Photos of the Week: Random Access Memories

In each edition of our Photos of the Week feature, we offer readers two photos related to aviation, and a small narrative connecting the images, at least thematically if not directly.

This week, we got nothing.

Well, not nothing. We have two photos, as usual, submitted by readers that illustrate the amazing aspects of aviation and make us smile.

But there’s no specific ties between these two photos, and that’s OK. The world of aviation is huge, and not everything is connected to everything all the time.

The photo above comes to us from Ryan McManus, who recently caught a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle taking off from Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas. You can almost hear the roar of the two Pratt and Whitney turbofans cranking out nearly 15,000 pounds of thrust. (And that’s without the afterburners!)

And below, we have Lindsey Kieselbach of Pittsburgh ready to board a Southwest plane that does not go quite as fast as an F-15, although she looks quite anxious to get to Florida as fast as she can.

Thanks, Ryan and Lindsey!

Our readers continue to pass along shots of unique aircraft, international airports, historical events, gorgeous views and even family vacation photos for this feature. We love them! Keep them coming—you can click here for submission guidelines.

Though not as fast as a fighter jet, a Boeing 737 can fly passengers from PIT to Florida in nearly two hours. (Photo submitted by Lindsey Kieselbach)