The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is the oldest serving transport aircraft design currently in Armed Forces inventory.  As a result, thousands of crew members have served aboard the “Herkey Bird” throughout its service history.  Many crew are intensely proud of the aircraft and as a result, the C-130 is, perhaps, the most tattooed transport aircraft out there… but that’s just a guess from our crack editorial staff!

Over 2300 C-130′s have been produced and they are still under production as the C-130J Super Hercules – nearly the same externally as the basic C-130 but with new engines, six-bladed propellers, digital avionics and other upgraded systems.  The fact that it’s still rolling off the assembly line after 55 years is an amazing testament to the durability of the design and usefulness of the aircraft in a changing military over more than five decades.

A little known fact about the C-130 is the fact that it currently holds the record for the largest and heaviest aircraft to land on an aircraft carrier – a record set through a series of trials in October and November 1963 with a USMC KC-130F aboard the USS Forrestal. 

This tribute tattoo of a C-130 as a paratrooper ship was created by artist Melissa Zimmer of Black Lantern Tattoo in Glendale, AZ.

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The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is one of the most timeless turbojet aircraft ever to have been produced.  Despite the fact that the design is over fifty years old, with it’s first flight taking place on June 22, 1954, it still flies as a front line fighter in some Air Forces and Naval Arms worldwide today.

The A-4 was designed by famous Douglas aircraft designer Ed Heinemann in response for a U.S. Navy order to replace the carrier-borne, propeller-driven Douglas A-1 (AD) Skyraider attack aircraft. The simple, delta-winged design weighed only half the U.S. Navy specification and the wings were so small that they didn’t require wing-folding mechanisms to operate and be stored on aircraft carriers.  It’s nimble performance earned it the nicknames “Scooter” and “Heinemann’s Hot-Rod”.

The Skyhawk remained in production until 1979 and 2,960 aircraft were built. it fought through the Vietnam War and was used by Israel in the Yom Kippur War and Argentina in the Falklands War against the British Royal Navy.

A tribute to the tiny attack jet, this realistic tattoo was created by tattoo artist Jesse Rix, owner of Secret Lake Tattoo located in Keene, NH.

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The term “pin-up girl” first came into mention in popular culture in 1941 and became even more popular in the years immediately after.  The provocative drawing and photo spreads found in magazines of the glamorous models, movie stars, and starlets of the time were popular with the soldiers, sailors, airmen and grunts fighting in World War II.  At bases, on ships, or in camps far removed from the dazzle of Hollywood, these images that were plastered to the insides of footlockers, tacked up on bunks, and taped up on the walls of the barracks were sometimes the only images of a woman these guys would see for months.  It kept their blood pumping and reminded them of what was waiting for them when they got home.

Pin-up girls even found their way onto some of the chariots that took the guys into battle… as pieces of “nose art” on the bombers they’d pilot over enemy territory.  Famous recreations of pin-ups from artists Alberto Vargas and George Petty among others found their way onto the aluminum skinned noses of countless B-17′s, B-24′s, P-51′s, and B-26′s along with many other planes from the smallest liaison plane to the largest cargo transports. Sadly, many of these artworks were lost when thousands of the bombers and fighters were scrapped at the end of the war.  Luckily some panels were saved by some savvy-eyed scrappers and now hang in a gallery at the American Airpower Heritage Museum of the Commemorative Air Force in Midland, TX.

This awesome piece of pin-up girl perfection in front of a Chance-Vought F4U Corsair U.S. Navy fighter was created by artist Frank LaNatra of Eternal Ink Custom Tattoo Studio in Davie, FL.

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We’ve featured lots of North American P-51 Mustangs on Tattoos In Flight over the past year (see our P-51 archive) and it remains one of the most popular aviation tattoo subjects out there today.  There’s not much I can add to the history and background of the P-51 that I haven’t said before, but I’d like to take a moment to use this specific tattoo in a comparison.

Pilot’s spend hours and hours of time… sometimes at great personal sacrifice… to perfect their skills and become better pilots.  Before they are allowed to sit in an airliner and fly passengers or sit in a multi-million dollar jet and fight a war, they have endured years of training and flying… “paying their dues” per se.  Once professional pilots, they need to keep learning, keep training, keep their minds open for the new technologies that make their job easier and safer.  They are confronted with changing weather, delays, new flight schedules — a constantly dynamic environment — and have to adapt to remain successful in their career.  Despite all this, pilots remain extremely passionate about what they do and in many cases would rather be in the air than any other place in the world.

