Maurice B. Quirin has been a landscape and transportation photographer since 1972. He's a member of the New Hampshire Aviation Historical Society and National Railway Historical Society. Mr. Quirin is co-author, with Edward W. Brouder Jr., of Manchester's Airport: Flying Through Time (ISBN 0-9721489-9-X). Mr. Quirin also worked as a freelance editor and anchor for The Wall Street Journal Radio Network and was news director at WBNS radio in Columbus, OH.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The View from Blue Grass Airport

Just beyond the main runway at Blue Grass Airport, Thoroughbreds roam, romp and run --- whether at the famed Keeneland Race Course, Calumet Farm or Manchester Farm, as shown above, which bills itself as 'Kentucky's most recognized farm.'
Horses enjoy grazing in the grass along Bowman Mill Road on the way to Blue Grass Airport. A bit closer to the airport, a similar scene repeats itself along Parkers Mill Road.

The iconic bugler sounding the "call to the post" is integrated with the Stars and Stripes to form the Lexington airport's logo.  Thanks to The Lexington Herald-Leader for the video honoring retiring Keeneland bugler Bucky Sallee.



Air Wisconsin and PSA are contracted by U. S. Airways to fly the Lexington - Charlotte route.




 American Eagle serves Lexington with nonstop flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth and Chicago O'Hare.


Delta is the largest carrier serving Blue Grass Airport.  Pictured above is a Canadair regional jet arriving from Detroit Wayne County Airport. 

A chartered Boeing 757 is shown below landing from Tuscaloosa and taxiing to the terminal ramp.



Allegiant flies nonstop to several Florida destinations from LEX.  Flight 942 is shown landing from Ft. Lauderdale on Runway 22 and then taxiing to the terminal.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Aviation Museum of Kentucky Hosts Commemorative Air Force Warbirds in July 2013

On July 8, 2013, B-25J "Maid in the Shade" was the first of the warbirds to arrive at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington.



B-25J "Maid in the Shade" is maintained and operated by the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force in Mesa.








On July 12, a Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless (N182GA) dive-bomber and P-51 Mustang (473843) operated by the Dixie Wing of the CAF flew into Lexington from Falcon Field near Atlanta. 



The next day, Saturday, the Dauntless and Mustang joined the Boeing B-25 on the Aviation Museum of Kentucky ramp.





A few lucky souls even got to fly in the P-51 for hard-earned dollars!



As the infomercial says: "But wait, there's more!"  The following weekend of July 19, the CAF Gulf Coast Wing flew into Lexington with their beautiful B-17G, "Texas Raiders" (483872).











We hope you enjoyed this flight into the past, courtesy of The Commemorative Air Force and The Aviation Museum of Kentucky!  Clear skies ahead!

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Lexington's Darley Jonabell Farm

Along Bowman Mill Road in Lexington, you'll wind your way through some of the prettiest post-card terrain you've ever seen.  As you make a 90-degree turn in the road, you'll come upon Darley Jonabell Farm.  The farm is owned by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, and constitutional ruler of Dubai.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Allegiant Airlines Flight 662 (MD-88 N403NV) from Sanford (Orlando), Florida, is on final approach to Runway 4 at Blue Grass Airport, giving passengers a birds-eye view of the Darley paddocks.
 
 
Unfazed by the steel-winged bird that just roared by, one of Jonabell's proud steeds basks in the May sunshine. (May 17, 2012)
 
 
 
 
 
The Darley breeding shed is home to such famous stud horses as Bernardini, who foaled Zenyatta's first born in 2012, recently named Cozmic One.  The cost for the romantic encounter was $150,000 and Queen Z was brought to Darley from Lane's End Farm in nearby Versailles, Kentucky.
 
 
Darley Jonabell is HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s global breeding operation which stands stallions in seven countries.  
 
HH Sheikh Mohammed's personal aircraft is a Boeing 747 that whisks him from Dubai to Blue Grass Airport for the annual Keeneland September Yearling Sale that draws bidders from around the globe.
 
 
More on the history of Jonabell Farm in Lexington can be found on the Darley website. 
 
By the way, Sheikh Mohammed's brother, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's Deputy Ruler, owns Shadwell Farm, also near Blue Grass Airport in Lexington.