Tattoos In Flight: Airplane, Flying, Aviation & Flight Themed Tattoos

‘Stang Excitement: P-51 Mustang Backpiece Tattoo

Icarus — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:03:05 +0000

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 [...]

Spitfire Skin Art: WWII Fighter Tattoo

Icarus — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:28:49 +0000

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. [...]

Poetic Memory: High Flight Tattooed Verse

Icarus — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:19:40 +0000

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 [...]

An LZ Close to His Heart: Helicopter Tattoo Tribute

Icarus — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:48:01 +0000

Greetings Tattoos In Flight fans! We know it has been a long time since we last posted and we thank you for the patience… we had some technical difficulty with our server and finally got all resolved this past week… so we are ready to fly in some new ink for the new year! And we [...]

Bush Pilot Ink: Piper PA-18 Super Cub Tattoo

Icarus — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:40:51 +0000

One of the best uses of aviation is the supply and support of camps and settlements where traditional “over-road” travel isn’t possible due to distance, terrain, or weather conditions. The hard conditions faced in flying such missions leads to a breed of pilots who are as battle hardened and devoted to their flying skill as [...]

First Solo Flight Forever: Student Pilot Tattoo

Icarus — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:31:48 +0000

Some people snip their shirt-tail off and pin it to the wall for their first solo, others (like at my flight school) were traditionally thrown by their fellow pilots into the nearby Duck Pond after doing their three stop-and-goes aloft by themselves… but some, like the subject of our tattoo feature today, choose to commemorate [...]

Aviatrix Tattoo Redux: Amelia Earhart Backpiece

Icarus — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:48:38 +0000

I completely realize that we have featured this fantastic black and gray back tattoo honoring famous aviatrix Amelia Earhart before, but in honor of the opening weekend of the movie Amelia by Mira Nair and featuring Hilary Swank, we decided to bring it back! It was an early post of ours and perhaps not everyone [...]

Irregular Ink: Curtiss CW-22 Airplane Tattoo

Icarus — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:45:58 +0000

I will admit that when I first saw this tattoo, I thought the aircraft pictured was a North American AT-6 Texan… one of the more common trainers of WWII vintage. However, as I reviewed it this past week as I was preparing posts, I realized it was far more rare than an AT-6… this tattoo [...]

Balloon Flight Beauty: Hot Air Ballooning Tattoo

Icarus — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:11:58 +0000

In commemoration of the annual, World famous Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which is happening right now in Albuquerque, NM, we are delighted to present this colorful rib tattoo featuring two hot air balloons. Propelled only by gossamer breezes and lifted by hot air contained within the colorful envelope, hot air ballooning remains one of the [...]

Fighter Find: P-51 Mustang WWII Airplane Tattoo

Icarus — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:59:14 +0000

While visiting the forums on the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) website, I found a post by a passionate pilot from Southern California about aviation tattoos containing this photo of his latest addition: a North American P-51 Mustang tattoo on the right side of his upper back. We have featured the famous fighter from World [...]

Vertical Flight Tribute: Helicopter Backpiece Tattoo

Icarus — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:56:59 +0000

The invention of the helicopter, to me, is one of the best examples of the power of the human mind and our ingenuity. To envision, design, build and fly something that can maneuver so precisely all while battling the various challenges it faces through the laws of physics: torque and gyroscopic force, ground resonance, and [...]

Tumbling Tattoo: Pitts S-2B Aerobatic Plane Tattoo

Icarus — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:51:58 +0000

When people think of the classic aerobatic plane, many think first of the Pitts Special. And for good reason too… originally conceived in the mid-40’s, the timeless design of the Pitts has survived for over six decades. As an icon of aerobatic and sport aviation, the Pitts S-2B seen here is a fitting subject for [...]

From Russia With Love: MiG-29 Jet Fighter Tattoo

Icarus — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:07:21 +0000

To balance the modern fighter scale here on Tattoos In Flight after our post of the F-16 Viper last week, we’re presenting a tattoo of a similar high performance modern fighter this week… the Mikoyan MiG-29 “Fulcrum” from Russia. Still one of the most capable 4th generation fighters in the world, the MiG-29 certainly deserves [...]

Fighter Aircraft Forever: F-16 Viper Fighter Tattoo

Icarus — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:18:53 +0000

When looking at the most successful aircraft designs of the modern age, it’s hard not to consider the General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon… or Viper as it’s better known to crews. Obviously someone else felt the same way and had an everlasting tribute tattoo created, which is the subject of today’s post. [...]

Engine Enthusiasm: Pratt & Whitney Logo Tattoo

Icarus — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:45:40 +0000

Tattoos have been used to show intense loyalty to certain passionate brands and manufacturers for years. Companies like Harley-Davidson, Cadillac and Playboy have reaped the benefits of enthusiastic fans who forever pay homage on their skin. Today we’d like to feature a tattoo paying tribute to the logo of aircraft engine manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney. What [...]