#ohiophotographer Archives - Page 16 of 17

Britney Spears

A Dream Realized: Britney Spears’ Spectacular Tour Kickoff in Columbus, Ohio

On November 1, 2001, Britney Spears launched her highly anticipated “Dream Within a Dream” Tour at the Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. This tour, supporting her third studio album Britney, marked a significant evolution in Spears’ career, showcasing a blend of theatrical storytelling, cutting-edge technology, and high-energy performances.

An Ambitious Vision Comes to Life

The tour’s concept drew inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “A Dream Within a Dream,” aiming to blur the lines between reality and fantasy. Directed and choreographed by Wade Robson, the show was designed to reflect Spears’ personal journey toward self-discovery and independence. Robson explained, “You’re gonna learn a lot more about her as a person. The show is gonna be really about how she’s becoming a woman, how she’s finding herself and her independence” .

Innovative Stage Design and Special Effects

Production designer Steven Cohen and production manager Rob Brenner crafted an elaborate stage setup to match the show’s ambitious vision. The main stage featured an oval shape with a runway connecting to a B-stage, allowing Spears to engage with the audience from multiple vantage points. A standout feature was the “Cleopatra’s barge,” a flying device that transported Spears over the crowd, adding a dynamic element to the performance .

The show’s technical aspects were equally impressive. The finale featured a groundbreaking water screen, pumping nearly two tons of water at 360 gallons per minute, creating a mesmerizing curtain of water through which Spears performed. Cohen described it as “the keystone of the entire design because it impacts every system—electrics, staging, dancing” .

A Theatrical and Musical Journey

The concert unfolded in seven segments, each with its unique theme and aesthetic. Spears opened the show suspended from a gyrating wheel, immediately captivating the audience. The setlist combined her classic hits with new material, including live debuts of “Boys,” “What It’s Like to Be Me,” and “Lonely” .

Throughout the performance, Spears underwent multiple costume changes, transforming into various personas—a ballerina, a jungle queen, and a fur-clad socialite—each representing different facets of her artistic identity. The show seamlessly integrated video interludes, elaborate choreography, and special effects, creating an immersive experience for the audience.

Critical and Commercial Success

The tour’s kickoff in Columbus was met with enthusiastic responses from fans and critics alike. Aaron Beck of The Columbus Dispatch noted the show’s energetic and theatrical nature, highlighting Spears’ dynamic stage presence and the elaborate production elements .

Commercially, the “Dream Within a Dream” Tour was a resounding success. The North American leg averaged $803,683 in gross revenue per show, with a total gross of $53.8 million and over 961,000 tickets sold across 66 shows . The tour’s innovative design and execution set a new standard for pop concerts, influencing future productions in the industry.

A Defining Moment in Pop Music

Britney Spears’ “Dream Within a Dream” Tour represented a pivotal moment in her career, showcasing her evolution as an artist and performer. The tour’s fusion of theatrical storytelling, technological innovation, and musical performance created a landmark event in pop music history. The opening night in Columbus set the tone for a tour that would be remembered for its ambition, creativity, and impact on the concert experience.

More images on the Ohio PhotoJournal Photo Blog

Britney Jean Spears is an American singer, dancer, and actress. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, she performed acting roles in stage productions and television shows as a child, before signing with Jive Records in 1997. Spears’s first two studio albums, …Baby One More Time (1999) and Oops!… I Did It Again(2000), were global successes and made her the best-selling teenage artist of all time. Referred to as the “Princess of Pop“, Spears was credited with influencing the revival of teen pop, during the late 1990s and the early 2000s.

Spears adopted more mature and provocative themes for her next two studio albums, Britney (2001) and In the Zone (2003). She also ventured into acting with her starring role in the 2002 film Crossroads. However, her much-publicized personal issues sent her career into hiatus. Despite being released while her personal struggles were ongoing, Blackout(2007), is often critically referred to as her best work. Her unusual behavior and hospitalizations placed her under a still ongoing conservatorship.

Spears returned to the top of record charts with her sixth and seventh albums, Circus(2008) and Femme Fatale (2011). In 2012, Forbes reported that Spears was the highest paid female musician of the year, with earnings of $58 million, having last topped the list in 2002. During the promotion of her eighth and ninth studio albums, Britney Jean (2013) and Glory (2016), Spears embarked on the four-year concert residency, Britney: Piece of Me, at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Five of Spears’ singles have reached number one in the United States: “…Baby One More Time“, “Womanizer“, “3“, “Hold It Against Me” and “S&M“. Other singles, “Oops!… I Did It Again” and “Toxic“, topped the Australian and Canadian charts. Spears has earned numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award, six MTV Video Music Awards, including the Video Vanguard Award, seven BillboardMusic Awards, including the Millennium Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Billboard ranked her as the eighth biggest artist of the 2000s decade. One of the world’s best-selling music artists, Spears has sold over 100 million records worldwide. In the United States, Spears remains the fourth best-selling female album artist of the Nielsen SoundScan era, as well as the best-selling female albums artist of the 2000s. In 2004, she launched a perfume brand with Elizabeth Arden, Inc., from which sales exceeded US$1.5 billion as of 2012.

The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the fourth concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. It was launched in support of her third studio album, Britney (2001). The tour was promoted by Concerts West, marking the first time Spears did not tour with Clear Channel Entertainment. On September 21, 2001, a North American tour was announced that kicked off exactly two months later after various dates were postponed. In February 2002, Spears announced a second leg of the tour. It was directed and choreographed by Wade Robson, who explained the main theme of the show was Spears’s coming of age and newfound independence. The stage was designed by Steve Cohen and Rob Brenner and was composed of a main stage and a B-stage, united by a runway. Inspired by Cleopatra‘s barge, a flying device was developed so Spears could travel over the audience to the B-stage. The setlist was mostly composed by songs from the supporting album, as Spears felt they were more reflective of her personality. Songs from her previous two studio albums were also included in remixed form by Robson.

