I will admit, I waited a while before posting this tattoo… we wanted to display it at just the right time because we didn’t want such an amazing piece of tattoo artistry overlooked.  In fact, when I first saw this incredible tattoo of a General Electric GE90 turbofan engine as a cutaway image, I knew this was a feature to cherish.  So now, as the aviation world looks to the future this week at the Singapore Airshow in Asia… I felt it was the perfect time to post this tattoo of the ultimate evolution in commercial aircraft engines.

(click the image below for the full post and three larger photos of the tattoo in process)

And for good reason! This tattoo truly illustrates how far tattooing has evolved in the past few decades.  The amazing level of detail, shading, and technical precision that combined to create this technical triumph of turbine aircraft engine technology on a human canvas is staggering.

In fact, the subject of this tattoo and the tattoo itself are a lot alike.  The General Electric GE90 family of high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines are some of the most efficient, advanced, and powerful jet engines of the modern age of aviation.  The GE90 holds the world record for most thrust produced by a turbine engine and powered a Boeing 777-200ER that set the world record for the longest flight by a commercial airline aircraft.  On top of all this, it remains one of the largest engines ever built… and is the basis for the GEnx turbofan engine that has been developed to power the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Much like the engine, this tattoo illustrates a portion of what could be considered the peak of the art of tattooing… the line work, detail, and skill all combine to create an image that would look right at home in blueprints, 3-D CAD renderings, or detailed technical illustrations.  The fact that it was created on skin… a flexible living canvas with challenging curves and textures, proves that tattooing has not only evolved into an artform that mirrors that of other media, but perhaps even outranks in some cases because of the unique challenges that the medium presents to the artist.

Certainly the wearer, a dedicated aviation enthusiast and aspiring commercial pilot himself, made a very wise choice when he chose artist Brett J. Barr for this creation.  Brett is currently tattooing at Primal Tattoo Gallery in Orlando (Casselberry), Florida, so be sure to visit Brett’s portfolio for more amazing black and grey mechanical tattoo pieces as well as a diverse range of other amazing styles as well.  We are honored to have such a unique tattoo by such a talented artist featured here at Tattoos In Flight.

And thank you to our contributor for sending his masterpiece along as well as his patience… may the engine you have chosen to symbolize your career path, provide power and thrust on your journey into success within this fantastic industry of those who look to the sky and see more than just the clouds… they see the future!

Please click on the image above or the link below for three larger images of the tattoo in process and complete.

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Certainly the aviation industry isn’t immune to the occasional curse word… hell, I have heard quite a few conversations between pilots and mechanics myself where every other word is a “colorful adjective.”  That said, this colorful caricature of a female aviator (also known as an Aviatrix) buzzing about and dropping the “F-Bomb” certainly is a funny commentary on the skygods of swearing!

(click the image at left for the full post and larger photo)

Other than being a cute theme for a light-hearted flying-related tattoo, this tattoo is a great example of the awesome depth of color that can be achieved by today’s pigments used in tattooing.  A wide variety of colors and hues are now being used by artists… some pigments even being developed by artists themselves!  Some of these colors would have been unheard of 20 years ago… but now, the art is truly going through a renaissance of sorts with the medium!

This awesome tattoo was created by tattoo artist Mikey Sarratt who tattoos with High Noon Tattoo Parlor in Phoenix, AZ.  High Noon Tattoo Parlor is a great collaboration of experienced artists in the Phoenix area and spans a wide spectrum of styles… check them out!

Please click on the image above or the link below for a larger image.

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Normally I don’t like to post two tattoos of the same type of aircraft one right after the other, but since the P-51 Mustang WWII fighter is so popular as a tattoo and technique of this specific tattoo is so unique, I couldn’t help myself!

(click the image above for the full post and larger photos)

The P-51 that is the subject of this tattoo is the North American P-51D Mustang “Double Trouble Two” now owned and operated by the Fighter Factory of Suffolk, VA (and seen at many airshows around the East Coast).  Though the art is not as detailed as the real thing, the surreal… almost airbrushed look of this tattoo is quite interesting.  Unlike many tattoos, this one uses little outline and is defined almost entirely by subtle color work where the needle grouping almost acts more like a paintbrush than a pen.

The artist who accomplished this beautiful piece of aviation art skillfully applied to the curving canvas of an upper hip, lower right rib area is Kris Grimmer who performs his craft from Empire Tattoo of Clementon, NJ

Please click on the image above or the link below for a larger image.

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One of the things that makes tattoos featuring aircraft so challenging is the amount of detail that many aircraft require to look accurate.  As a result, airplane tattoos generally work better when they cover a larger part of the body rather than small areas… backs and torsos seem to work especially well.  The tattoo we are proud to feature today of a North American P-51 Mustang fighter from World War II is a perfect example of the artist and wearer giving a tattoo plenty of room to look its best!

