Photos of the Week: It’s All Relative

It’s not uncommon to find family ties running through the world of aviation. Heck, planes were invented by a pair of brothers, right?

You’ll find many pilots inspired by parents who were pilots, and ground crew workers who took the job because an uncle or aunt was already on the team. The passion for aviation is handed down from generation to generation.

In the Byrne family, that passion has passed from Tom to his son Chris. We recently received photo submissions from the father-and-son planespotters of World War II-era military aircraft, and as much as we love the images, we love that it’s a bond between the two of them even more.

Above, Chris Byrne gives us an in-flight shot of a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, a fighter plane built between 1938-44 and deployed around the world by the Allied powers. The iconic planes are best-known for their “shark mouth” paint jobs.

Below, his dad passed along a photo from a B-25 Mitchell bomber that appeared at an air show at PIT. This particular bomber, dubbed “Briefing Time,” belongs to the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, which offers a virtual tour of the plane.

The P-40 and B-25 aircraft types served alongside each other in combat theaters across the globe. In fact, you could say they’re brothers of a sort.

Like we said, family ties run all through the world of aviation.

Thanks, Tom and Chris!

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.

The B-25 Mitchell became famous for its pivotal role in the Doolittle Raids in the Asia-Pacific theater during World War II. (Photo submitted by Tom Byrne)