Like Jake - I love catching up on this thread.
D3100 to D610 is a big leap - so envious.
Shooting both I can tell you this, when I pick up the D7100 I honestly don't feel like I'm settling for anything when I use it. It's not as if I'm giving up IQ in any real quantity to gain a little reach. It's a great camera.
That said, looking at your photos and having a feel for your style, it screams full frame. There are very few photos in this thread or your last that point to a need for DX for the reach that it gives. I got a 3000 click D600 for less than I paid for my refurb D7100, sent it off to Nikon for the shutter advisory, and if it performs great then I'm set on the cheap, and if it doesn't I'll be happy to send it back for a D610 on the extreme cheap. Outside of the shutter issue there is nothing about the D600 I cannot recommend. So, if you're on a budget, look around for one with low mileage. It was my first FX body and I'm still thrilled with it.
I REALLY like these!!! Terrific!
Brilliant shots - love the cockpit ones
You have a great ability to see the potential of B&W
Love that old Beechcraft!! I had a coffee mug with a Bonanza on it going back 35 years, maybe more. Great plane, great shots!!
Thanks! My dad loves it to death. He took us up while we were there, that was a blast. He's had it for several years now, and he really enjoys taking it camping. Montana is littered with airstrips in the wilderness, and he's been heavily involved with preserving access to them. He's currently president of the Montana Pilots Association, which is dedicated to that kind of thing. He is known in that scene as "that crazy bastard who takes his Bonanza off road."
I know Montana is a big place, but I think he needs to pay DaveW a visit and take him up.