An F-16 pilot and a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Captain, Mark S. Jannakos ,who earned his wings from the U.S. Air Force in 1984, expresses his love for flying through his artwork and records his unique viewpoint as a pilot on canvas. Jannakos, whose paintings are technically correct, mainly focuses on fighters and commercial airline jets for his subject matter. ...more
"It's a way for me to fly when I'm not flying," Jannakos said. The artist received his bachelor's degree in Aviation Technology and then started flying with the New Mexico Air National Guard. He was first assigned to the A-7 D fighter and later made the transition to the F-16 C in 1992. Now a Major, Jannakos has flown more than 30 combat missions over Bosnia and has recorded more than 15,000 hours of flight time. Jannakos paints all types of aircraft, however, he has a special love for painting fighters. Most of his artwork is done in oils.