2016 Washington Auto Show

UPDATE:  This post was featured on Jalopnik's homepage on February 2nd, 2016, garnering 13,000 readers in the first 24hrs alone.

Last year was the first year since 2009 that I didn't attend the Washington Auto Show; ironic because I skipped it to go out and actually buy a new car (the most valid reason you could give, if you ask me).  Needless to say, even though I was content to fall absent last year given my reason, I was excited to explore the show this year, since it's now been two years since my last visit.

Before going further, I should note that my focus this year was exploring the state of the 2016 car market's product offerings rather than collecting photographic documentation.

Over the years I've seen the cars evolve, the focus of the show change, and manufacturers rise and fall.  This year many manufacturers are going to shake up US roads; many things are coming to our automotive market that European countries have enjoyed or been influenced by for a very long time.  In the last two years, Fiat's acquisition of Chrysler has brought about a lot of changes within Chrysler's marquees, some good and some bad.  2015 was the first year since 1995 that the US market was blessed by Alfa Romeo's presence as a retailer.  2016 is the year Alfa will begin to expand on our roads.

Last December I saw my first 4C on public roads - a red example waiting at a stoplight in Reston; I grinned from ear to ear the rest of the day - I've always had a soft spot for the beautiful Italian designed cars of all vintages.  At the Washington Auto Show, a yellow Spider 4C was breaking necks (as much as the lovely woman presenting Alfa's two-seater offering to North American roads).

Another great move on Fiat's part is the revival of the Chrysler Pacifica.  I know this van has gotten a lot of heat since its announcement, but I'm a fan; it's a very exciting entry for the minivan market, and as a friend put it upon seeing the interior, "you could baby so hard in that thing."  This van is meant for some serious modern family-ing (including the annoying TV show if you want - look at that awesome rear-seat TV screen setup!).

Unfortunately 2016 will also mark the last year for the Dodge Dart; a mistake if you ask me.  The Dart is a car that I favorably reviewed previously; I know not everyone has had as many nice things to say, some of which I agree and mirrored in my evaluation.  I never said it was perfect; though it isn't the most valuable car in its class, it is the most exciting (which always comes at some price), and it isn't perfect, but the major problems I found were ones which currently plague most other vehicles in the Chrysler / Dodge / "SRT" (lol) lineup.  In other words, the designers are still finding their groove.  I WILL touch your Dart, thank you very much.

Also on hand was an example police-spec Charger.  To Punish and Enslave...

Something I found disconcerting was Ford's trucks' frame examples - the "new and improved" frame was bent out of shape and easily bendable in my fingers; if it can't stand up to an auto-show, how would it stand up to daily driving, let alone abuse and accidents?  I must be missing something, because I know and like Ford trucks - I've driven them more than any other brand.  If you know what's up with this, tell me in the comments, because I honestly didn't read the placard on the display - it just stuck out to me while taking a quick break.

A segment of the Washington Auto Show that is painfully missing is vehicles and technology aimed at helping those with disabilities.  I'm glad there is a renewable energy section, but Washington Auto Show organizers, I challenge you to create a Disabled Access section; incentivize auto makers, retrofitters, and accessory vendors specializing in motoring access for those with disabilities to display vehicles and booths in their own section at the 2017 Auto Show.

The only example I saw this year was Toyota Mobility's Sienna with Auto Access Seat.  Amazing how it works, however the people I saw around it seemed to think it was a sports tailgating feature - that's not really the image this kind of innovative product deserves.

Toyota is wonderful for letting its designers explore the outer-reaches of conceptual design; the Tron-inspired FV2 was on display last year as well, and is a good example of a modern proving-test-bed for future ideas and technology.  For this, I give Toyota a great deal of praise.  Toyota makes great cars - the 2016 Corolla, Camry, Highlander, and their trucks are good, solid vehicles.  The Toyobaru is great.  It's when it comes to production time for vehicles like the Prius and Mirai that Toyota falls flat.  The Prius is the car that car guys love to hate, partially because of its looks and specs, and partially because of its typical owners.  Oh, and then there was that awful song too.  I’m all for what the car stands for - energy savings, renewable energy, saving the environment... but it’s such a damn committee car! Just about every car maker out there has now proven that you can make a hybrid / electric car that’s *exciting*. The Prius has a massive following, which is great - the car is here to stay, and there’s nothing wrong with that; it’s good that a hybrid is so popular. The problem is that it’s such a boring, ugly car. It seems that Toyota has tried to make the Prius (alongside the Mirai concept) more exciting by making it more distinctive... the problem is that “distinctive” isn’t always good. In this case, the committee made it derpy. Actually, the only auto maker with more committee / group-think ruined cars is Toyota’s direct competitor, Honda, whose cost-saving but not cost-reducing shortcuts are evident the second you sit down; I want to like their cars, but they’re overpriced for what you’re getting. So, I don’t know what the Prius team was thinking, but this is the ugliest iterations of the car I’ve seen yet.

