Beale Air Force Base, Calif. –
Standing outside of a dock just off the flightline at Beale Air Force Base, Master Sgt. Douglas Kinsley waits patiently as a crew of 13th Reconnaissance Squadron maintainers maneuvers an RQ-4 Global Hawk carefully into place.
When the aircraft finally rolls to a stop, Kinsley rifles through his camera bag, chooses a lens and saunters over to the windowless, oddly shaped plane.
The 940th Wing Reservist had been commissioned by the 13th RS to produce a lithograph of the remotely piloted aircraft flown by the unit. His photographs of the plane would serve as vital background research for the endeavor.
The commissioned drawing would not be Kinsley's first lithograph production. In fact, detailed pencil drawings of military aircraft produced by Kinsley hang in the Smithsonian, the National Air and Space Museum, and numerous other museums and gift shops from Hawaii to Washington D.C. He has sold some 50,000 pieces.
Kinsley methodically moves around the plane, photographing the machine from different angles and carefully studying every aspect of its design.
"I've always loved to draw," said Kinsley, "and I've always had a good eye for detail."
He started drawing as a hobby when he was 13 years old, but drawing was put to the side for a while when he joined the Air Force in 1979 to work in aircraft maintenance.
In 1985, Kinsley got off of active duty and joined the Air Force Reserves to go back to school. While in college, he developed his drawing skills through drafting courses. After graduation, he drew professionally as a draftsman for engineering companies while continuing to serve in the Reserves. Both careers seemed like a natural fit.
In 1992, however, Kinsley left his civilian employment to become an Air Reserve Technician with the 940th Wing. His drawing became a hobby once again.
As Kinsley moves in closer for detailed shots of the RQ-4's inlet valves, he asks a couple of maintainers standing by to remove the bright orange cover so he can capture those intricate details to add to his research.
Kinsley said his drawings take a lot of hard work, but the end result is worth the effort.
"To get it exact, you really have to do your homework," he said. "There's a lot of research and a lot of reading involved to get every little detail."
In the past, Kinsley has reached out to the Smithsonian for help with his research.
"I called the archive department to get photos for the P-51D Mustang drawing, The detail has to be there. It has to be accurate."
Over the years, Kinsley has drawn transports, fighters, civilian aircraft and World War II planes. He said his father's service in the Air Force was a major factor in his love of planes and aviation history.
"I love World War II planes, but my all-time favorite is the B-17G Bomber," said Kinsley. "It was probably the hardest to draw. It had a lot of curves, and curves are time consuming. It took me nearly a year. I spent 500 hours on that one."
The amount of time spent on each drawing has, at times, isolated Kinsley from family. As a nod to his loved ones' patience, Kinsley adds subtleties to the pictures.
"Sometimes I'll put little tributes to my wife or children by writing their names in the drawing," he said.
As for what the future holds for this artist, Kinsley said, "I love aviation history. I plan to continue on [drawing lithographs] as long as my hands and eyes work."