The show was divided into seven segments with the last one being the encore. Spears opened the show hanging from a gyrating wheel; it continued with Spears performing a medley of older hits, jumping in bungee cords from the flying device onto the stage and dancing in a jungle setting. Most of the performances were accompanied by extravagant special effects, including confetti, pyrotechnics, laser lights, and artificial fog and snow. In the encore, there was a water screen that pumped two tons of water into the stage; this was considered one of the signature performances of the tour. During the 2002 leg, some changes were made; several songs were remixed, and Spears premiered various unreleased songs which included “Mystic Man”. The show received mixed reviews by critics, who praised the show for being innovative but dismissed it for taking the attention away from the music.

According to Billboard, the 2001–02 dates in North America had an average of $803,683 in gross and 14,344 in attendance, bringing a total gross of $53,846,761 and 961,048 tickets sold in 66 shows, not including the Japanese sold out show at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo for 60,000 fans. Overall, the Dream Within a Dream Tour grossed $56.8 million and sold more than 1 million of tickets in 68 shows. On July 27, 2002, Spears performed for 51,261 fans at Foro Sol stadium in Mexico City. The show grossed $2,251,379 and was the 37th on Pollstars Top 200 Concert Grosses in North America. During the second show in Mexico, Spears left the stage after the sixth song due to a lightning storm; the show was canceled and angered the audience. The tour was broadcast live on an HBO special on November 18, 2001, and went on to win an Emmy for Outstanding Technical Direction on the 2002 ceremony. A DVD titled Live from Las Vegas was released in January 2002.

November 1, 2001/0 Comments/by James

Conesville Power Plant

Images, News, Places

The Conesville Power Plant in Coshocton, Ohio photographed February 16, 2001.

Coal is carried from semis and directly via conveyor belts from a nearby mine to the storage facility at the Conesville power plant. Although the plant has a capacity to store a reserve of more than 90 days of coal at any given time, the current supply is down to just a few day of reserves. This is because the plant recently had to share some of it’s reserves with other plants that had a shortage, the coal mining labor situation is much more stable now than it was years ago, and the utility is trying to be cost conscious by buying only to meet demand. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D30 cameras with L series lenses.]

Michael Thomas adjusts the bushings around the shaft of a turbine during a routine overhaul of an electrical generator and turbine unit at the Conesville Power Plant on Friday February 16, 2001. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D30 cameras with L series lenses.]

Workers perform a routine overhaul of an electrical generator and turbine unit at the Conesville Power Plant on Friday February 16, 2001. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D30 cameras with L series lenses.]

Workers perform a routine overhaul of an electrical generator at the Conesville Power Plant on Friday February 16, 2001. From left to right – Joe Ritter, Bill Bickford, and John Foster. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D30 cameras with L series lenses.]

Coal is carried from semis and directly via conveyor belts from a nearby mine to the storage facility at the Conesville power plant. Although the plant has a capacity to store a reserve of more than 90 days of coal at any given time, the current supply is down to just a few day of reserves. This is because the plant recently had to share some of it’s reserves with other plants that had a shortage, the coal mining labor situation is much more stable now than it was years ago, and the utility is trying to be cost conscious by buying only to meet demand. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D30 cameras with L series lenses.]

Conesville Power plant Manager Daniel Lambert describes some of the processes involved in using coal as a power source. Behind him in the dark rectangular ponds is a slurry of slag and fly ash from the plants boilers and scrubbers. Fly ash, a complex composition of silicon and aluminum oxides together with oxides of iron, calcium, titanium, potassium and trace metals, originates from residual inorganic matter contained in coal. When coal is burned in steam generators, the matter is fused and carried with flue gas as the carbon is consumed by oxidation. The flue gas cools as it flows out of the steam generator, and the molten ash takes the form of ceramic particles. The ash particles are collected in electrostatic precipitators. In the green circular tanks is Calcium Sulfate, a product of the smoke stack scrubber used at the plant to limit air pollution. Scrubbers operate by spraying a mixture of pulverized limestone and water into the exhaust gas of the generating units. Inside the scrubber vessels, calcium in the limestone reacts with the gaseous SO2 to form calcium sulfate, commonly know as gypsum. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D30 cameras with L series lenses.]

Coal trucks line up to enter the Conesville Power Plant Friday February 16, 2001. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D30 cameras with L series lenses.]

February 16, 2001/0 Comments/by James

Jefferson Golf Course Fire

Events, Images, Spot News

Firefighters from more than 7 different departments battle a blaze at the Jefferson Golf Course Club House Friday February 11, 2000. The fire which started in an out building about 100 yards from the clubhouse, apparently jumped from one building to the other and caused a general alarm (3+) on the East side. No one was reported injured.

Mifflin Twp. Firefighter Bruce Day cuts a ventilation hole in the roof of the Jefferson Golf Course Club House late Friday afternoon February 11, 2000.

Mifflin Twp. ladder 131, left, and Columbus ladder 28 pour water on the roof of the Jefferson Golf Course Club House late Friday afternoon February 11, 2000.

Mifflin Twp. Firefighters Fred Kauser front, and John Hoffman, rear, drag 5 inch line out of a fire building near the Jefferson Golf Course Club House late Friday afternoon February 11, 2000.