So, instead of blowing a lot of hot air, I’ll make my suggestion of what I would see as an exciting, attractive Prius. First of all, lose the bubble shape - yes, I know it’s like that for aero; just hear me out. Lose the bubble shape and random body scoops and waves, and go toward a 5-door hatch / wagon design - those have hoods! Imagine if you made a Corolla into a slightly smaller Panamera or Mazda 3, with the styling of the FR-S, but the economical drivetrain, solar panels, and weight / energy saving goodies at the Prius’ core. You’ve pretty much got that with the CT200h; take that concept, and apply it to the Prius namesake, giving it the full suite of Toyota Prius tech and soul. THAT is what I think these cars should be.

That said, I’m just one person (Jalop) with an opinion, and the CT200h vs Prius sale numbers say that Toyota’s right and I am wrong. I’m also quite far from the Prius’ target demographic. I’ve always admired the CT200h though - I’m giddy every time I see one, or the even more rare Acura TL wagon... in metallic brown! :-D

Well, just two more negatives I noticed, and we'll get through those quick.  Firstly, the exhaust pipes on these GMCs (and presumably Chevys? I didn't check).  I love everything GMC makes, but the give-a-damns stopped on the exhaust tip - this looks like you guys used a fence post.

And finally, the one I've been waiting to mention.  BMW.  You guys.  Ugh.  You guys.  You've officially lost it.  You've been acting a little crazy for a few years now, but you guys have officially gone looney with your latest batch of naming convention.  Infiniti went through a bit of a naming crisis in 2012 when it began giving all its models a Q designation, but that quickly worked itself out.  BMW, however, you guys are going through a full-on identity crisis.  Let me give you a hint - you don't have to be good at EVERYTHING.  You currently make multiple cars for everyone - it's unnecessary and confusing, and surely can't be financially sound!

Look at this!

You currently have 25 - 27 models for sale (depending on how you count them), and that doesn't even count trim levels.  And don't get me stared on you calling a 4-door a coupé.  I like the 6 Series Gran Coupe (I like fastbacks), but how about you tidy up your naming convention and bump that over to the 7 Series, along with the awesome Alpina B6?  I also would like to see you and Mercedes go back to your roots of using engine displacement as model designators.  It's ok, if you want to differentiate trim levels, using x and s and i and ci are still great!

I can't wait to see your next iteration of the Z4 (will it be a big enough change to christen it the Z5?).  I love every bit of that car (except it deserves a 6 speed manual option, of course).

Speaking of little roadsters I love, by far the best new car on display at the show was the ND Miata.  The Miata has always been a fun little car, but sitting in the ND is a whole new level.  A whole new experience.  Mazda has hit a home run with this car (with the exception of the derpy headlights and taillights - are derpy lights the new craze for Japanese cars for some reason?  Is there something culturally spurring this in Toyota, Honda, and Mazda now?).  The interior is perfection.  It's comfortable, and everything is easy.  The clutch is light (my Infiniti's is very heavy and long in comparison), and the shifts are extremely short - this is clearly a car meant to get into some (good / fun) trouble with.

I don't have pictures because I was too busy drooling in the driver's seat.

One I was excited to see was the Buick Cascada.  It's so pretty :-)  And I'm very happy to see Buick going in this direction, because I so desperately want them to survive as a brand.  I like what they're putting out; they just need to step up their interior game one little notch.  Hopefully they do so with the Cascada.

Here is the Cascada's top going up in ~15 seconds.

The other car I was excited for at this year's show was Lincoln's new Continental.  If this is the new Lincoln, it needs to trickle down to the rest of the product line - it's *beautiful.*  This is the flagship Lincoln so desperately needs.  If they can up their interior quality in the lesser models from Ford level to Jaguar level, Lincoln stands a chance to be a luxury contender again.  From the distance of its pedestal, the new Continental is doing all the right things inside and out.  Please trickle down and make Lincoln great again!  (Yeah, it's an election year :-/)

The only car I desperately wanted to see was Infiniti's new Q60 - it wasn't on display.

Those are my big takeaway's from this year's show.  I found out how much I like Mercedes-Benz's E-Class while Jake found he just barely still fits in the rear-facing seat.  We also got to sit in a Polaris Slingshot, which I can only describe as a Power Wheels for grown-ups - this was the second I've seen in person.

After this spending all day at the show and STILL not seeing everything, it was time to bail; we all went to this amazing sushi place called Momiji right off of H Street.  I need more sushi in my life!

