Tag Archives: california

Santa Monica

After spending a bunch of time around LAX, it was time for something different. Paul asked whether I had ever been to Santa Monica airport. I hadn’t so we took a look online to see what others might have seen there. It seemed pretty promising and there also appeared to be a viewing deck!

The trip to Santa Monica from LAX is a short one and we got there in no time. The field is on top of a hill and you come under the approach end of the runway as you drive up the hill. Sure enough, there was a viewing deck and a very nice one. It had a long balcony along the side of the apron, there were plenty of picnic benches, some good vending machines and there was a restaurant as well.

This makes the spot a popular one for visitors. A number of families were there at various times during our visit. They brought the kids and some food to show them the planes. They got visits from the airport police a few times – not to hassle them but to give them stickers of planes and to encourage their interest. Now that is a pleasant change!

There was a good mix of operations. They are plenty of corporate jets in and out. Netjets and FlexJets had a few movements and a very nice gold Gulfstream showed up. Some rotary wing action was also on display with a three ship of aircraft heading out at one point together, possibly for a photo shoot. There are also plenty of lighter aircraft operating including a nice Stearman and a SIAI Marchetti SF-260.

The traffic was very intensive but it was steady and the weather was steadily improving so with access to refreshments and places to sit, it proved to be a great spot to visit.

Easterlies – Good for Me, Bad for Them!

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One of the surprising benefits of the bad weather system that passed through Los Angeles while I was there was that it made for some different operations at LAX. LAX has four runways in two pairs, one north of the terminal complex and one south. The prevailing wind is from the ocean so everything tends to operate with arrivals and departures in a westerly direction.

The airport is pretty much designed to operate this was – more so since the construction of the extension to the international terminal has resulted in the cross taxiway between the north and south areas being closed off. Moving aircraft from the north to the south and vice versa seems to be a bit of a hassle and, for some reason, if the traffic is operating in the opposite direction, it seems to be just that bit harder.

When the weather turned bad, operations started out in the morning with some westerly movements and some easterlies. Some of these were simultaneous with arrivals heading towards departures coming out from the other side of the field – not unsafe but certainly a little disconcerting I imagine. As the wind strengthened, the incoming flights were redirected and the airfield went to a full easterly operation.

While this may have made the ground handling a little more tricky, it was certainly good from my point of view. Relocating to Imperial Hill, I now had a lot of arrivals coming in on the runway closest to me and touching down pretty much directly in front of me. (If it weren’t for the number of power cables around this area blocking the touchdown zones, this would have been perfect.)

This also meant a lot of departing traffic came our way as well so it was a chance to see things in a slightly different way to that which is normally the case at LAX. This combined with a few pleasant surprises. One was the arrival of a Qantas A380 on our runway. From what I understand, they normally operate from the north side only so this was quite a bonus and there is a shot of it in the post here.

Also, we had a DHL DC-8 show up. Not only did it land in front of us but it turned around pretty quickly and soon taxied past us and lined up to depart. Not a bad piece of luck. The light was a little erratic – it was bad weather that caused all of this – but it was still an interesting opportunity.

What Else Does LAX Offer?

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Aside from chasing a few A380s, LAX has the advantage of a mix of aircraft from all over the place. It also has a good selection of spots from which to take pictures. While I was there (at various times over a few days) I managed to get a few different shots. It is a lot easier to do this today than it was in the past.

Websites that list flight movements combined with a smart phone allow you to be a lot more aware of what is coming and what is due out. No longer do you wonder whether you can move on only to see something amazing arrive just as you drive down the street. The data isn’t always accurate but it does make things a lot easier.

At this time of year, one of the favored spots by the In’n’Out burger joint is not ideal for the sun. However, walking a short distance down the street can overcome this. It also gives you a vantage point from almost directly underneath the aircraft (or right under them if you prefer) from which you can get something a little different. I tried a bunch of these out while I was there.

Nothing much else to say about the location so here are some of the shots to enjoy.

Bye Bye El Centro

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You might have thought that we had covered El Centro enough. Nah! The day after the photocall, I was planning to head across to San Diego. However, I didn’t have to be there until lunchtime and it is only a couple of hours drive to get there. Since I was going to be up early, why not finish of the time at El Centro with one more visit to the base to shoot from outside.

