ID: AHLV4726

This 1955 historical aerial photograph of Brown Field and Tijuana International Airport shows both airports during important periods of their development. It is part of a collection of aerial photographs of Brown Field and Tijuana International Airport available from Aerial Archives.

Brown Field is one of the oldest airports in the United States, originally named East Field and opened in 1918 when the U.S. Army established an aerial gunnery and aerobatics school to relieve congestion at North Island. From 1918 and 1919 pilots trained in the Curtis JN-4D at East Field.

In 1943 the Navy changed the name of the airport to NAAS Otay Mesa. From 1943 through 1946 NAAS Otay Mesa was used to train pilots in the Lockheed P-38 Lightening, the Grumman F4 F Wildcat, the Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger and the Grumman F6F Hellcat.

The Navy turned the airport over to the City of San Diego in 1946. Chula Vista High School was established on the airfield with a temporary campus and an enrollment of 650 students in 1947.

The Navy reopened the airport as NALF Brown Field in 1951, and by the time this photograph was taken in 1955, Brown Field had been commissioned as a Naval Auxiliary Air Station to support fleet aircraft and field carrier landing practice. The F6F Hellcat, the F9F Cougar, the JD-1 Invader, the P2V Neptune and the FJ Fury were among the aircraft using the airport at this time.

In 1962 the airport was again transferred to the City of San Diego. Lufthansa moved its pilot training program from Phoenix to Brown Field in 1970 and still uses the airport for its training today.

Because Brown Field has a relatively long runway (Runway 08L/26R is 7972′ long), it is still used today by Navy C-130s and F/A-18s.

The Tijuana International Airport, seen at the bottom center of this photograph, is at the edge of the Mexican American border, just over one nautical mile south of Brown Field.

Tijuana Airport opened in 1951 and Mexicana de Aviacion began direct flights to and from Mexico City in 1954, one year before this aerial photograph was taken.

Mexico agreed to reorient the airport’s main runway from 10/28 to 09/27 to avoid airspace incursions into US airspace as part of its expansion. This reorientation increased the glide slope of the east approach, favored because the prevailing wind, above 3 degrees, preventing a full ILS approach because of a 2600′ obstacle, Cerro San Isidro. The expansion in 1970 included construction of a new terminal building. The old terminal became an air base for the Mexican Armed Forces.

Tijuana International Airport became a private concession in 1995, part of a total of 12 airports operated by Guadalajara based Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (Pacific Airport Group), a consortium of Spanish investors.

The airport has continued to expand over time and now has a 23 gate main terminal with two concourses and one of the tallest control towers in Mexico. The Old Airport Terminal is still dedicated to military aviation.

In 2015, Tijuana International Airport opened the Cross Border Xpress (“CBX”), the world’s third cross-border passenger terminal. That terminal is located in the United States. A bridge connects it to the Tijuana International Airport.

For additional aerial photographs of Brown Field and Tijuana International Airport, please visit the links below, or, if you need additional imagery not shown on the site, please contact Aerial Archives directly.

License this photograph or purchase a print

More aerial photographs of airports

More aerial photographs of San Diego County

More aerial photographs of Tijuana

More historical aerial photographs of California

Aerial Photo Maps of San Francisco

January 31, 2022 January 31, 2022 / By Herb Lingl / Aerial Photographs, Aerial Photography, Historical Aerial Photography, Satellite Imagery

aerial photo map of San Francisco, California, 2020
Image ID: AHLV4666

Aerial Archives provides current and historical aerial photo maps of San Francisco, California.

The aerial photograph shown above is a composite of many aerial photos and is suitable for enlargement to 14′ wide.

Higher resolution imagery which will enlarge to 30′ wide of the same view is also available on a custom basis.

In addition to aerial photography, Aerial Archives provides very recent satellite imagery of San Francisco.

License this photograph or purchase a print

More information about aerial photo maps of San Francisco

Aerial maps of San Francisco available for immediate license or prints

Aerial Photographs of Albuquerque, New Mexico

November 8, 2021 November 8, 2021 / By Herb Lingl / Aerial Photographs, Aerial Photography

aerial photograph of Al Hurricane Pavilion stage at the Civic Plaza, Albuquerque, New Mexico — This aerial photograph shows the Al Hurricane Pavilion stage at the Civic Plaza, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Image ID: AHLE0980
© Herb Lingl/aerialarchives.com

An extensive selection of aerial photographs of Albuquerque, New Mexico is available from Aerial Archives.

Included in the collection are detailed aerial views of Albuquerque including its buildings, plazas, stadiums and airport, and overviews of the city.

Among the featured locations are Sandia National Labs, the Kirtland Airforce Base, the Albuquerque International Sunport, the Albuquerque Biological Park, the University of New Mexico stadium, Isotopes baseball park, the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Courthouse, the Downs Racetrack and Casino, the Presbyterian Hospital, the Roy E. Disney Center for Performing Arts and the Canyon Club at Four Hills golf course.

