South Florida Aviators Fly-in & Educational Expo (SAFEE) … This was a local event staged out of Opa Locka airport and sponsored by the FAA. There were aircraft static displays, vendor/sponsor booths, training seminars and an open house at the Coast Guard base in the adjacent hanger.  Click here to view the full gallery.

Another fun year at the local renaissance festival in Deerfield Beach …The ‘mudders’ were back and put on a great show as well as all the regular performers.  Also met up with a great group of folks from the South Florida Camera Club. One of them even assisted me in wiping splattered mud off my face when I got a little too close to the mudder’s show action ! Click here to view the full gallery.

… stopped by Butterfly World again for a quick shoot yesterday. Handheld macro photography can be a challenge, especially with a little wind mixed in. Thankfully, there was plenty of sunlight to play with. The Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens was fabulous to work with (as always).

Last month, the FAA sponsored a special showing of the movie “Red Tails” at a local cinema. One of the surviving Tuskegee Airmen ( Lt. Col Williams ) was an honored guest at the event as well. He shook hands with the crowd, signed autographs and spoke to a packed theater about his experiences …

A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to take a tour of a Southern Air 747-200 freighter at MIA. The crew chief gave us the grand tour starting in the cockpit, then crawling around the mid and lower decks for a while … even had a photo op inside one of the engine cowlings … too cool !

I was finally able to edit the renaissance festival photos I took back in February … always a fun shoot ! Click here to view the full gallery.

Another awesome year at Ridin-Hy Ranch ! This year’s highlights included a mini car show featuring old Model T Fords, banana boat mayhem and a rather large sock monkey !

Click here to view the 2011 gallery.

PASS (Professional Aviation Safety Specialists) held their annual convention in Seattle, WA from 7/11 - 7/13. The labor union represents FAA technicians and inspectors across the country … Guest speakers included FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt and Teri Bristol (FAA/ATO Technical Operations VP).

The world’s largest passenger airliner made it’s first appearance at Miami International yesterday … The streets were lined with people trying to catch a glimpse of the aircraft as it touched down on runway 9. Lufthansa is now offering daily flights from Frankfurt to Miami ! Looking forward to getting more images of this behemoth in the future …

Butterfly World, located in Pompano, FL is a wonderful place to relax and take pictures. I’ve been there several times in the past and always come back with a memory card full of great shots. I took these back in ‘09 but haven’t had a chance to post them until now.