I wasn’t going to be there too long but there was the probability of an early launch wave and they would recover before I was going to depart. I got there early enough for some of the first launches and was the first visitor. I was going to be joined by some of the friends from the photocall and there was a second visit scheduled by another group for that day so the attendees for that were likely to show up before too long.

We did get a similar bunch of traffic to the previous day with waves of T-45s heading out as well as some F/A-18s doing their thing. I got to cover the first wave without any trouble and then quietened down around the time I was planning on leaving. However, leaving proved to be a bit more troublesome than I would have expected.

Some of the people that arrived for that day either hadn’t been before to the location and/or were not very thoughtful when it comes to accommodating those around them. The location is alongside a drainage ditch with a drop off to a lower level which then has another ditch beside it. There is space to park along the ridge and leave space for other vehicles to get past.

Sadly, some of the new arrivals hadn’t bothered with that concept. When it came time for me to leave, the easier was out – since there were poorly parked vehicles both ahead and behind – was actually backwards. Reversing around the parked cars on the top of the ridge was hardly fun and then reversing the remaining length of the ridge was also less than enjoyable. It wasn’t difficult but the presence of water on one side and a drop on the other tends to increase the level of concentration.

Anyway, despite the thoughtlessness of a few, I did make it out and got a good start to the day. Sadly, I should probably have hung around a bit longer since my next stop didn’t go quite according to plan – but that can wait for another post.

More El Centro Stills

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The main purpose of the visit to El Centro was to shoot still images. I have previously posted some of the shots from outside here and some video from inside here but the real purpose was the stills on base.

Michelle Dee and her team at El Centro are very progressive in their approach to allowing photography on base. They organize regular visits for photographers where it is possible to shoot from right alongside the runway at the LSO shack. This means the aircraft are touching down right beside you and launching past you in close proximity. This provides a chance for some shots that are not the norm.

Such access is quite unusual but the success of these events is hopefully persuading other facilities that it can be done safely. A big part of this is having people on the shoot who understand what is possible and what is not and following those rules. Everyone is ready to self-police as well. Besides, the location is so good, where could you possibly be that would be any better?

Anyway, enough of the description. Thank you again Michelle and team and thanks to Kevin for setting things up from our side. Great to see you again buddy. Here are the pictures.

El Centro Video

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We were kindly hosted by the team at NAF El Centro for a photocall. I will post later with some of the shots from the visit to the base itself. However, one of the things I wanted to do this time that I learned following my previous visit to El Centro was to shoot more video.

I was still going be predominantly shooting stills but the motion and proximity of the aircraft is hard to appreciate sometimes from a still image (a failing of mine as a photographer of course). Video gives you more of a sense of the activity. Therefore, I took a GoPro with me to the day and mounted it on top of my camera on the hot shoe.

This had the advantage of allowing me to shoot video at the same time as stills. It did have a couple of disadvantages. One is that the sound of the shutter clicking is picked up by the camera on the soundtrack. When the jets are close it isn’t too bad but when they are further away, it becomes more intrusive. Second, the GoPro is fixed at quite a wide angle so it makes everything look a little further away than it is. However, this is an add-on to my normal shooting so both compromises are worthwhile.

I did shoot a small bit of video with one of the SLRs and it probably won’t be hard to spot which bit of film that is when you watch. I didn’t bother with any music since I think the sound of the jets does a pretty good job. Here is the result.

El Centro Preamble

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In a previous post, I mentioned that I was heading to NAF El Centro in California for a photo shoot. The main part of the shoot was going to be on the base. It was due to commence at noon. That left a free morning. El Centro has a couple of good locations off base where you can photograph the aircraft and one is better suited to morning shooting since the light is good for departing aircraft and those breaking into the pattern.

I was ready for an early start and got out as the early departures were underway. Not only was this a good spot to shoot from, it was also a good gathering spot for some of us going on base later so it served multiple purposes.