February 11, 2000/0 Comments/by James

The Cranberries

Concerts, Images, People

Dolores Mary Eileen O’Riordan belts out a song at Polaris Amphitheater Tuesday night, August 31, 1999 as the Cranberries played to a large crowd.

The Cranberries are an Irish rock band formed in Limerick in 1989 by lead singer Dolores O’Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan, and drummer Fergal Lawler. Although widely associated with alternative rock, the band’s sound also incorporates indie pop, post-punk, Irish folk, and pop rock elements.

The Cranberries rose to international fame in the 1990s with their debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, which became a commercial success. The Cranberries are one of the most successful rock acts of the ’90s and have sold over 40 million records worldwide. The band has achieved four top 20 albums on the Billboard 200 chart (Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?; No Need to Argue, To the Faithful Departed and Bury the Hatchet)and eight top 20 singles on the Modern Rock Tracks chart (“Linger“, “Dreams“, “Zombie“, “Ode to My Family“, “Ridiculous Thoughts“, “Salvation“, “Free to Decide“, and “Promises“).

In early 2009, after a six-year hiatus, the Cranberries reunited and began a North American tour, followed by shows in Latin America and Europe. The band recorded their sixth album Roses in May 2011, and released it in February 2012. Something Else, an album covering earlier songs together with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, was released in April 2017.

Dolores Mary Eileen O’Riordan was an Irish musician and singer-songwriter. She led the rock band The Cranberries for 13 years before the band took a break starting in 2003, reuniting in 2009.

Her first solo album, Are You Listening?, was released in May 2007 and was followed up by No Baggage in 2009. O’Riordan was known for her lilting mezzo-soprano voice, for yodeling and for her strong Limerick accent. She appeared as a judge on RTÉ‘s The Voice of Ireland during the 2013–14 season. In April 2014, O’Riordan joined Jetlag(later called D.A.R.K.) and began recording new material. In May 2017, Dolores declared that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

The Germain Amphitheater (originally the Polaris Amphitheater) was a 20,000-seat outdoor entertainment venue located in Columbus, Ohio, near the suburb of Westerville. The venue opened as part of a large development venture off of Interstate Highway I-71. There were 6,700 seats in an open-air pavilion—much of it under cover—and room for another 13,300 people on general admission lawn seating. The concert season began mid-May, continuing through early October and featured 20-30 concerts per year. At the time it opened, it was the largest and most suitable venue for concerts in central Ohio.

August 31, 1999/0 Comments/by James

Britney Spears

Concerts, Images, People

A Rising Star Takes the Stage

On August 18, 1999, Britney Spears brought her debut headlining concert tour, the “…Baby One More Time Tour,” to Columbus, Ohio, performing to a sold-out crowd at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium. At just 17 years old, Spears was rapidly ascending the pop music charts, and this performance marked a significant milestone in her burgeoning career.

By the summer of 1999, Britney Spears had become a household name, thanks to the massive success of her debut single “…Baby One More Time” and the album of the same name. The Columbus concert was part of her first solo tour, which had kicked off in June of that year. The tour featured a mix of Spears’ own hits and covers of songs by artists who had influenced her, such as Madonna and Janet Jackson. Notably, during the tour, Spears performed a medley that included Madonna’s “Material Girl” and Janet Jackson’s “Nasty,” showcasing her versatility and paying homage to her musical inspirations.

The Veterans Memorial Auditorium, with its 2,500-seat capacity, provided an intimate setting for the concert, allowing fans to experience Spears’ performance up close. This venue choice contrasted with the larger arenas she would later fill, such as the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, where she performed in 2001. The smaller venue underscored the early stage of her career and offered a unique opportunity for fans to witness her talent in a more personal environment.

The setlist for the Columbus show included Spears’ chart-topping hits like “…Baby One More Time” and “(You Drive Me) Crazy,” as well as covers that highlighted her range as a performer. Her energetic dance routines and charismatic stage presence captivated the audience, many of whom were experiencing her live performance for the first time. The concert not only showcased Spears’ musical abilities but also her potential as a lasting figure in the pop music landscape.

Looking back, the 1999 concert at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium stands as a significant moment in Britney Spears’ early career. It captured a young artist on the cusp of global stardom, delivering a performance that combined youthful exuberance with professional polish. For the fans in attendance, it was a chance to see a pop icon in the making, and for Spears, it was another step toward the enduring success she would achieve in the years to come.

Britney Spears performs in concert at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium to a sell out crowd Wednesday night, August 18, 1999. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

Britney Jean Spears is an American singer, dancer, and actress. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, she performed acting roles in stage productions and television shows as a child, before signing with Jive Records in 1997. Spears’s first two studio albums, …Baby One More Time (1999) and Oops!… I Did It Again (2000), were global successes and made her the best-selling teenage artist of all time. Referred to as the “Princess of Pop“, Spears was credited with influencing the revival of teen pop, during the late 1990s and the early 2000s.

Spears adopted more mature and provocative themes for her next two studio albums, Britney (2001) and In the Zone (2003). She also ventured into acting with her starring role in the 2002 film Crossroads. However, her much-publicized personal issues sent her career into hiatus. Despite being released while her personal struggles were ongoing, Blackout (2007), is often critically referred to as her best work. Her unusual behavior and hospitalizations placed her under a still ongoing conservatorship.