The collection of aerial photographs of Albuquerque, New Mexico also includes views of the Rio Grande river as it passes through Albuquerque.

Also available are current and historical aerial maps of Albuquerque.

The Al Hurricane Pavilion stage is one of the highlights of the Albuquerque Civic Plaza. The Plaza is in the center of the city directly adjacent to the Albuquerque Convention Center.

License this photograph or purchase a print

More aerial photography of Albuquerque, New Mexico

Aerial photographs of Santa Fe, New Mexico

Clear Lake Splash In 2021: September 16-19

April 7, 2021 April 7, 2021 / By Herb Lingl / Events, Seaplanes

ICON A-5 at Clear Lake Splash In — ICON Aircraft chief pilot, Rich Bookbinder, demonstrates the ICON A5 amphibious light sport aircraft at the Clear Lake Seaplane Splash In, Lakeport, Lake County, California
Image ID: AHLC3945
© Herb Lingl/aerialarchives.com

Please mark your calendars, Clear Lake Splash In dates for 2021 have been set. The 41st annual Clear Lake Splash In is scheduled to take place from Thursday, September 16, through Sunday, September 19, 2021 in Lakeport, California (provided that there are no unexpected pandemic related developments).

The 41st annual Clear Lake Splash in was originally scheduled to take place in September of 2020. The cancellation of the event in 2020 because of pandemic considerations marked the first time in the event’s history that the annual event was cancelled since its inception.

The Clear Lake Splash In carries on the long tradition of seaplane operations at Clear Lake.

The Pan American Airlines Clipper flying boats which operated a Trans Pacific service in the 1920s and 1930s used Clear Lake as a back up landing location when the San Francisco Bay Area was too foggy for operations into the the Pan American seaplane harbor at Treasure Island. The Pan Am Clear Lake ramp was in Lakeport not far from the location of the Splash In.

Over the years, the Clear Lake Splash In has evolved into the largest seaplane fly-in event in the western United States.

The event has hosted a wide variety of seaplanes over the years including some of the largest seaplanes in the world, such as the Grumman Albatross (one year two Albatrosses participated), impeccably restored seaplanes of unique historical significance, rare seaplanes, and some of the latest innovations in the field of seaplane flying.

The event has also featured seminars about aviation and seaplane flying which impart unique information, sometimes difficult to obtain elsewhere.

The 2019 event featured three presentations by Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) ambassador Kay Sundaram.

The seminar entitled Career Opportunities In Aviation outlined the bright opportunities for young people in aviation. The seminar supported efforts by the Lake County Chamber of Commerce and others in northern California to build interest in the adoption of the AOPA High School aviation curriculum by Lake County High schools. AOPA makes this comprehensive curriculum available at no cost to high schools who apply and are accepted to participate in the program.

Kay also presented two other seminars, one entitled Maximum Fun, Minimum Cost: How to Start and Run a Flying Club and You Can Be a Pilot a fast paced, inspiring video presentation for prospective flyers.

As has been the tradition each year, Splash In volunteers provided a free shuttle service between Lampson Field (102), the closest general aviation airport to the event (only 4 miles away), and the former Natural High School grounds where the event takes place for those who choose to fly land planes to the event.

This year’s Splash In takes place at the former Natural High School property in Lakeport, which has been the traditional venue for the event each year. This will be the last event on the property before the City begins the construction of the Lakefront Park project, which is currently scheduled for October of 2021.

The State of California awarded the City of Lakeport a grant of $5,947,621 to fund the City’s purchase of the 6.9 acre property located at 800 N. Main Street from the Lakeport Unified School District for the Lakefront Park project. Funds also cover the construction of a new amphitheater, an exercise circuit, a skate park, a splash pad, a basketball court, and five picnic areas with shade structures and restrooms. The plan also envisions preserving the area that has traditionally been used as the ramp area for seaplanes at the Splash In for continued use for seaplanes.

Volunteers from the community have been essential to producing this event. In addition, members of community organizations have volunteered to help produce the event. The Lake County chapter of the Sea Scouts, for example, provided ramp safety services. Volunteers from the Lake County Amateur Radio Society provided communication services and shuttle services from Lampson Field.

If you’re interested in this event and would like to participate as a pilot, volunteer or sponsor for the 2021 Clear Lake Splash In, please get in touch. You can use the contact link on the top right of this page or the contacts available at the web pages referenced in the links below.

Areas where volunteers would be invaluable for this year’s event include help with event planning and fund raising, social media, seminar planning and event marketing.

If you’re a seaplane pilot and have ideas for this year’s event, please pass those along.

To view photographs of the 2019 and previous Splash In events, please visit Clear Lake Splash In photographs.

To follow the Clear Lake Splash In on Facebook, please visit Clear Lake Seaplane Splash In on Facebook.

For details about Lampson Field (1O2), the closest general aviation airport to the event, please visit Lampson Field Airport.

To plan your trip to Lake County, please visit Lake County | Clearly Different! and the Lake County Chamber of Commerce.