The cloud photos and aerial landscapes that I have accumulated over the years were shot mostly from experimental-class airplanes I have built. When I fly in these planes, I am positioned far forward of the wing and have no enclosed cockpit. This vantage point offers me such an unobstructed view that it's like sitting in front of my own personal IMAX theater. Imagine flying in the evening and floating above the clouds at 9,000 feet at only 40 mph. As the sun sets rapidly, the clouds start to glow in one hue then another. This experience is like taking Beethoven's Ninth intravenously! With near zero turbulence and the plane trimmed out for level flight, I can turn loose of the stick and use my feet on the rudder to make minor position adjustments. Now I go to work—adjusting f/stops, getting into the right position and altitude and hoping my friends on approach control will keep Delta out of my shot. Whoever said sunsets were relaxing!

The first plane that I built in 1989 was a Maxair Drifter rigged for amphibian use. It was a great tool that helped me produce a lot of photos for ten years. Its most limiting factor was its range of sixty miles and its cruise speed of 55 mph. The purpose of this new twin engine plane is to explore and photograph all over North America.

After the plane's completion in Sebring, Florida, I am headed back to Chattanooga where we live. With my wife pulling an RV, we travel around the country taking pictures.

This plane, which I named, Cloud Chaser, took three years or 1,800 hours to complete and was built by my older son, Alan, and me in a hanger near the aircraft company that designed the plane in Sebring, FL. Built from a kit, the plane is officially called an Aircam. Originally designed for National Geographic for a photography project over the African Congo, this model is three generations beyond that original prototype and far more powerful and improved.

Landing or takeoff distance for this plane is within a couple hundred feet. With two 100 hp engines the plane has the ability to climb at over 1,800 feet per minute. All this reserve power makes it great for changing camera angles quickly and for getting out of tight places. Besides being extremely safe because of its single engine performance it’s also light weight, fuel efficient, quiet, environmentally friendly and carries a lot of cargo. I call it my flying green canoe because of its width and side rails. This aerial platform allows me great visibility so I can work with wide angle or telephoto lenses. Most aerial photos that I shoot are done solo at 40 mph with hand held camera. When shooting HD video a gyro stabilizer as well as a copilot to steer the plane is essential.

Since its completion in 2000, I have logged over 1,150 hours traveling through 31 states. It has proven itself to be a great flying machine. We recently completed a 14,000 mile trip retracing the journey Corps of Discovery and have published the photographs in a book and DVD, Chasing Lewis & Clark Across America: A 21st Century Aviation Adventure.

In June of 2005, EAA Sport Aviation made it the cover story, along with an article about our Lewis and Clark adventure.

The one question that always comes up whenever I do a lecture or program is, "What are you going to do next?" Well, we just released a series of art postcards called Sky View Samplers that feature images from along the Tennessee River. These pictures will be part of a larger project about this river.

We have also begun the process of acquiring sponsors for cross-country project that would feature rivers across America. If you are interested in being a part of this project, call 423.240.3898 or email us.