I would like to introduce my friend David Leininger to the Lonnie Ortega Aviation Art website.


From an early age I have always been fascinated about aviation and its history. Like every other small boy growing up I built model airplanes and dreamed of being a pilot. My father would take me to local air shows and I would walk around in amazement of these wonderful machines. When it came time to leave my father would have to drag me away from the airport as I wanted to stay and watch the airplanes come and go. As I became older the passion for airplanes and aviation grew and my interest was not only limited to the airplanes themselves but also the men who flew them. I began reading story after story of aviation legends like Jimmy Doolittle, Clarence “Bud” Anderson, Bob Hoover, Hub Zemke, Donald Blakeslee, and many more like them who forged aviations history. These legends of aviation became my hero’s. A career in the United States Air Force followed my high school years and although my dreams of becoming a pilot would not be realized my passion for the rich history and tradition of the Air Force thrived. With camera in hand I attended as many air shows as I could and documented the events. In 2000 my interest in aviation photography began to take on a new theme as I looked at it as an art form. I was heavily influenced by the images I saw in aviation magazines from such photographers as George Hall and Paul Bowen. I set out over the next ten years to improve my photographic skills and build relationships with airplane owners and pilots. Opportunities began to present themselves and I took full advantage of them while learning from each experience. My journey to become an aviation photographer has enabled me to interact with some of the best aviation figures of our time. It has also allowed me the opportunity to work along side some of the best photographers in the business. My photographic style and vision caught the attention of editors and I have been featured in such aviation magazines as FlyPast, Warbird Digest, Flight Journal and In Flight USA to name a few. My passion for aviation and photography now run hand in hand and I am constantly looking for the next opportunity to create stunning imagery of aviations legacy.

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