When I first saw this tattoo posted, I thought that Aviation Blogger extraordinaire Stephen Force of Airspeed may have had a portrait of his “hero” look from a recent ride with the Thunderbirds permanantly added…

But alas, it was a chap from England who had this classic fighter pilot image added it his dermis.  Kudos to the folks at Sharpside Tattoo Studio, Seaford Sussex, England for the tattoo!

And if you are interested in flying blogs, check out Airspeed!

For a larger image, click on the link below or the image above!

Read the rest of this entry »

It was great to come across some new material in web searches this week, especially this great NASA Space Shuttle tattoo surrounding an existing tattoo. This great color piece was done by by Scot “Spyder” Kumo at Animated Canvas Custom Tattoo in Columbia, SC.

It’s a great tribute to the reusable space vehicle that’s slated for retirement in 2010 and eventually replaced by the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) capsule as part of the Constellation program.

For a more detailed and larger photo, please click through the link below (or click on the image above). 

Read the rest of this entry »

We get our share of P-51 Mustangs here, but this is the first modified P-51 air racer we’ve seen so far. Seems particularly fitting as we are merely a month away from the Reno Championship Air Races where modified P-51s, Seafurys, and Bearcats fight for the Unlimited Gold! This colorful armpiece was crafted by artist Kip Delaney of Victory Tattoo in Chico, CA.

By the way, FYI for you readers out there — we’ve changed our RSS feed, so make sure you fetch and link the new feed address to your news reader — the link is here.

Click on the link below to see a full-size image!

Read the rest of this entry »

Harley Davidson riders get tattoos of the company logo all the time, so how strange is it REALLY for a pilot to get the logo of his favorite airplane manufacturer tattooed on his body?

Aero-TV.net asks the question… and finds just such a person!

Make sure to check out Aero-TV.net for great aviation features… and Mooney for some great planes.

In the three months that Tattoos In Flight has been in operation, today’s feature is the first time a General Aviation airplane has appeared.  Illustrated here is a Piper PA-28R Arrow flying above the clouds. We checked the N-Number to see if the owner had his plane tattooed on him, but the registration shown here is for an Embraer 145 Regional Jet.  But still, artist Jim Judeikis of Saints and Sinners Tattoos of Baltimore, MD still did a great job with the tattoo.

For a more detailed shot, please click the link below or the photo above.

Read the rest of this entry »

The B-17 Flying Fortress is quite possibly the most recognizable aircraft of World War II and certainly was the most famous due in part to it’s role in the wartime documentary film “Memphis Belle” by William Wyler, documenting the first crew of the war to successfully complete 25 missions.

As a result, a great number of aviation tattoos today feature the famed Flying Fortress and today we feature another. This particulat tattoo was done by artist Audi at Midnight Moon Tattoo in Chichester, NH.

Click on the link below to see a larger version or click the image.

Read the rest of this entry »

Black and Gray tattoo technique has entered a true renaissance in recent years with the popularity of artists like Tom Renshaw and Cable TV star Kat Von D.  The realism that can be captured with the style is truly amazing and enthusiasts from all over the world have immortalized loved ones in tattooed portraits.

Featured here is another fantastic example from artist Christian Masot at Silk City Tattoo in Hawthorne, NJ of an airman from the 81st Fighter Wing, stationed at RAF Bentwater for most of their operational life in the protection of England flying F-101 Voodoos and F-4 Phantoms.

For a larger image, click on the link below or the image above.

Read the rest of this entry »

Taking a break from the warbirds and military planes, here is a classic Waco biplane tattoo playfully tattooed in with some swirling clouds.  Artist Jessie Hopeless of Exile Tattoo in Kansas City, MO is responsible for the fun execution of this colorful tattoo.

Click on the link below to see a larger version of the tattoo.

Read the rest of this entry »

Are you a Facebook user and a fan of Tattoos In Flight?  Why don’t you stop by and list yourself as a “fan” on Facebook! 

We’ve created a basic page on Facebook to promote the site, so stop by and add yourself as a fan and help us spread the word about Tattoos In Flight!

Hey!  Click here to go to our Facebook Page right now!

Thanks everyone!

We’re continuing with the light postings this weekend with this fun pop-art prop-driven fighter plane etched on the inside wrist by artist Scot Winskye of Inkwell Tattoo in La Grange, KY.

I particularly like the clean, thick lines Scot uses to outline the piece — making the tattoo stand out well.  See, small tattoos can have just as much visual impact as big ones! 

And are a bit less painful to boot!

For a bigger version, click on the link below!

Read the rest of this entry »