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United States Air Force Academy

Cadet Chapel

A visit to the Cadet Chapel was a major part of Snowcatcher's and my day of riding bicycles at the Air Force Academy. The following photos were acquired with a small Olympus point-and-shoot I bicycle with. I didn't use the flash, and I tried to catch the ambient light radiating from the stained glass. Consequently, some shots are a bit on the grainy side. To remedy this, Snowcatcher and I are conjuring up a plan to reshoot with a real camera, in the hands of a real photographer; that being Snowcatcher. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy them!



Cadet Chapel standing proud



The Cadet Chapel is an all-faith house of worship. There is a separate chapel for each of the major faiths representative of the cadet student body. The main chapels are Protestant, Catholic and Jewish. In addition, there is a small Buddhist Chapel and an All-Faiths Room. The upper main level is the Protestant Chapel, with other Chapels directly below.




The Chapel was designed by Walter A. Netsch, Jr., of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Architectural Firm. The following entities were enlisted by the Air Force to maintain design approval; the General Commission on Chaplains in the Armed Services represented Protestants; the Roman Catholic Military Ordinariate monitored Catholic interests; and the National Jewish Welfare Board represented the Jewish faith.



Robert E. McKee, Inc., of Santa Fe, New Mexico, was the contractor. The building took 5 years of planning, followed by 4 years of construction. There is no meaning associated with the 17 spires of aluminum, glass and steel. The number 17 was the result of cost. Construction began 28 August 1959. The chapel was signed-off the summer of 1963. The chapel shell and surrounding grounds cost $3.5 million.



Stained glass provides ribbons of color throughout the chapels. Ceiling stained glass colors run dark to light to represent coming from darkness into the light of God.



The Protestant Chapel has 1,200 seats, with a 120-seat choir loft and pipe organ. The Catholic Chapel seats 500, with an 80-seat choir loft and pipe organ. The Jewish Chapel holds 100 worshipers.



Protestant pipe organ





The Catholic Chapel also was very ornate...



...with beautiful stained glass and art work.



Very nice!



If anyone messes with the Academy, there is a squadron of these bad boys within spitting distance. If you're a bad-guy, good luck!

Up next? How about some Elephant Rock?

Adios

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United States Air Force Academy

The Falcons

This past weekend Snowcatcher and I visited one of my numerous favorite places – the Air Force Academy. Years ago, I lived in Colorado Springs and I would ride out to, and throughout, the Academy grounds without a second thought. I had a nice little 40-mile route mapped out. Fast forward 19 years and it's still a joy to visit.

However, modern times warrant MPs in fatigues, one with an M-16 at fingertip, to check IDs for entry onto the Academy grounds. I was awash with pride, sadness and grateful emotions all whipped together. Due to heightened security levels, cyclists can ride only in and out on the road to the Visitor Center, unless they hold DoD clearance. Nonetheless, although abbreviated, the visit is fun; the Cadet Chapel, which remains open to visitors, is worth a visit even without a bicycle. Following are some photos. Enjoy!



The Academy is nestled up against the foothills of Colorado's Front Range.



There are numerous static airplanes suspended about. Above is the frontal view of the opening pic of a B-52.



There are a handful of athletic fields with the iconic Cadet Chapel directing your view to the upper right.



Main campus



Rolling terrain at elevations between 6,700 and 7,200 feet make for good bicycle riding.



The central campus plaza



The retired skeleton, or possibly a full-scale model, of my favorite fighter jet stands at ease – an F-15 Eagle.



A live prairie falcon was catching a breath of air on the day we visited. When the cadet falconer removed the hood for us, the falcon excitedly squawked, came alive, and was 100 percent tuned into the surrounding environment. Moreover, it offered no resistance when the hood was replaced. Snowcatcher got some shots of the falcon un-hooded. Falconry is an extracurricular activity at the Academy. There usually are 12 cadet falconers, with several new freshmen coming aboard each year to replace graduates, and the school mascot is a falcon. In the wild, prairie falcons live 10 to 12 years; in captivity they live much longer. This handsome devil has 19 years under its feathers. Falcons hear and smell similar to humans. However, their eyesight is magnified 10 times to ours.



Up next, Cadet Chapel

Adios