Monthly Archives: September 2015

Air to Air With Airliners (Well, Sort Of)

My regular trips across the country often result in seeing aircraft out of the window as they cross our path or head in the opposite direction. I have seen plenty of jets in relatively close proximity but, with the speed differential being high, they are usually gone without a chance to grab a camera. Keeping it to hand for the entire flight is a little inconvenient. However, I have been working on an alternative plan.

Southwest provides in flight wifi and I get it for free as a result of the amount of flying I do with them. I log on to the wifi and open up Flightradar24 on my iPad. I can see where we are and I can see where other planes are too. The number of ADS-B equipped planes has gone up substantially in the last couple of years so accurate tracks are now common. Flightradar is usually pretty close to real time. I have learned, though, that the speed of the net connection on the plane is a big lethargic and the locations on the app while airborne have a bit of lag compared to the real situation.

By compensating for this, I have been able to predict a few encounters with other jets. Of course, they are never as close when you plan for it as when you are caught out but they were still pretty close. Shooting through an airliner window is not ideal but I managed to get a few shots all the same. Does this count as my first airliner a2a sortie?

Chicago Marathon

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I have had a few sporting themed posts recently and here is another one. This time it is the Chicago Marathon. When we lived in the city, we were right in the heart of the marathon route. On several occasions, my brother-in-law took part in the marathon and we would then go out and experience more of the course as we tried to pick him up at various points around the whole route. The way the route is designed means the spectators can cut across easily between sections and be ready when someone comes by again.

For several years, the route was changed where it came past our place. Some rebuilding of one of the stations meant it wasn’t practical for the runners to use that intersection so they diverted down a street and along another to pick up the original route. This meant they came right by us. A couple of times I went down to the street to watch them come through (provided I was more interested in being in bed on a Sunday morning!).

One of my favorite shots was taken from this location and it is the one at the top. I went with a slow shutter speed just to see what would happen. It turns out that the only thing that stays still for any period of time is a foot while it is on the ground so the shot has lots of feet clearly visible while everything else is blurred out.

This year my niece is going to be running the race. Sadly I won’t be there but I hope she has a good time. The support the crowds provide all around the course is supposed to be very good for the runners so let’s hope her first full marathon is an enjoyable one.

When a Storm is Your Friend

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Usually when you head out to shoot planes you are hoping for some nice weather. Being out on a sunny day with planes to shoot is not a bad plan. If it is looking like crummy weather, you will have a good reason for thinking things will not go so well. However, there are times when it can work out. (I should point out that crap weather is more likely to be a bust than a success but it can work out sometimes.)

The perfect combination is the storm that passes through quickly but is isolated. As it moves through the weather may be harsh but, once it has passed by, you have the hope that the sun will come out again while there are still evil black clouds in the background. So was the case at O’Hare not long ago. The storm was really strong and the downpour was biblical in proportions. As it migrated north, the sun popped out and we got a combination of light and background that you can’t turn down. Some of the earliest arrivals got the best combination. The clouds soon moved off enough that the effect was reduced and then was gone. However, for a short span, we could get some great shots.

Is There a Plane in There?

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Sometimes you find yourself right in the middle of a storm of epic proportions. I was at O’Hare getting a few shots of the aircraft operating on the southerly runways. I later found out this spot is one that the local businesses do not like you using so I won’t be heading back here again. At the time, I had no idea that was the case and no one come out while I was there although the storm might have been a factor!

A 747 freighter was lining up to depart and I was ready to get some shots just as the rain arrived. It absolutely hammered down. I got very wet very quickly and, since I was now already wet, I figured I would try and get a shot anyway. This is the result. Somewhere in that murk was a 747 – I think!

Overview of a Nation’s Capital

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The second leg of the journey that provided me with the storm video of Chicago was to Washington DC. For those that haven’t been there, Washington’s National Airport is located in the Potomac River. Approaches from the south come straight up the river but approaches from the north follow the winding line of the river to stay away from populated areas. It is quite a fun ride on a rough day.

On this day it was calm and evening was drawing in so there was a great view of the city as we made our approach. I shot some more video from the window using my phone and you can see all of the famous parts of the city. Enjoy!

XL A330

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I may sometimes see an airline I have not seen before but occasionally I will see one I have never even heard of before. XL is a French airline that is running in to SFO with A330s. I saw it was coming online but was not aware of them before that point. The heat haze was a bit of a problem but I got a shot of something new for me and that made it cool. Hopefully I will get some shots that I am a bit happier with in due course but this is good for a starter.

Chicago Fire

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Another throwback sports event today. The Chicago Fire MLS team opened their stadium at Toyota Park shortly after we moved to the city. We only went to watch one game so I don’t have a whole bunch of pictures of them playing. I did not know what their policy was for cameras being allowed in to the stadium so I took a long zoom in case they didn’t object. It turned out they really didn’t care at all!

I was watching the game rather than trying to cover it so I didn’t take a lot of shots. However, I did happen to have the camera up a couple of times when the play got exciting and these shots were the best that I got.

Farewell Alan

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This is a short but sad post. I read the sad news of the death of Alan Purwin. Alan was a pilot and entrepreneur who was involved in many fields but was well known for his working in filming movies from helicopters. He was a genuinely friendly and welcoming person and had been involved in many interesting things.

Alan died in a plane crash in Columbia during the making of a film with Tom Cruise. You may have seen the news mentioning a crash but that Tom was not involved. Sadly Alan was, along with another two people, one of whom also died. It is a very sad time for all involved.

Lufthansa A340

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My quest for a Virgin Atlantic A340 had an unintended side benefit. It turns out that Lufthansa also run an A340-600 in to SFO around the same time of day as Virgin Atlantic. While the Virgin jet was on final, the Lufthansa jet was coming over the top before turning in for approach. Why not hang around for a few more minutes and get another 340? Lufthansa are not getting rid of them so quickly but they won’t be around forever so I might as well make the most of the opportunity.

Half Dome Down There

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More window shots today! I usually end up sitting on the same side of the plane depending on which way I am heading in order to be on the shady side. However, I was on the opposite side on one flight back to Oakland recently and ended up with a good view of Yosemite National Park as we came home. The light was a bit harsh and I was a long way up so nothing outstanding here but it was still a cool view with Half Dome being the easiest landmark to pick out from this angle.

I got a few other shots of the Mammoth Lakes area and the area near Mono Lake (although the lake itself was almost underneath us so hard to get a shot of). Here is a selection.