(click the image above for the full post and larger photos)

The P-51 is considered by many enthusiasts to be the “Cadillac of the Skies” as they point out it’s aggressive appearance and powerful performance figures combined with its outstanding WWII record and active usage for years after the war.  Because of this, the P-51 has remained one of the most popular warbird aircraft flown by private collectors and museums today.  Over 120 P-51 Mustangs are maintained in flying condition today out of over 16,000 that were built – pretty impressive considering the fact that the design is over six decades old.  This popularity makes the P-51 one of the most recognizable aircraft of all time… and has made it a very popular tattoo subject as well.

The gentleman who sent us his P-51 Mustang backpiece was excited to share this fantastic piece of personal art with us and he certainly has a great reason to be excited!  The proportions of the P-51 are right on the money!  He got the tattoo in honor of his grandfather who flew as a crewmember aboard a B-29 Superfortress during the war.  The “S2” on the nose of the P-51 symbolizes both he and his wife as their initials both begin with the letter “S.”

The tattoo was created by tattoo artist C.W. who can be found at Royal Street Tattoo located in Mobile, AL.

Please click on the image above or the link below for a larger image.

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As a follow-up to yesterday’s post that featured the poem of RCAF pilot John Gillespie Magee, today we feature a beautiful tattoo of the aircraft that inspired that poem, the Supermarine Spitfire.

(click the image for the full post & a larger photo)

The Spitfire was one of the most famous fighter aircraft of World War II.  Known for it’s nimble maneuverability, the Spitfire was a formidable defender as it went head-to-head against Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighters of the German Luftwaffe over the skies of England during the Battle of Britain in the Summer of 1940.  The Spitfire operated through the end of WWII and was the only Allied fighter that was produced continually from before the war through the end of the war.  In fact, from 1938 through 1948, over 20,351 Spitfires were produced, making it one of the top 10 most produced aircraft in history.

Over 44 Spitfires remain in flying condition, many being found in England or other British Commonwealth countries in private ownership.  Many can be found flying during the annual Flying Legends Air Show at IWM Duxford in Cambridgeshire England each summer, which is sponsored in part by the Fighter Collection, operators of many WWII fighter aircraft based at Duxford.

Its history combined with its performance and refined styling has made it a highly cherished collectors item for aviators worldwide. Because of that demand, restored and flying Spitfires have sold for over $2 Million dollars in recent years.

So, if you can’t afford to buy your own Spitfire, you can at least have a permanent homage to the famous fighter tattooed on you!  This colorful calf tattoo of a pair of Spitfires in flight over a field of poppies was created by tattoo artist Derek Dufresne of Fleshworks Tattoos in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Please click on the image above or the link below for a larger image.

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For many who find their true home in the sky, flying is far more than a mode of transportation… it is an artform, a state of being, and the intrinsic spirit that propels them forward.  The romance of dancing around clouds and soaring above the Earth moves aviators to poetry, song, and verse to describe the unique and special emotions that float through the brain while held aloft.

(click the image for the full post & a larger photo)

One of the most famous poems ever written about the passion for flight was “High Flight” by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. The poem, written by Magee in the Summer of 1941, was inspired by his flights as a young pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force in a Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I.  His seventh flight in the Spitfire where he took the aircraft up to 33,000 feet moved him so much that the poem was his way of expressing the wonder that he felt as he climbed through the rarified air…

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air….

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark nor even eagle flew—

And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

Tragically, Magee lost his life in a midair collision on December 11, 1941 over the village of Roxholm in Lincolnshire England as he was returning to his base at RAF Digby.  He was only 19 years old.

The poem carried Magee’s memory on for many generations and will certainly stand the test of time for many more.  Aviators young and old have read it and many have developed a special connection to the poem.

Such is the case with the subject of today’s post… a young woman who used the poem to connect her with the spirit of her father.  She wrote:

My dad, who passed away six years ago, was an avid pilot. I grew up hanging around the airport and flying with him in our Cessna 310, a Diamond jet, and the B-25 Mitchell "Fairfax Ghost" (he once flew it with Travis Hoover* sitting in the co-pilot’s seat). He was a Quiet Birdman, and so the poem "High Flight" was read at his funeral. I remember him reading it to me when I was 4, and a framed copy of it was my last Father’s Day present to him.

I chose to use only the first two lines to make it my own. I’m a classical flutist, and those words evoke the feeling I get any time I perform, but also the memory of the man who encouraged me to go for my dreams.

(*editor note: Travis Hoover was one of the original crewmembers of the Doolittle Raid)

Her tattoo in memory of her father was created by tattoo artist Jason Jones of Kaleidoscope Ink in Springfield, MO.  Jason has been featured here at Tattoos In Flight several times before and our subject spoke highly of him as well: “He’s a brilliant artist and an absolute pleasure to work with” she said.

Please click on the image above or the link below for a larger image.

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