Spears returned to the top of record charts with her sixth and seventh albums, Circus (2008) and Femme Fatale (2011). In 2012, Forbes reported that Spears was the highest paid female musician of the year, with earnings of $58 million, having last topped the list in 2002. During the promotion of her eighth and ninth studio albums, Britney Jean (2013) and Glory (2016), Spears embarked on the four-year concert residency, Britney: Piece of Me, at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Five of Spears’ singles have reached number one in the United States: “…Baby One More Time“, “Womanizer“, “3“, “Hold It Against Me” and “S&M“. Other singles, “Oops!… I Did It Again” and “Toxic“, topped the Australian and Canadian charts. Spears has earned numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award, six MTV Video Music Awards, including the Video Vanguard Award, seven BillboardMusic Awards, including the Millennium Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Billboard ranked her as the eighth biggest artist of the 2000s decade. One of the world’s best-selling music artists, Spears has sold over 100 million records worldwide. In the United States, Spears remains the fourth best-selling female album artist of the Nielsen SoundScan era, as well as the best-selling female albums artist of the 2000s. In 2004, she launched a perfume brand with Elizabeth Arden, Inc., from which sales exceeded US$1.5 billion as of 2012.

August 18, 1999/0 Comments/by James

America West Flight 2811

Images, Planes, Spot News

America West Flight 2811 from Newark, New Jersey, an Airbus A320 (tail number N628NW), makes it’s final approach to Port Columbus Airport Tuesday afternoon, February 16, 1999 with it’s front nose gear turned 90° the wrong way. The nose gear which should have been turned along the center line of the plane was instead turned perpendicular to the direction of travel. Although Columbus Fire Department and many of the surrounding fire departments responded to the scene with squads, medics and engine companies, the plane landed safely, and its passengers evacuated the plane via it emergency slide chutes. No one was reported injured in the incident although the plane closed one of Port Columbus’s runway’s for several hours until FAA investigators could examine the plane.

[Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

The plane suffered minor damage during the landing at Port Columbus International Airport (CMH), Columbus, Ohio, with the nose wheels rotated 90 degrees. When the flight crew lowered the landing gear it received a (Landing Gear Control and Interface Unit) fault that after a visual fly-by resulted in nose wheels rotated 90 degrees from the straight direction foreseen for landing.

The pilot performed a normal touchdown which was followed by an emergency evacuation from the over-wing exits. None of the 31 people on board were injured.

The NTSB investigation revealed that “the external ‘O’ rings in the steering control valve had extruded and by-passed pressurized hydraulic fluid to rotate the nose wheels. This event had occurred before, and the manufacturer had issued a service bulletin. The operator had not complied with the service bulletin, nor were they required to comply with it.”

From the NTSB’s brief narrative statement of facts, conditions and circumstances pertinent to the accident/incident:

On February 16, 1999, at 1602 Eastern Standard Time, an Airbus A-320-231, N628AW, operated by America West Airlines as flight 2811, received minor damage when it landed at Port Columbus International Airport (CMH), Columbus, Ohio, with the nose wheels rotated 90 degrees. There were no injuries to the 2 certificated pilots, 3 flight attendants and 26 passengers. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the scheduled passenger flight which had departed from Newark (EWR), New Jersey, about 1404. Flight 2811 was operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan conducted under 14 CFR Part 121.

According to statements from the flight crew, flight 2811 was uneventful until the landing gear was lowered prior to landing at CMH. After the landing gear was extended to the down-and-locked position, the flight crew received indications of dual landing gear control and interface unit (LGCIU) faults.

The flight crew entered into a holding pattern and attempted to troubleshoot the faults; however, they were unable to determine the source of the problem. The flight crew then prepared for a landing at CMH, with nose-wheel steering and thrust reversers inoperative due to the faults. During the final approach, at the flight crew’s request, the control tower performed a visual check of the landing gear, which revealed that the nose-wheels were rotated about 90 degrees.

The flight crew then initiated a missed approach and declared an emergency. The cabin crew was notified of an impending emergency landing, and the cabin and passengers were prepared for the landing. The captain initiated the approach, and described the touchdown as soft. The airplane stopped on the 10,250-foot-long runway with about 2,500 feet of runway remaining. Damage was limited to the nose landing gear tires and rims.

The captain reported that after landing, he noticed smoke was drifting up on the right side of the airplane. He said he attempted to contact the control tower and confirm if a fire was present, but was unable due to frequency congestion. He then initiated an emergency evacuation using the left and right side over-wing exits.

A review of the air/ground communications, as recorded by the Columbus Air Traffic Control Tower, did not reveal a congested frequency when the emergency evacuation was initiated.

According to Airbus, nose wheel steering was hydraulically actuated through either the cockpit tiller and/or the rudder pedals.

A post-incident visual inspection of the nose landing gear assembly revealed no anomalies. The steering control module was replaced, and a subsequent functional check of the nose-wheel steering was successful.

The steering control module was a sealed unit, opened only during overhaul, with no specified overhaul time, and had accumulated 3,860 hours since last overhauled on March 3, 1998. It was shipped to Messier-Bugatti, the manufacturer, and examined under the supervision of the French Bureau Enquetes Accidents (BEA). The examination revealed that the external hydraulic O-ring seals on the steering control module’s selector valve were extruded (distorted out of the seal’s groove). A small offset was found in the steering control valve.

Airbus further reported that while the offset would have been measurable, it would not have been noticeable under normal operations. Additionally, during landing gear extension, the brake and steering control unit (BSCU) would have been energized and hydraulic pressure would have been directed toward the steering servo valve. The BSCU would have then commanded a small rotation of the nose wheel to check for proper movement. Any disagreement between the commanded position and actual position of the nose wheel would have deactivated the nose wheel steering. However, if hydraulic pressure had bypassed the steering control valve, there would have been continued pressurization to the servo valve, and because of the servo valve’s inherent offset, in-flight rotation of the nose wheels.

