Ben Wilhelmi

US roads, photography while driving

 Route 66 but it could have been shot in many other stunning locations...

 

motorbikes, US roads

 

How does this guy manage to pick such a girl? AND how does he convince her to sit on that non-existent saddle 2 inches from those helmet spikes? In case of heavy breaking she gets a facelift for free....

 

A few pictures in Santa Fe.

 

 

 

between Oatman and Bullhead, Route 66

 

 

bush flying in Tanzania

 

A propeller seriously damaged. That was a prop strike with engine running at high speed. Tip: the 3 blades are equally twisted. One blade damaged means the engine was off and the propeller had no inertia. Some pilots have been caught lying...

 

Facing an active volcano, Lengai. Flying Medical Service has about 30 various airstrips to provide mobile clinics. Here is Monik on lake Natron.

 

Pilots will appreciate this sloped airstrip, Engoveroni, at 6500 feet, 400 meter long, 170 ft difference between the ends. Our C206's have a normally aspirated engine

 

Somewhere in the Ngorongoro area, Olbalbal0

 

Landing with a strong crosswind at Ngaresero, the volcano Lengai lies in the distance.

 

yes this is an airstrip.

 

This one is located in the middle of Sengerema village, with houses on each side. Congratulations to the decision makers…

 

Funny little white flowers during the rain season, Olbalbal.

 

Another airstrip but of much better quality than it looks like. The Masai ladies are sheltering from the rain.

 

stormy weather, always lovely to watch and sometimes not so when flying through.

Florida, photography

 

Crystal River near Tampa, I spent a few weeks there for a flying upgrade.

This bar was a bit…special. I heard there used to be anti French mottos on the walls, and French people were just plainly not welcome. Maybe there is a new management and new patrons because I didn’t meet any morons to challenge my French accent (though I’m Belgian).

The front place was interesting enough: A Harley next to a Japanese bike and a carriage, an elephant, a 9/11 memorial. Funny enough the American bald eagle looks very much like the Africa fish eagle. Latin names are respectively haliaeetus leucocephalus and haliaeetus vocifer. Quite a long way to fly apart for these cousins.

 

The owner was pleased that I had stopped to take a few snaps and ask some specs about the car. He said people around were not nice to him, considered him a red neck and thus avoided him. Well true Florida is a nest of retired religious right wingers but then look at the car… seen from my European point of view, this car seems indeed to belong to the redneck pool.

 

Or this one.

 

Renting a discrete RV seems mission impossible in the USA…

 

But then why would you want to be discrete in the US?

 

Florida seems flatter than Holland. I wonder where this modified SUV needs such a high wheel clearance? To drive over gators?

 

This poor girl spent hours yelling, clapping, dancing in the sun. She still made an effort to pose for me.

 

Common scenery.

pictures on the US roads

 

Some pictures on the long I 95, between Bullhead (Arizona on the edge with California) going north to Las Vegas.

Karine and the rental Ford. With all our bags and photo gear and shopping goodies, this car size was a minimum to hide everything in the boot.

 

Harleys…the myth goes on. Nowadays, Harley trips can be organised from abroad. Rent your Harley and ride! I try to imagine a French biker meeting a group of hard core indigenous bikers haha. Over the years on US TV shows, I’ve spotted a dozen remarks towards France, usually negative. It seems the smart finger the French gave over Iraq invasion still doesn’t go down well with some people. I’m not French by the way so any attack on my opinion should keep this in sight 

 

No there is no river there, just a funny casino on the border between Arizona and Nevada.

I must say I’m not always keen on the road signs system, a bit messy sometimes. Maybe I would just need time to get used to…

I have to fish for the close up picture of that contraption because this model is the “Serengeti” version!! I’d like to see that monster on the narrow and winding dirt roads to reach the real Serengeti through the Ngorongoro area….

 

many signs like this one were spread alongside highways, usually on the same theme.

on the road, USA

 

Yes! Somebody walking in the US!!

 

Too funny these 2…

 

this guy doesn’t listen to his mother! I’m sure she has told him many times to wear a helmet or at least a hat for the sun. Seriously I can’t believe some US states don’t require the helmet for riders. In a country where one sues anybody for any moronic reason, so by now some wounded bikers would have sued some legislators because they were not told it was dangerous to ride without  helmet… worse in Florida, the law was reversed under Jeb Bush and it’s not compulsory anymore. Just like his bro’ he must have been rocked too close to the wall when he was an infant….

