Sure, the Wright Brothers get the fame and glory for being the first to create and pilot a powered, heavier-than-air flying machine, but it was a pair of brothers 120 years earlier who found a way to allow a human to see the world from the air.

Joseph-Michel Montgolfier and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier were born into a French family known as paper manufacturers in the 1740’s.  Joseph with an inventors heart and Jacques with a business brain, the two started experimenting with hot-air lift after Joseph witnessed clothes billowing under a fire that was being used to dry them.  On June 4th 1783, they performed their first public experiment with a balloon reaching around 6000 feet over 2 km.  Their first “manned” balloon carrying a sheep, duck, and rooster took flight on September 19, 1783. 

Finally on November 21, 1783 the brothers succeeded in launching the first manned ascent using a balloon they designed — carrying a young physician, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, and a ZFrench army officer, François Laurent d’Arlandes. The flight flew over nine miles and reached an altitude of 3000 feet before landing.

The early flights of the Montgolfier balloons created a sensation in France — engravings, paintings, furniture, and dishes carried the image of the famous (and decorative) balloon.  Certainly if tattoos were more in the public vogue of the time, people would have been walking around with permanent tributes of the balloon on their skin.

This particular tribute - coming 226 years later, was created by tattoo artist Katie Davis of Salvation Tattoo Gallery in Richmond, VA.

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Being a long-time tattoo enthusiast who has probably seen millions of different tattoos, it takes quite a tattoo to draw my attention and get a verbal “whoa!” when I uncover it.  When I found this tattoo last night in the portfolio of Hayley Lakeman from Charlotte, NC , I did just that… I was amazed.

One of the things that immediately drew me to this tattoo was the lack of other tattoos evident on the wearer — the contrast of the black and gray masterpiece on an empty canvas was incredible.

I know tattoo artists are frequently frustrated by clients who want highly detailed images tattooed in a small space… the result is usually not nearly as clear and detailed as they’d like.  Such is not the case here… the detailed image of one of the most recognizable bomber aircraft from World War II — The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress — is as detailed as an illustration on paper thanks to the enormous size!

It must have been such a challenge to tattoo with all the straight lines and compound curves found in the B-17; and needing to create it on a canvas with curves of it’s own!  Despite these challenges, this tattoo turned out amazing and the placement is both interesting and perfect for the image.

Bravo Hayley, you have truly made an amazing tribute to the B-17 here with this outstanding tattoo!

If you like what you see and want a tribute of your own… see Hayley Lakeman currently at Fu’s Custom Tattoos in Charlotte, NC.  Her website notes that she’s in a state of transition and may be opening a studio of her own, so stay tuned!  Just make sure to come up with your own idea, as I am sure the wearer would appreciate being the only person with this design!

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Coming to us today from Canada is this colorful backpiece featuring the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter from World War II.  This tattoo was submitted to us by Kevin Slemko who got the tattoo in honor of his grandfather commemorating the days they spent flying radio control planes together during the summer months.  Thankfully Kevin’s grandfather is still with us, so he’s able to see the colorful tribute as well.

The P-40 was used by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) a bit during WWII, though their use was limited.  In 1942 during the Battle of Midway, the Imperial Japanese Navy sent a diversionary force to attack the Aleutian Islands. The RCAF sent No. 111 Squadron, flying the Kittyhawk I, to a forward base on Adak Island, Alaska. During the drawn-out campaign, 12 Canadian Kittyhawks operated on a rotational basis from a new, more advanced base on Amchitka, 75 miles (121 km) southeast of Kiska. Two RCAF fighter squadrons, No. 111 and No. 14, took “turn-about” at the base.

This tattoo was created by Chris Iwaniuk of Showdown Tattoos & Skateboards in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  Unfortunately Chris and the studio lack a website… but if anyone comes across one, please let us know so we can post it here!

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Protecting the noggin of fighter pilots since the late 1940’s, the modern day hard pilot helmet is certainly a symbol in military aviation these days.  The combination helmet, sun visor, and attached oxygen mask is a lot like the armor of a knight — fearsome looking, but serving much more of a purpose than the visual impact.  Much like football, the evolution of the fighter pilot helmet went from soft leather helmets used during and before World War II to the hard, protective helmets used today as aircraft speed increased.  With the jet age came the even more cranium-perilous need for ejection seats to exit high speed aircraft in emergencies.  With the rapid acceleration of the “rocket-powered car seat” and violent ejection sequence, the need for a solid “brain bucket” was needed more than ever.

Most helmets used in recent years by U.S. Military pilots are made by Gentex Corporation and illustrated here in tattoo form is a helmet styled after the HGU-55/P style of helmet.

The tattoo was created by artist Nathan Kostechko at Manifest Studio in Los Angeles, CA.  Nathan is featured this month in International Tattoo Art magazine (May 2009).

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Most of us in aviation have played, at one time or another, with a radio control or RC plane.  Some of us excel at it and become pros with the model… twisting and turning it around the sky with ease and generally looking good while doing it.

Then there are those of us, like me, who miserably fail — after spending hours building up a model, working with a pro as a trainer, and finally taking the step to “solo” only to sadly walk home with a pile of parts at the end of the day.  Yep, that was me.

In any case, RC pilots are passionate about their hobby and can sometimes spend thousands of dollars on aircraft, radios, engines and other equipment… kind of like the money some of us spend on tattoos… but without the equipment!

This tattoo was created by artist Jay Ski of 603 Tattoo Company in Salem, NH.  Based on the notes on his site, this tattoo was done on his fiancee — most likely in honor of her father based on the “dad” on the nose.

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