There was a fair amount of morning activity. The majority of traffic was from T-45 Goshawk from NAS Meridian who were deployed to El Centro for training. The local ranges provide opportunities for basic weapons training but other missions as also flown including some field carrier landing practice (FCLP).

Hornets and Super Hornets from the west coast training squadron were also operating and provided a regular stream of departing and arriving traffic. The Canadian forces were also operating Hornets from the base. They tend to depart reasonably straight out and break into the pattern a little early but sometimes come into a good location for shooting. When they are weapons training, though, they always come to the end of the runway to make all weapons safe so we get a good view. They had also brought a C-130 tanker with them which was a nice addition.

A couple of C-2 Greyhounds were practicing their pattern work to mix it up. Helicopter traffic included some AH-1 Cobras from the Marines transiting and a British Army Apache although they stayed well to the south so were not something I could get any shots of.

All of this gave us an idea of what was on base and provided some good shooting opportunities from a different position to that we would get later in the day.

Planes of Fame

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With a day to spare during my trip to Los Angeles, I wasn’t short of places to go that would satisfy the aviation fan within. One museum an hours drive from my hotel was on my list of places I really ought to have been to already. That was Chino’s Planes of Fame museum. With a better forecast than for the previous day in store, I made an early start.

The museum opened at 10am on Sunday’s and the drive was supposed to be an hour so I planned to arrive just as it opened. Traffic was playing ball and I did indeed get there just after the doors had opened. There were three cars in the parking lot. Mine, the person running the shop and one of the volunteers, Stephen Andridge, who arrived at the same time that I did. For the time-being, the museum was going to be mine.

Stephen said hello when I came into the shop and, since he didn’t have a tour booked until later in the day, he offered to wander around with me and show me the collection. This worked out very well for me. I could effectively do two tours of the facility. The first with Stephen would show me the sum of everything that was on site. The second would allow me to go back around with the camera and take the shots of the things that had caught my attention the first time.

Stephen and I ended up taking a long time as we went around the museum. There is plenty to see and we had a lot to talk about as we went around. We had nearly finished everything when he realized that the time was up for him to go and take his tour around. I have no idea where the time went to but I am certainly grateful to him for being such a great host.

The collection is certainly very varied. There are a range of vintage aircraft from the US with a lot of second world war aircraft as well as jets. However, other countries are well represented. There are a few old British aircraft that caught my eye as well as some rare Japanese aircraft. They also have a FW-190 built using components from a supplier in Germany. A Buchon is also undergoing restoration. I prefer 109s to have the original BMW engine but Buchons are still great to see.

There are other interesting bits in the collection. An original Bell P-59 Airacomet is undergoing restoration, possibly to fly. While it is historic as America’s first jet fighter, everything I have read about it says it was a pretty useless fighter. However, its place in history is important. Also in the hangar is the fake propeller that was mounted to its nose to disguise its, then secret, technology.

Most of the aircraft in the hangars are in great condition. However, one airframe is a wreck that was brought back from the jungle. I was impressed that, in this case, they chose to display it as it crashed. The layout with scenery around it and the airframe on the ground is pretty impressive and a great reminder of how so many aircraft actually ended up in those days.

There are some very significant aircraft also on display. One that caught my interest was the Douglas Skyrocket. One of the three airframes built is on display. A major part of the race to expand the speed envelope, the Skyrocket is often overlooked against the Bell X-1 series but it was the first aircraft to exceed Mach 2. I didn’t find out exactly what this particular airframe had done in the program but that hardly really matters compared to it being there at all.

Aside from the display aircraft in the hangars, there is also a boneyard in the museum. This includes a variety of aircraft including some more modern jet fighters. An F-104 from Belgium, an A-7 and F-8 facing each other, a Sabre, a Super Sabre (once a target tug at China Lake and missing some pieces as a result of a close call!), a Fury plus a bunch of disassembled airframes in racks. There were some Russian jets as well although the airworthy examples were off in Las Vegas for the Nellis show.

I have not even started to cover the collection here and there are plenty of other fascinating and noteworthy aircraft in the collection. I am not trying to provide a comprehensive overview. Instead, I hope I am providing enough temptation for you to consider a visit if ever you are nearby. If the ones I have mentioned are of interest, the rest of the collection will keep you happy for a day at least.