 

Harley Davidsons in Oatman, route 66, Arizona

 

there were Harleys all over the place and on miles and miles on the roads around. A big gathering was going on for bikers. It made the scenery quite interesting. Oatman, on route 66,  is not much but on a day like this, it gets very much alive. The western movie decoration was hilarious. Some people are really good at exploring their childhood dreams.

 

here was a rarity, a Russian side-car. An Ural maybe?

the main street, for a second I thought these dudes were waiting for us to start a duel.

 

in the past, this couple would have been at risk to come in such a gathering with a Japanese bike. The Hells Angels would have trashed what they considered sissies’ motorbikes. Besides Harleys, few brands were accepted, usually Italian or English. But nowadays real Hells Angels or other tough bikers are not not alone on Harleys.

 

leaving Oatman on route 66 towards California.

more Bikes kept on coming.

Florida alongside the road, Crystal River

 

I spent a few weeks in Crystal River near Tampa last year. Between studies or flights I’d walk (yes, walk in the US!) or jog around looking for details. The main things that attracted my eyes were: hardly no pedestrians, no surprise, and a lot of Harley Davidsons, no surprise either.

 

Manatees were unfortunately on holidays, I wish I had spotted them in the nearby creek, a renowned worldwide place. (en fr. il s’agit de lamantins)

 

Palm trees often look like the highest landmarks in a Floridian landscape.

 

Chevrolet Corvette.

 

some interesting facts in the US: safety helmets are not always compulsory. Worse, in Florida, it used to be mandatory to wear them. Then some genius of a governor decided to repel that law!

typical US highway. No house but shops and business offices.

 

billboards on route 66, shot while driving

 

being a keen amateur photographer while driving on any US roads requires some iron-discipline otherwise the temptation to stop every mile or so will hit big time. Still nothing prevents some shooting while the car is moving. Karine and I did that a lot, like below on route 66, Arizona section.

graphic pictures, it’s about time the same kind of warnings are set on cigarette packs… fucking lobbyists and greedy coward politicians!

 

then we left the route 66 at Bullhead on the Californian border towards Las Vegas.

Harley Davidson motorcycles, US roads

We had just left Bullhead City, Arizona, on route 66 going north towards Las Vegas. The road follows the California state line for a bit, overlooking on the Californian landscape, here Mojave nat’l reserve. Karine was driving, I was shooting. The American Way, the myth... still kept alive by many.

another woman really in love of her biker. Her saddle look like postal stamp size type, there is nothing to support her back, and she has to beware the guy’s helmet spikes!! I really wonder what are his secrets….

 

 

campers? I was quite disappointed to realise most of the riders had no luggage showing camping activities. Sleeping bags were extremely rare…. the myth of the wild riders is taking the flak? We had even spotted a group of European riders with a broom van!!

 

 

 

WW II Wehrmacht’s helmets are still fashionable.

 

this guy I had just met while we were refuelling was in fact really friendly, he absolutely wanted us to show up at a big Harley gathering (though we were driving a regular Sedan and my motorbike here in Arusha is Japanese make). The myth of the aggressive Hell’s Angels is dwindling….

 

that big gathering was happening in Oatman, a few miles away on route 66. For hours we saw Harleys on the road, 1000’s, every kind of them, and mostly every kind of riders.

cool America…road trip pictures

 

this one was the most ridiculous contraption we saw on our trip.

 

isn’t that love ? That too tall girl is clinging on her dude like a backpack. But check the seat! There is hardly any seat, it looks she s sitting on the mudguard. Karine had looked at me with that kind of ‘not even in your dream’ look.

 

a pink helmet on a Harley….?

 

 

Look at the jacket…

Harley Davidson gathering, Oatman, route 66

 

April 2010, Karine and I were cruising along route 66 and arrived in Oatman, Arizona. The little village was invaded by Harleys and some few other brands. A lot of bike equipment and beer were on sale.

Let’s imagine some dedicated music here, like “the Good the Bad and the Ugly”….

Some bikers seemed interesting characters….

seriously there were 1000’s of bikes that day, here in Bullhead on the Californian state line. Too bad we had booked a hotel in Las Vegas that night. One of the very few bookings we had made…