Denny Lombard Steps From Behind the Camera
Lockheed Martin photographer and frequent Code One contributor, Denny Lombard retired at the end of January, closing out a forty-one year career with the company. During his career at the Skunk Works, he produced iconic images of most of the company’s aircraft, including the U-2, SR-71, YF-22, and X-35. At least those are the projects he can talk about.
He served as one of the photographic team leads for the LockheedBoeing-General Dynamics Advanced Tactical Fighter demonstration/ validation test program in 1990. He considers this assignment, which included taking air-to-air chase photographs of the YF-22 from the back seat of F-16s and F-15s at Edwards AFB, California, as the highlight of his career.
With fellow Lockheed photographer Eric Schulzinger, Lombard documented development of the F-117 Nighthawk while it was still a top secret program. In early 1990, the duo went to Tonopah, Nevada, and took what became the first publicly released photos of the F-117. Those photos immediately graced the covers of aviation and news magazines all over the world. They were just some of many cover shots he took over the span of his career.
As one of the founding members of the International Society for Aviation Photographers, or ISAP, Lombard served as the organization’s secretary for many years. Through ISAP, he established lasting friendships with fellow photographers from around the world.
Lombard started shooting pictures in high school. He then managed his own photography business before coming to Lockheed in the fall of 1969. At Lockheed, he started in the mail room as a package messenger earning a little over $3 an hour. He spent eleven years working in various capacities in Burbank and Palmdale, California, waiting for a photography position to open. He moved behind the camera in 1981. Some of his all-time favorite shots are shown here.
Lombard has been married to wife Andie for thirty-nine years. The couple has two daughters and six grandchildren. In retirement, he hopes to spend time with his grandkids, do some traveling, and maybe even take a few pictures once in awhile. Clear skies and tailwinds as you head off for new adventures, Denny. Eric Hehs, Editor Code One Magazine LM Aeronautics Company Communications Department www.codeonemagazine.com