By the time I was done, a good chunk of the day had gone. I grabbed some late lunch at Flo’s across the field before heading back to the hotel. This had originally been part of my plan for the day but it was so enjoyable, it ended up being the whole day. I will be back, I am sure. I will definitely try and get to their annual show as well since that must be quite an event.

If you want to see more, go to the website at www.planesoffame.org.

Griffith Park Observatory

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After I paid a visit to the exhibition of Gerry Holtz’s images (which you can read about here), I had some time to spare in the vicinity of Hollywood. It wasn’t the greatest day from a weather perspective – that was one of the reasons I had chosen that day to go to the gallery – but it was still a reasonable day to be out and about. I asked Gerry whether he had any recommendations.

He suggested that I visit Griffith Park Observatory. Interestingly, this was one of the things that I had been contemplating so, when Gerry brought it up, it seemed like it had to be the place to go. I had seen the location in movies and TV shows at various times over the years and the view over the city seemed to be quite appealing.

Gerry gave me some directions as to the best way to get into the park and I followed these without difficulty. The route it took into the park went past some very nice houses. Given the size of the places, the way in which they had been maintained and the location near Hollywood but on a hill, I suspect those places were not for those short of cash!

Since it was a Saturday, I wasn’t the only one thinking that this might be a good place to visit. The parking lot at the observatory was closed off since it was full at the time. I ended up descending the other road to the summit which was lined with parked cars in both directions. Rather than join this idea, I turned around and went back over to the side I had ascended, found a parking bay and walked back to the top. It wasn’t a long walk and it was nice to get the heart pumping a bit after a lot of time in the car.

The observatory itself was well worth the visit. The location is impressive and the view across the city below was great although it would have been better if it weren’t such a grotty day. Of course, LA does have a reputation for smog so perhaps I was actually getting a better view than normal.

I not only had a great view of the city below but also a good angle on the Hollywood sign on the hills not far away. I had seen the sign a number of times in the distance but had never really been this close. I obviously took a few shots. Another cultural icon was commemorated here. James Dean’s film Rebel Without a Cause had some scenes filmed here and a bust of Dean is mounted on a plinth on the foreground of the observatory.

I made the most of the outside views first since I was a bit concerned that the rain might show up. Once I had satisfied my initial interest, I headed inside to see the observatory’s exhibits. It seemed to be a well laid out place and have a number of interesting presentations. It certainly seemed to be popular with a lot of people visiting. I scooted around looking at some of these but I was slightly more interested in the historical elements. There were a number of older technology items to look at including the old projector for the planetarium and the telescope.

After wandering the insides, I headed up to the roof for one final look around before heading back to the hotel. The view from up top was a nice extra addition to the visit and seemed to be less popular than the rest of the place. Maybe the trip up the stairs is more than some what to make. The rain hadn’t come but I still decided to walk back down to the car. It did have a little drop of rain as I went but nothing that caused any problems. The view back as I descended was quite appealing and I was glad to have ticked off another one of those famous places I had always intended to see.

Looking forward to El Centro

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One of the benefits of the blog being relatively new is that I have the opportunity to dig up stuff from the past and turn it into a post. I will shortly be heading to El Centro in California for a shoot at the Navy base there. Last year I made a similar trip and I thought I would remind myself and prime you for some of what might be there.

What will show up on a given day is hard to predict. Last time we had some T-45s that had made the trip across from Meridian TX. Whether there will be any this time, we shall see. Hornets may drop in from other bases to use the facilities and last time some Canadian Hornets were in to use the ranges.

It is the luck of the draw what you get but one thing you can, hopefully, rely on is the weather. El Centro has sun most days of the year. I have had bad luck at some locations with weather but I am hoping this one will behave.

What might I try differently this time? Last time I used a variety of lenses and positions. The heat haze is a big issue so looking to far back up the approach is problematic. Getting ahead of, beside and behind the touchdown location mixes things up a bit. Getting the aircraft and the hold is also worthwhile and I may spend more time there. I am also going to try and mix in more video this time too.

We shall see how it goes and what I can get off base before and after as well. Wait to see what we get!