Procedures existed for removal of hydraulic pressure from the steering control module. However, once the nose-wheel strut had deflected 90 degrees, the centering cam would have been rotated to a flat area, and would have been incapable of overriding the 3,000 PSI hydraulic system, and returning the nose wheels to a centered position.

Documents from Airbus indicated there have been three similar incidents in which A320 airplanes landed with the nose wheels rotated about 90 degrees. Examination of the steering control modules on two of the airplanes revealed extrusion of the selector valve’s external seals similar to that found on N628AW. Airbus had attributed the extrusion failures to the lack of a backup seal or the effects of aging on the seals. As a result of these incidents, Airbus issued Service Bulletin (SB) A320-32-1197 on October 8, 1998, to recommend replacement of the external seals on the steering control module’s selector valve on A320 and A321 airplanes within 18 months of the SB’s issuance.

At the time of the incident, neither the French Direction General de l’Aviation Civile (DGAC), or the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), had adopted the service bulletin as an airworthiness directive. The operator was not required to comply with the service bulletin, and had not complied with it.

On March 24, 1999, the DGAC issued Airworthiness Directive (AD) 1999-124-129(B) to require compliance with the SB. On December 17, 1999, the FAA issued AD 99-23-09 which was based upon the French AD, with a 12 month time of compliance for modification of the nose wheel steering control valve.

America West Airlines was a U.S. airline headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. Their main hub was at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, with a secondary hub at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. The airline became part of the US Airways Group after it acquired the larger airline in 2005 and adopted the US Airways brand name. America West was the second largest low-cost carrier in the U.S. after Southwest Airlines and served approximately 100 destinations in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Service to Europe was provided through codeshare partners. In March 2005, the airline operated a fleet of 132 aircraft, with a single maintenance base at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. Regional jet and/or turboprop feeder flights were operated on a code sharing basis by Mesa Airlines and Chautauqua Airlines as America West Express.

Beginning in January 2006, all America West flights were branded as US Airways, along with most signage at airports and other printed material, though many flights were described as “operated by America West.” Apart from two heritage aircraft, the only remaining America West branding on aircraft can be found on some seat covers and bulkheads. The merged airline used America West’s “CACTUS” callsign and ICAO code “AWE”, but retained the US Airways name. As part of a merger between American Airlines and US Airways in February 2013, which led to American becoming the world’s largest airline, the call sign and ICAO code name was later retired on April 8, 2015 when the FAA granted a single operating certificate for both US Airways and American Airlines. The US Airways brand continued until October 17, 2015, when American Airlines retired the name.

February 16, 1999/0 Comments/by James

Football – CCDS vs Fisher Catholic HS

Images, News, People, Sports

Cincinnati Country Day School took on Fisher Catholic High School Friday November 17, 1995 in the Ohio State Athletic Association Division VI Quarter Finals game held at Springfield High School. The night was miserable – pouring rain with a temperature about 39 degrees making it a cold wet mud bath of a game – so many fumbles, I lost count in the second quarter. Fourth ranked underdog Cincinnati Country Day School won the match, beating top ranked Fisher Catholic.

Cincinnati Country Day School Senior Running Back Aaron Prentice tries to go over the top of the pack to score against Fisher Catholic during a goal line stand. The attempt was unsuccessful on this attempt but the next play was worth 6 points. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Fisher Catholic junior running back Mike Wright prepares his thoughts in the locker room before Fridays game against Cincinnati Country Day School. In back is #88 Joe Grein. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Cincinnati Country Day’s #19 Geoff Prewitt grabs hold of Fisher Catholics QB #5 Tony Clum as he runs for a hole in the defensive line. The play was good for a 2 yard gain. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Fisher Catholic Senior Quarterback #5 Tony Clum prepares to hand off the ball to # 22 Senior Running back Kurt Phillips during the second quarter of play. The play was successful for a 6 yard gain. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Fisher Catholic Quarterback senior Tony Clum tries to break free from Cincinnati Country Day School Senior lineman # 78 Damon Anderson during the second quarter of play. CCDS # 35 Hisham Samawi assisted in the take down. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

All images photographed on Fuji film using Canon F-1 & T-90 cameras with L series lenses. Digitized with Kodak RFS 2035 plus film scanners

November 17, 1995/0 Comments/by James

Billy Graham Crusade

Events, Features, Images, News, Religious

The Greater Columbus Billy Graham Crusade: A Glimpse into a Historic Moment at Cooper Stadium

On Thursday, September 23, 1993, Cooper Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, became a sacred ground for thousands of people who gathered to witness the Greater Columbus Billy Graham Crusade. This significant event, part of the global series of evangelistic gatherings led by the renowned evangelist Billy Graham, was a moment of inspiration, faith, and hope. As a photographer with a deep connection to Columbus, I had the privilege of capturing this unique chapter in the city’s spiritual history.

A Time of Spiritual Awakening

The Greater Columbus Billy Graham Crusade was not just an event; it was an experience that united people from all walks of life. In a time where the world seemed increasingly divided, this gathering reminded us of the power of faith to transcend barriers, bringing communities together in a spirit of unity and purpose.

As the sun set behind the stadium, a sense of reverence filled the air. People came in droves, filling the stadium with eager anticipation. Families, individuals, and church groups of all denominations were present, their faces reflecting a mixture of hope, curiosity, and devotion. The atmosphere was electric, charged with the energy of those seeking a message of salvation and renewal.