This blog post has been republished by J. David Buerk onto Oppositelock. For the full set of photos, view the album at his Facebook Page. All photography is by J. David Buerk, and is copyrighted All Rights Reserved.

Michael Symon at Bar Symon, IAD

Recently Iron Chef Michael Symon dropped by Bar Symon, his restaurant at Washington Dulles International Airport; this time he was able to stay a little longer (last time he was in town his flight got messed up), and was signing books... and of course taking selfies, as usual.

If you've ever watched Food Network or The Chew on ABC, you have surely come to know and love Chef Symon.  Since there was time, I took the opportunity to get my cousin (who is a huge fan, an aspiring young cook, and incredibly jealous of my small connection to Michael) a signed and personalized cookbook, which I surprised him with a few days ago for Christmas.  He loved it, by the way.  I got one for myself too :-)

This day was a little strange - it's not uncommon that I'll go somewhere and run into someone I know.  It just happened that while I was photographing this event, one of my best friends was flying out, and also a college classmate of mine who I hadn't seen in a few years was also waiting on her flight to board.  It was nice to catch up with her during lulls in the event before she had to get to her gate.

Chef Symon said he remembers me from his last time at Dulles, when I covered his restaurant's grand opening ribbon cutting, and shot a portrait of him in front of the eatery.  This time I wanted to shoot another portrait, but somehow differently - we landed on the bar itself.  Just like last time, I was given only a few short minutes to set up and get the shot; this is a single flash photo, also just like last time.  I actually like it better that my previous one!

Wings for All

Earlier this year I was brought in on a program which is probably the most meaningful project I have worked on to date.  Wings for All is a bi-annual event at Dulles which seeks to teach and acclimate individuals with autism and other special needs to commercial air travel.

This simulated event is real and authentic in every way except that the aircraft does not push back and take flight.  Participants begin by arriving at the airport and checking in at a United ticket counter, where they check their bags and are given real boarding passes.  Next, they proceed through a TSA security checkpoint, where they are actually screened.  From here, participants must navigate the airport to their gate.  At the gate, passengers (participants) board the Boeing 777 by assigned group number, stow their carry-ons, and prepare to take flight.  Cabin crew give the safety briefing, the pilot speaks over the intercom, everyone buckles in, and the lights turn off for departure.  "In flight," the cabin crew provide refreshments.  Soon it is time to "arrive;" the seatbelt light chimes and turns on again, the pilot announces the weather, and soon the aircraft "lands" and passengers deplane.  Finally, participants proceed to baggage claim to pick up their luggage from the carousel, before luncheon stopping by the luncheon to conclude the morning.

The Wings for All program is a fantastic opportunity for anyone with special needs who wants practice with commercial air travel in a controlled setting with guidance as needed.  It doesn't matter if you've flown 100 times, or never at all, because it allows participants to experience everything about an airline flight except for movement of the aircraft.  It is also beneficial to those in the aviation industry because it provides real world practice with aiding those with special needs, in addition to training and awareness sessions that are provided leading up to each event.

In the Spring Wings for All session, I was called upon to film the event, producing the video below.  This past weekend I also filmed the Fall session, and I will soon be updating the promo video as requested, and creating a 30 - 60 second spot for Wings for All to be further promoted.

Wings for All events can be found at other airports, including locally at DCA and BWI.  At Dulles, Wings for All is organized by The ARC of Northern Virginia in partnership with The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and sponsored by United Airlines and Marketplace Development, among others.

This was also my first foray into videography, which I currently will only undertake for select projects for longstanding previous photography clients.

I am so fortunate to have continued involvement with this rewarding program!

Arsenal of Democracy

The Arsenal of Democracy was a memorial flight of vintage military aircraft flying unprecedentedly close to the core of Washington, DC, through airspace that is usually the most secure on the Eastern seaboard, taking place on May 8th, 2015 - the 70th anniversary of VE Day.  I'd known about the plans for the Arsenal of Democracy long in advance, thanks to my fortunate connection to the flight's Air Boss, who was a crew member I know from 2012's Space Shuttle Transport missions.  His insights confirmed the suspicions of many local plane spotters - that the Jefferson Memorial would be the most ideal spot to watch the historic flight.

If you can believe it, I had never been to the Jefferson Memorial until that day.  When I arrived, I met with a few planespotters I know from my coverage of airline events at Dulles.  A crowd had already gathered on the Jefferson's steps, awaiting the aircrafts' arrival.

It was at this point that the TBM broke off for emergency landing at DCA.  We were listening to the ATC comms and our hair stood on end when we heard them repeatedly telling the tower they were on fire.  It wouldn't be for several hours that we'd learn the actual cause for the cockpit smoke the crew encountered was caused by a hydraulic leak - you can, and should, watch the pilot's first-person footage of the emergency landing.

