A Pictorial History of Air Travel in Western Colorado

Grand Junction photographer Robert Grant was something of an aviation enthusiast. Take a look at a number of photos of various aircraft from Grand Junction, Colorado.

Do you remember when Grand Junction hosted hot air balloon festivals at Sherwood Park? Do you remember back in the early 80s when ultralights used to buzz Uranium Downs? Take a look at these vintage Robert Grant photos.

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Grand Junction Colorado Pilots and Aircraft

From time to time it happens in Grand Junction. You're at home, minding your own business when suddenly a single-engine airplane lands in your neighborhood. At other times, you may be driving down the interstate when a plane makes an emergency landing in the middle of the road. When events such as this would happen, you could bet Bob Grant would make an appearance.

Bob Grant Images Lifted From Negatives

Numerous Bob Grant galleries have popped up over the last few years. Until now, these galleries were all lifted from handmade prints. As of yesterday, most of the prints from Bob's personal collection had been shared.

Beginning today, July 14, 2022, I would like to begin the process of sharing images lifted from a collection of tens of thousands of Bob Grant's negatives. These have been in storage in my home since Bob died back in November of 2000.

Why So Long?

When Bob Grant died in 2000, my dad, and Bob Grant's son-in-law, Arlie Jordan, began the process of sorting and scanning Bob's prints. That took the years from 2000 up to my dad's passing in 2019. I took over the task at that time.

While a person could spend a lifetime gathering information about the prints, I personally feel it's time to move on to the negatives. These have been resting in a number of cabinets specifically designed for the storage of negatives. At a glance, I would estimate it will take the rest of my life to scan and share these images.

Where To Start

Well, since Bob was a huge aviation enthusiast, let's start there. You'll find a number of images below, all but one out of Grand Junction. Unfortunately, since these were lifted from negatives, I have absolutely no information to share regarding dates, subjects, etc.

This is where you come in. The majority of these shots were taken before I was born. With all of these Bob Grant galleries, please keep your eyes open for someone you might recognize. It happens all the time. On several occasions, I've had people reply with information. Please keep in mind that not one of these images (with the exception of the second to last) has seen the light of day in over 30 years.