The Power of Billy Graham’s Presence

Billy Graham, at the age of 75 in 1993, had already established himself as one of the most influential spiritual leaders of the 20th century. His Crusades had touched millions worldwide, and his presence at Cooper Stadium was no exception. His voice, steady and powerful, resonated across the field as he spoke to the crowd, offering a message of God’s love, forgiveness, and the promise of eternal life.

His message was clear, simple, and timeless: God’s love is boundless, and salvation is available to all who seek it. The way he communicated, with sincerity and compassion, reached the hearts of many. People were not only inspired by his words but by the undeniable sincerity with which he delivered them. His message echoed far beyond the stadium, resonating deeply with those who had come to hear the gospel and those who, perhaps, hadn’t yet made the decision to follow Christ.

Capturing the Moment

As a photographer, the challenge was to capture not just the crowd, but the emotion of the moment—the faces of those who were hearing the message for the first time, the joy of those who had already made their commitment, and the quiet contemplation of those reflecting on their faith journey. The lighting was perfect, the glow of the stadium floodlights casting long shadows, creating a dramatic effect that captured the essence of the event.

The stadium was alive with the spirit of worship as the crowd sang hymns, prayed, and shared in the collective experience. There was something profoundly moving about seeing people of all ages, races, and backgrounds standing side by side, unified in their desire for spiritual growth and connection. Every shot I took felt like a piece of history unfolding before me.

One of the most powerful moments I captured was the altar call, where Billy Graham invited those who felt moved by the Holy Spirit to come forward. It was a breathtaking sight, as people of all ages streamed down the aisles, some with tears in their eyes, others with expressions of peace and hope. It was a testament to the lasting impact of his ministry and the profound effect it had on individuals’ lives.

The Legacy of the Crusade

The Greater Columbus Billy Graham Crusade left an indelible mark on the city of Columbus. It was a moment where faith met community, where the message of hope was proclaimed, and where lives were transformed. The event not only impacted those who were physically present but also inspired many who heard about it through media coverage and word of mouth.

Reflecting on the experience, I am reminded of the power of visual storytelling. Through my lens, I was able to capture not just the physical gathering, but the emotions and energy that filled the air that night. The Greater Columbus Billy Graham Crusade was not just an event—it was a living, breathing testimony to the power of faith and the enduring legacy of Billy Graham’s ministry.

As I look back at those photographs, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to have witnessed and documented such a powerful moment in the history of Columbus and the greater Christian community. The 1993 Billy Graham Crusade at Cooper Stadium will forever remain a testament to the transformative power of faith, and the impact one man’s ministry can have on an entire city.

Conclusion

The Greater Columbus Billy Graham Crusade was more than just a religious gathering; it was an unforgettable chapter in the story of Columbus, Ohio. For many, it was a life-changing experience. As a photographer, capturing this moment in time was an honor, and I look back with fondness on the powerful energy and unifying spirit of that evening. It is a reminder that even in the most challenging of times, faith has the power to unite and uplift, creating a lasting legacy for generations to come.

All images © James D. DeCamp. NO SALES, NO ARCHIVES, NO REDISTRIBUTION. Photo may not be used for commercial purposes of any kind without the express written permission of James D. DeCamp | Jim@JamesDeCamp.com | (614) 367-6366.

Photographed on Kodacolor VR 400 and Kodacolor VR 1000 film with Canon F-1 and Canon T-90 camera bodies and Canon L series lenses. Digitized with a Nikon Coolscan 4000 ED film scanner

William Franklin Graham Jr. KBE (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelical Christian evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally after 1949. He has been looked upon as one of the most influential preachers of the 20th century. He held large indoor and outdoor rallies with sermons that were broadcast on radio and television, some still being re-broadcast into the 21st century.

In his six decades of television, Graham hosted annual Billy Graham Crusades, which ran from 1947 until his retirement in 2005. He also hosted the popular radio show Hour of Decision from 1950 to 1954. He repudiated racial segregation. In addition to his religious aims, he helped shape the worldview of a huge number of people who came from different backgrounds, leading them to find a relationship between the Bible and contemporary secular viewpoints. Graham preached to live audiences of nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories through various meetings, including BMS World Mission and Global Mission. He also reached hundreds of millions more through television, video, film, and webcasts.

Graham was a spiritual adviser to American presidents and provided spiritual counsel for every president from Harry Truman to Barack Obama. He was particularly close to Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson (one of Graham’s closest friends), and Richard Nixon. He insisted on racial integration for his revivals and crusades in 1953 and invited Martin Luther King Jr. to preach jointly at a revival in New York City in 1957. Graham bailed King out of jail in the 1960s when King was arrested during demonstrations. He was also lifelong friends with another televangelist, the founding pastor of the Crystal Cathedral, Robert H. Schuller, whom Graham talked into starting his own television ministry.

Graham operated a variety of media and publishing outlets. According to his staff, more than 3.2 million people have responded to the invitation at Billy Graham Crusades to “accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior“. As of 2008, Graham’s estimated lifetime audience, including radio and television broadcasts, topped 2.2 billion. Because of his crusades, Graham preached the gospel to more people in person than anyone in the history of Christianity. Graham was repeatedly on Gallup’s list of most admired men and women. He appeared on the list 60 times since 1955, more than any other individual in the world. Grant Wacker reports that by the mid-1960s, he had become the “Great Legitimator”.

September 23, 1993/0 Comments/by James

I-70 Fatal

Images, News, Spot News

Crash on I-70 kills child, leaves mother in critical condition.

