Tattoos In Flight features a unique black and grey rib tattoo of the well-known Boeing 757 airliner with contrails artistically transforming into feathers. It is a tribute to the freedom afforded by modern commercial aviation, allowing humankind to fly upon feathered wings of our own design.
Looking back to only a century ago, those who had the need and ability to travel long distances over oceans or vast expanses of land knew that their journeys could take weeks, if not months, to complete. Though powered flight had advanced greatly in the eight years since Orville & Wilbur Wright first flew in 1903, the concept of reliable and safe passenger travel by air was still a dream and aspiration that would take several more decades to realize in the form we are familiar with today. It wasn’t until the birth of the jet age in the late 1950′s that fast, reliable, safe and affordable airline travel became possible — thus making destinations on the other side of the world accessible within the span of a day.
The Boeing 757 has become a cornerstone of commercial airline travel in the 29 years since it first flew on 19 February 1982. The 757 was an efficient, twin-engine narrow-body airliner designed by Boeing to replace the Boeing 727 for high-demand short and medium range routes. It was developed in tandem with the long-range, wide-body Boeing 767 and both aircraft share some common components, systems, and controls as well as common two-crew flight deck configuration with similar avionics and instrumentation. As a result of this, the flight crews are trained and qualified on both the 757 and 767 and the FAA type rating issued to pilots reflects this. Though Boeing ceased production on the 757 in 2004 as it focused its attention to more efficient aircraft like the 787 Dreamliner, the 757 still remains in wide airline and cargo use worldwide, with 946 aircraft still in operation as of 2010 out of the 1,050 produced. The largest operator of the 757 is Delta Air Lines with 160 757-200 aircraft and 16 757-300 aircraft in current service.
The featured Boeing 757 tattoo beautifully combines the clean lines of the airliner with the wispy plumage of the contrail feathers in a style similar to that of an etching. The detailed black and grey rib tattoo was created by tattoo artist Alex Vidaud, currently tattooing at Colors Art Space in Berlin, CT.
Please click on the image below for a larger image.
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