Fifi, an aviation buff favorite.

The display ended with the traditional missing man formation breakoff.

And of course, since I had never visited the Jefferson before, I had to see the inside of the monument before leaving.

2015 Dulles Day Plane Pull and 5K / 10K on the Runway

Dulles Day 5K / 10K On the Runway

Since 2013, the Plane Pull's 20th Anniversary, Dulles Day has begun with a 5K and 10K "Run on the Runway."  2015 continued this new tradition, with runners arriving at the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum to run along Dulles' R/W 1R / 19L, and adjacent taxiway.  Similarly to last year, United towed the stationary aircraft runners passed on their run to its position in the fog at sunrise.

If you're looking for the video footage, scroll to the bottom of this blog post.

The 5K / 10K sold out with 2,500 people running on one of the most notably flattest surfaces one could find outside of a competitive track.  Some familiar faces took part in the run, including some highschool and college classmates of mine with whom I ran track, as well as Dulles' Airport Manager, who has competed with his daughter in the run every year now.

Dulles Day Plane Pull

The Dulles Day Plane Pull is an annual fundraising event, taking place every year since 1993, which benefits Special Olympics.  Held the third Saturday of every September, this competition for charity draws 10,000 - 15,000 people each year, featuring dozens of display aircraft, games, prizes, concessions, and live entertainment, all in addition to the main event running all day, the Plane Pull itself.

Every year I photograph the car show first, since it is located right next to where I park my car on the apron as I cover this awesome event.  A few of these are regulars to the Dulles Day Car Show, as well as regulars to other car shows I frequent.

Dulles Day is kicked off during the Opening Ceremony, where the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department Honor Guard present our Nation's colors, the National Anthem is sung, and MWAA PD Chaplain Grant delivers an invocation prayer.  Sponsors then formally present Special Olympics with funds raised, and the festivities kick off!

The first team to pull is always the Special Olympics Team.

Kids are also able to pull non-competitively; the 1-2-3 Junk Truck is on hand for kids to get a feel for what it's like pulling an aircraft, on a smaller scale.

Dunk-A-Cop is one of Dulles Day's most popular attractions with the kids.  Dulles Day would be impossible without the cooperation of countless police, fire, and rescue agencies which donate their time and energy to help organize the event and run attractions such as the K9 Demonstration.  In this safe demonstration, officers and their K9 partners search for real explosive material hidden in a suitcase - dogs sit to signal "alarm" indicating which bag the dog detects the smell emanating from.

For the last several years, I have been privileged to fly in the helicopter that covers the "airport's open house" from the air.  Thanks to Steve Settle, a very funny guy I worked with in Engineering, who is also very integral to the planning of Dulles Day each year, for snapping this photo of me before our flight this year.

I do love my job with all my heart.  That's the Main Terminal in the background.

Each year I do this, I not only cover the event, but I make sure to request a flyby of the Main Terminal to grab aerial photos of it.

I also have a bit of video footage from the flight, but video is not my focus.  Scroll to the bottom of this blog post to see the video.

Eero Saarinen's historic Main Terminal Building at Washington Dulles International Airport, from the back and front.  This year, construction of the new Dulles Metrorail Station can be seen in front of Daily Garage 1.

In case you were wondering, this is the view if you look down from ~400AGL.  Depending on the tightness of the turn, you may look straight outward and this will be your view.

Some people think this is scary; I think it's fun.  And don't worry; everyone and every thing is strapped in, including cameras.

If you see just one pull, make it the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office, which are now the 9x defending champions.  This year they pulled a monstrous, record-setting time of 4.753s, once again beating out the Fairfax County Sheriff's time of4.946s.

Chesapeake gets fired up; everything they do is big.  Their heaviest teammate weighs in at over 500lbs.  Because they are the reigning champs, and hands-down the Plane Pull's biggest spectacle, they are always the day's last pull.

Just Plane Mamas is another notable team, defending champs for Most Enthusiastic.  They also won this year's Slowest Pull - yes, the Plane Pull awards everything!  It's about family fun!

After the awards were presented, the airport must return to full operation.  The public departs, and most of the display aircraft "go home."  This year, the President's Osprey was on display, and was quite a sight to see depart - this was my first time seeing an Osprey flight in person.

There is video of some of these aircraft departing at the end of this blog post.

As always, the 2015 Dulles Day 5K / 10K on the Runway and Plane Pull were huge successes, with impeccable weather.  If you missed it this year, you really missed it; but make sure to mark your calendar for September, and I'll see you all there again next year!

Video Footage

Photos are of course my primary focus, however I do usually shoot a bit of video because it is so unique and interesting.  Here is a reel of all my footage from this year's Plane Pull.