Barbara Hershberger, 33, of 1191 Addison Dr. died of massive head and other injuries at 5:45 p.m. and her daughter, Michelle Richman, 3, died at Children’s Hospital about 4 p.m. Tuesday May 30, 1989, 90 minutes after the accident at a construction crossover on I-70, on the East Side of Columbus. Michelle was thrown from the car her mother was driving. Investigators have linked green paint on an Oregon license plate and blue paint on the license plate frame holding it to paint smears on the Hershberger car. Officers think the tractor-trailer with the Oregon license plate, and the rig’s driver, were involved in the fatal accident. The paint smears puzzled accident investigators for a time Tuesday after the crash, when they examined Hershberger’s Honda Accord, because blue and green paint are not usually found together on a motor vehicle. Then they saw the tractor-trailer believed to have caused the accident and found the blue frame, mounted on the bumper, containing three plates, one of them green. State Highway Patrol troopers stopped the truck on I-70 near Eaton, Ohio, about two hours after the accident. Police and troopers said the accident apparently occurred when a tractor- trailer changed lanes in a construction area, clipped the rear of Hershberger’s car and forced it across a 3-inch high divider into eastbound traffic. Hershberger’s car collided with an eastbound car. The driver of the tractor-trailer, Johnny Reece, 45, of Lawton, Okla., denied being involved. Reece was driving the tractor-trailer for Sam Tanksley Trucking of Cape Girardeau, MoInvestigators seized the license plate frame and the plates from Reece’s rig because the green Oregon plate and the blue metal frame were damaged. He also said it appears that silver paint was left on the frame from an accident. Hershberger’s car was silver.

May 30, 1989/0 Comments/by James

Earl Bruce’s Final Game

Images, Sports

The Last Mad Dash of Earl Bruce

Ann Arbor, Michigan – November 21, 1987

The sky over Ann Arbor was a dull, Midwestern bruised purple, the kind of sky that stares back at you with dead eyes before it dumps snow, regret, or a loss to Michigan. Welcome to the Big House, where 100,000 drunk and frozen partisans came to bear witness to the football apocalypse: a limping Buckeye team, their head coach already fired, squaring off against their hated rivals like a rabid dog taking one last bite before being put down.

Earl Bruce — fired and fuming — stood there on the sideline like an Old Testament prophet dressed in a scarlet windbreaker and fedora, clutching a laminated play sheet as if it held the secrets to immortality. The man had been knifed in the back by the very institution he’d bled for — Ohio State — and now, they handed him the poisoned chalice of a farewell game in enemy territory.

This was not a football game. This was Shakespeare with cleats.

Bruce didn’t do weepy goodbyes. No farewell press tour, no choreographed tears. Just that same grimace, that same clenched jaw, a man who walked like he’d swallowed a stick of rebar. His players knew. The coaches knew. Even the Wolverines knew. This wasn’t about a bowl game. It was vengeance. The last, righteous charge of a pissed-off general with nothing to lose.

The Buckeyes came out like lunatics. You could see it in their eyes — every hit was personal, every block had teeth. This wasn’t strategy. This was spiritual warfare in helmets and face paint. It was 23-20 when the clock ran out, and Earl Bruce — the Dead Coach Walking — had just punched Michigan in the mouth one last time.

The crowd was stunned. A low, moaning confusion rippled across the Michigan faithful like someone had just killed Santa Claus on the 50-yard line. Meanwhile, Bo Schembechler — the eternal foil in this scarlet-and-maize opera — found Bruce in the chaos and said something only Bo could: “I always mind losing to Ohio State, but I didn’t mind so much today.”

Translation: Respect.

They carried Earl off the field on their shoulders like a victorious warlord, a fedora-wearing ghost of Woody Hayes, floating above the wreckage of one of the greatest rivalries in sports. No speeches. No theatrics. Just the quiet knowledge that for all the bureaucrats in suits who tried to reduce college football to performance reviews and booster moods, Earl Bruce had left his mark with cleats in the dirt.

You could feel the Michigan turf trembling as he walked off — like it knew it wouldn’t see a Buckeye victory again for fourteen years.

Later, in the tunnel, someone asked him how it felt. Bruce just looked ahead, muttered something inaudible, and walked into the gray November light like a man who’d just settled a score written in blood and fourth downs.

If there’s justice in this world — real, cosmic justice — then somewhere in the football afterlife, Woody Hayes was smiling, slow clapping in a cloud of cigar smoke.

Because on November 21, 1987, Earl Bruce didn’t just win a game.
He lit the whole damn narrative on fire.

Ohio State Football Coach Earl Bruce on the field at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor Saturday, November 21, 1987 guiding the Buckeyes to a 23-20 win over the Wolverines. Bruce was fired just prior to the last game of the season – against Michigan – but was allowed to finish out the year. Reportedly, school president Edward Harrington Jennings made the move out of pique over a last-second loss to Iowa that dropped the Buckeyes to 5-4-1, meaning they needed to beat Michigan in order to be bowl-eligible. Bruce was able to defeat Michigan at Ann Arbor. This is something Ohio State would not do again until 2001 under head coach Jim Tressel. After the game, Bo Schembechler told Bruce, “I always mind losing to Ohio State but I didn’t mind so much today.” (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed on Kodak Tri-X Pan film with Canon F-1 Cameras and Canon L series lenses. Digitized with a Nikon CoolScan 4000ED.]