Tattoo artists are, in many cases, the same way.  They struggle for years building up a portfolio of artwork before they are given a shot at an apprenticeship.  Once in that spot, they work hard hours, do the dirty work, and “pay their dues” before even picking up a machine and tattooing a client for the first time.  Even then, every tattoo is a learning experience… and away from the tattoo machine, the artist is constantly pushing their envelope with new styles, new techniques, and new art mediums that they can fold into their own unique tattoo style.  In many cases, artists spend a lot of time “hoofing it” on the road at conventions to get their name out there… and even when success finally comes, they still pour every ounce of energy into their craft.  There’s no where they’d rather be.

This tattoo is a perfect example of that drive to “push the envelope” – artist David Newman-Stump of Skeleton Crew Tattoo in Columbus, IN sent this to us and let us know it was the first aviation tattoo he had done. For a first time tattoo, I know I am pretty impressed with the composition, shading, and placement of the tattoo – overall a beautiful piece, would you agree?

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There’s a lot of traditional flash art that’s out there featuring military or Naval themes… but so few designs feature anything aviation-related. When we saw this great old-school-style tattoo featuring the North American B-25 Mitchell on the web, we had to feature it here!

The B-25 Mitchell is named after General Billy Mitchell – a man who many consider the father of the U.S. Air Force.  Appointed as deputy director of the fledgling Air Service division of the U.S. Army after World War I, Mitchell was a crusader for an increased investment in air power by the United States military. He even proved the value of aircraft in battle with several aircraft versus naval vessel tests that resulted in aircraft showing a clear advantage.

Mitchell had a tumultuous career in the military as he was considered something of a firebrand in the eyes of his superiors for his frequent arguments and criticisms of their leadership. He was demoted to Colonel in 1925 and later that year was court marshaled for insubordination after accusing Army and Navy leaders of an “almost treasonable administration of the national defense.”

Though he resigned from military service shortly afterward and was only honored with a posthumous commission to Major General by the President after he passed away, Mitchell was immortalized in 1940 when the North American B-25 medium bomber was named after him.

This tattoo tribute to the man and the machine named “Mitchell” was conceived by it’s wearer in honor of his grandfather who served in the USAAF in World War II, his childhood love of WWII history, and his first home on his own at the age of 19 — in Milwaukee, WI, home of General Mitchell and where a B-25 stands guard at the airport in the city that bears his name.

His other tattoo work is primarily traditional-style work inspired by the work of traditional tattoo master Bob Shaw (1926-1993).  Our wearer participates as a World War II re-enactor at local events and airshows… so the style fits perfectly.

The tattoo was created by tattoo artist and friend Matt Wes who is currently tattooing at Family Tattoo in Chicago, IL.  The photo below show’s the tattoo six years after it was done… and is as vibrant and clear as the day it was done.

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Immortalized here in ink is a pair of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses flying together, in formation, at the climax of the bombing run.  Most people these days cannot possibly fathom the sight and sound of hundreds of bombers in formation over a target… but it was a common sight over Europe from in the early 1940′s.  Unlike the precision technology of today’s smart bombs, cruise missiles, and attack aircraft, the bombing campaigns during World War II relied more on quantity than quality.  Thousands of non-precision “dumb” bombs were required in the attempt to take out a target… and even then, the success may be mixed.  Though the allies had the super-secret Norden calculating bombsight that improved precision greatly, the massive daylight strategic bombing campaigns were still a tremendous risk in the face of massive anti-aircraft fire, fighter defenses, and the general risk of the cold and lack of oxygen at the altitudes they were required to fly at.

The sacrifices of the air crew that served in the US Army Air Corps at during these missions are countless and their bravery has been told in numerous books, movies, and articles over the past six decades since the war ended.  A tattoo tribute is fitting as a permanent memory to them.  The B-17G’s depicted here have the markings of the 91st Bomb Group, 323rd Squadron that operated from Bassingbourn, England

This tattoo was created by artist Matt Maguire of Witch City Ink in Salem, MA.

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Hello everyone!  I’ll be attending the Arizona Tattoo Expo in Mesa, AZ on Saturday, May 2 and will be roaming around.  Unfortunately I won’t be getting work done, nor will I be competing… but at least I am hoping to meet up with friends and scope out some new work and new artists! 

It’s a great show – smaller than most, but that can sometimes be better.  There’s going to be some great seminars too by some renowned artists there as well.  See the site above for more info!

This is a photo of me to the left… if you happen to see me, stop me and say hi!  Email me at tattoosinflight@gmail.com if you’ll be there too!