Airplanes Online Home Page Airplanes Online: The story of the great planes of WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam War and modern times with photographs and commentary


About the Airplanes Online Website

Airplanes-Online.com staff ... on location at the Hill Aerospace Museum in Utah
Airplanes-Online.com staff ... on location at the Hill Aerospace Museum in Utah

We've been fascinated with both military airplanes and commercial airliners for decades, and still are today.

This site is a tribute to the great airplanes of the aviation age, and to those who designed, built, flew, and serviced them. We cover a variety of World War II bombers like the B-17 Flying Fortress and fighters, many Cold War aircraft like the B-36 Peacemaker, and planes of the present, and future, like the C-5 Galaxy and F-35 Lightning II.

We respect the efforts and sacrifices of the military officers and airmen in restoring peace through victory in World War II, and the job they performed in maintaining the peace during the Cold War. And veterans of all U.S. wars remain forefront in our memories.

Why This Site?

Our early memories include air shows at England AFB, and seeing the Air Force Thunderbirds perform in their swept-wing F-84F fleet. There we also saw our first F-100 Super Sabre make a low approach over the runway, and zoom vertical above the dazzled crowds below. At the same air base our Cub Scout troop was able to tour a B-29 Superfortress, and crawl through the tunnel over the bomb bay ... what a thrill it was!

Delta Air Lines Lockheed L-1011-500 TriStar, Registration N751DA, at the gate at the Frankfurt, Germany Airport, August 1982
Delta Air Lines Lockheed L-1011-500, N751DA, Frankfurt, Germany Airport, August 1982 (Staff Photo)

I've had a fascination about the Consolidated-Vultee B-36 since my childhood in the mid-1950s when I used to hear the roar of Peacemakers flying high over central Louisiana. Unfortunately, the B-36 wasn't part of the many air shows I attended at England Air Force Base in Alexandria, primarily a TAC base at that time.

My interest in military aviation was furthered when I viewed the B-36 "City of Fort Worth" on display at Amon Carter Field in the early 1960s. My interest in the airplane continues to this day, and we have now photographed all four surviving B-36 aircraft.

The excitement of our first commercial flight from Dallas Love Field on a Delta Air Lines Convair 440 is still in our head. Our first transatlantic flight was also on Delta, but this time on a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar to Gatwick in London.

While a young Naval officer, I had the honor of serving with the U.S. STRIKE Command headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. During my tour with STRIKE, I flew on the command's Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft and the commander in chief's Boeing VC-135A airborne command center.

U.S. Strike Command's VC-135A, S/N 61-0316, Airborne Command Post
A memorable flight on the U.S. Strike Command's VC-135A, S/N 61-0316, Airborne Command Post

Today, we travel extensively, and have been fortunate in the last few years to visit many of the most renown air museums, Air Force bases, gatekeepers, static displays, air shows, and airparks in the country.

During these trips, we've seen 17 of another favorite aircraft, the B-29 Superfortress, including the "Enola Gay" and "Bockscar". I share a portion of my airplane photo archive on this website.

Content Used on This Website

We are vigilant and respectful of copyrights and the rights of other photographers. On this website we use original photographs taken by our staff as well as public domain photographs. We also publish photos submitted by our website viewers, and credit them as appropriate. Any Creative Commons photographs or photos from aircraft manufacturers are likewise carefully attributed to the creator.

Continued Evolution of This Aviation Website Series

The Airplanes Online Series of Websites

We launched Planes of the Past in 2012, which over time grew into a large site covering a variety of aviation-related topics. In 2015, we split the website into more focused topics based on our viewers' interests. Now we offer the following websites:

  • Airplanes-Online.com - World War II, the Cold War and modern day airplanes (this site)
  • AirplaneBoneyards.com - Military and airliner boneyards in the U.S., Europe & Australia
  • AirlinerSpotter.com  - Airliner spotting tips, Airbus and Boeing fleets with characteristics, side-by-side comparisons and photographs
The Airplanes Online series of aviation websites
Airplanes Online Website Airplane boneyards after World War II and active boneyards today ... maps, photographs, tours and more ... visit there now! Airliner Spotter guides and tips for Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and Bombardier aircraft


Thanks for taking time to visit the website, and fly again with us soon!