Ohio State Football Coach Earl Bruce is carried off the filed at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor Saturday, November 21, 1987 after guiding the Buckeyes to a 23-20 win over the Wolverines. Bruce was fired just prior to the last game of the season – against Michigan – but was allowed to finish out the year. Reportedly, school president Edward Harrington Jennings made the move out of pique over a last-second loss to Iowa that dropped the Buckeyes to 5-4-1, meaning they needed to beat Michigan in order to be bowl-eligible. Bruce was able to defeat Michigan at Ann Arbor. This is something Ohio State would not do again until 2001 under head coach Jim Tressel. After the game, Bo Schembechler told Bruce, “I always mind losing to Ohio State but I didn’t mind so much today.” (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed on Kodak Tri-X Pan film with Canon F-1 Cameras and Canon L series lenses. Digitized with a Nikon CoolScan 4000ED.]

Ohio State Football Coach Earl Bruce sits triumphantly at a post game press conference at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor Saturday, November 21, 1987 after guiding the Buckeyes to a 23-20 win over the Wolverines. Bruce was fired just prior to the last game of the season – against Michigan – but was allowed to finish out the year. Reportedly, school president Edward Harrington Jennings made the move out of pique over a last-second loss to Iowa that dropped the Buckeyes to 5-4-1, meaning they needed to beat Michigan in order to be bowl-eligible. Bruce was able to defeat Michigan at Ann Arbor. This is something Ohio State would not do again until 2001 under head coach Jim Tressel. After the game, Bo Schembechler told Bruce, “I always mind losing to Ohio State but I didn’t mind so much today.” (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed on Kodak Tri-X Pan film with Canon F-1 Cameras and Canon L series lenses. Digitized with a Nikon CoolScan 4000ED.]

Earle Bruce was a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Tampa (1972), Iowa State University (1973–1978), Ohio State University (1979–1987), the University of Northern Iowa(1988), and Colorado State University (1989–1992), compiling a career college football record of 154–90–2. At Ohio State, Bruce was the successor to the legendary Woody Hayes, and won four Big Ten Conference titles. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2002. Bruce returned to coaching in 2003 to helm the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League for a season and also guided the Columbus Destroyers the following year.

After Woody Hayes was fired from Ohio State, Bruce was offered that head coaching position. Bruce coached Ohio State from 1979–1987. In Bruce’s first year, Ohio State went undefeated in the regular season and played in the Rose Bowl, losing the game—and at least a share of the national championship—by a single point.

The Buckeyes would win nine games in Bruce’s first eight years, including another 10-win season in 1986. They also won or shared three more Big Ten titles (outright in 1984, shared in 1981 and 1986). However, they would only appear in one more Rose Bowl (after the 1984 season–Ohio State’s last Rose Bowl appearance until after the 1996 season) and would only tally one more top ten finish (in 1986). This rankled a fan base used to contending for a national title every year.

In 1987, Ohio State was sent reeling when star receiver Cris Carter was kicked off the team for signing with an agent. Without Carter, the school’s all-time leader in receptions, the Buckeyes appeared to be a rudderless team. They lost to Indiana for the first time in 38 years and never really recovered.

Bruce was fired just prior to the last game of the season—against Michigan—but was allowed to finish out the year. Reportedly, school president Edward Harrington Jenningsmade the move out of pique over a last-second loss to Iowa that dropped the Buckeyes to 5-4-1, meaning they needed to beat Michigan in order to be bowl-eligible. Bruce was able to defeat Michigan at Ann Arbor. This is something Ohio State would not do again until 2001 under head coach Jim Tressel. After the game, Bo Schembechler told Bruce, “I always mind losing to Ohio State but I didn’t mind so much today.”

After Ohio State

Bruce was the leading candidate to replace Bob Valesente as head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks after the 1987 season, but due to a contract dispute, KU did not hire him. KU instead hired Glen Mason out of Kent State. Bruce took over the head coaching position at the University of Northern Iowa for one year, and then finished his intercollegiate coaching career at Colorado State University. In his second season, he led the Rams to a winning record and a victory over Oregon in the Freedom Bowl, their first bowl appearance since 1948 and their first bowl victory ever. He was fired two years later for, among other things, verbally and physically abusing his players and discouraging players from taking classes that conflicted with football practice.

In his final season at Fort Collins, he coached the Rams to a 17-14 victory over LSU in Baton Rouge. Five years earlier, his final Ohio State team played LSU to a 13-13 tie in Tiger Stadium in a nationally televised game.

After Colorado State, he moved on to the Arena Football League, where he coached the Cleveland Thunderbolts in 1994 and the St. Louis Stampede in 1995 and 1996 before retiring.

In 2003, Bruce came out of retirement to coach the final ten games for the Arena Football League‘s Iowa Barnstormers, guiding them to a 7–3 record. In 2004, Bruce returned to Ohio to become the head coach for the Columbus Destroyers, who were moving from Buffalo to Columbus that year. He retired to a front office position after coaching the Destroyers to a 6–10 record in 2004, and was replaced as head coach by Chris Spielman, who played for Bruce at Ohio State. Bruce finished with a 19–25 record over four seasons in the AFL.

Thereafter, Bruce worked as an Ohio State football analyst for WTVN 610AM in Columbus as well an analyst for ONN on their OSU programming. On October 1, 2016, Bruce was honored during the Rutgers-Ohio State halftime and dotted the “i” during Script Ohio.

In his private life, Earle Bruce is married with four children and eight grandchildren. His daughters’ names are Lynn, Mikky, Aimee, and Noel. It was revealed, on August 25th, 2017, that Bruce was battling the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease. His death was announced by his family on April 20th, 2018.

November 21, 1987/0 Comments/by James

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