This big flock of geese flew right by Boeing Field one afternoon. There were tons of them, and their route brought them right across the approach path before skirting to one side of the airfield. I didn’t hear them talking to air traffic and I don’t believe they had a clearance. Maybe they will get a visit from the FAA at some point!
The Falcon 50 only has a single thrust reverser, and it is fitted to the centerline engine. The nacelles on each side are not fitted with reversers. I was quite a way down the runway from this Falcon when it landed, and I could hear the reverser kick in. I was not expecting it to stay in reverse for very long, but they kept it in all the way through the roll out and even as they exited to the taxiway. Is that normal procedure?
I have been to Los Angeles on many occasions over the years, but I had never previously been anywhere near the Coliseum. I had seen it in the distance from the highway but that was it. My first memories of the Coliseum were from 1984 when the Olympics were held there. In four years, the Olympics will be back in Los Angeles, but I don’t know whether the Coliseum will play a role again. The image of a guy with a jetpack flying into the stadium is one of the strongest ones from that event.
After that, I knew it as the home of the Raiders since they were LA based before returning to Oakland. I think it might have hosted some other NFL games at some point before SoFi was opened but that might not be an accurate recollection. Since the Coliseum is near the California Science Center, I turned out to be right next to it when I made my morning trek down to see the Space Shuttle. The entrance is at the east end, so the morning light was on it. The sculptures of some athletic looking individuals guard the entrance although the large fence was also doing a good job. I couldn’t resist getting a few photos before continuing my shuttle photo hunt.
I have seen some pictures recently of Growlers bouncing at Coupeville with the latest jamming pods on the underwing pylons. I was hoping that the jets I saw from the Rooks might be carrying the new pods. Instead, they were using the older pods. At first, I was disappointed by this but then I realized that this was the wrong way to look at things. The new pods will be around for a long time and the chances are I will see them a lot in the future. Making sure I have some shots of the older pods on jets as the bounce is something to make the most of before they are gone. We only miss stuff when it is going away so time to think ahead.
As I walked across Expo Park, there was a large and unusual structure which looked to be in an advanced stage of construction. It had a very futuristic look to it and, while sections of it were clad in the final layers, there were other areas where the underlying structure was still exposed. I had no idea what it could be but figured I would be able to look it up later. It turns out that this is going to be the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Not sure when it is due to open, but it is quite an architectural addition to the area. I would certainly be interested to see it when it is complete. Maybe I’ll be back to see the final shuttle installation and will have the chance to check it out.
I managed to get some shots of one of the Gulfstream G700 test aircraft earlier in the test program. Certification (at time of writing – not sure when this post goes live) is still not complete but they have built a lot of jets. One of the test fleet (I think, based on the registration and the Experimental markings) filed to fly in and out of Boeing Field. It was coming up from Monterey in California and then turning around quickly to go to Portland. It was a quiet Saturday so I headed out. I had also seen some shots of this jet and it looked like it had a nice livery compared to the average bizjet.
The conditions were not great with a lack of light and some washed out skies, but I still managed to get some okay shots of it landing. I then headed down the field to be ready for the departure. Normally, I see a scheduled time and figure it will be a bit later. Not this time. By the time I got there, someone was already doing the walk around checks. It was not long before they fired up and taxied. Unfortunately, I had chosen a location quite a way down the runway. The performance of these jets is good, and Portland is a short hop, so the jet was light. They rotated very early compared to where I was. I still got okay shots but a little less dramatic than I was hoping for. Certification can’t be too far off so we might start seeing a lot more of these jets soon.
When we visited Seattle not long after moving back to the US, I got a shot of a kingfisher as it sat on a cable at the locks in Ballard. I guess this must be a good spot for kingfishers because, when we went down to see the boats, I found another kingfisher hanging out near where we parked. The sound that they make is pretty distinctive and I heard it before I saw it. It was sitting on a branch for quite a while before it dived down, grabbed something out of the water and landed on one of the wooden guides along the water to enjoy its snack. I will have to spend more time down there and see if I can get some better shots of these speedy little critters.
I was having a really lucky day. I had caught a few really cool photo subjects and the lighting had been really good. I was about to pack up and go when my friend reminded me of something I had forgotten. An Avanti was scheduled in at the end of the afternoon and I had figured I would have been gone so had let it slip to the back of my mind. Since a couple of other movements had got delayed, I was there later than expected and now the Avanti was on the approach.
The light was looking amazing, but it was still some distance out. The Avanti is pretty fast, but I was watching the hillside beyond the field start to lose the sun and I knew that it wasn’t going to last long enough for my Avanti. Sure enough, as it came into sight, the light was gone. We had a gloomy look to things as it buzzed past. Not as it could have been just three minutes earlier, but its an Avanti and it rounded out an excellent day nicely.
As I walked into Exposition Park, I saw a cat wandering along the sidewalk near the road. I stopped to watch it for a while, and it became a bit nervous when it realized I was watching it. It soon retreated and I thought little more of it. I assumed it was a wild cat rather than someone’s pet. It was only a few minutes later that I came across another pair of cats. They were playing together and initially seemed interested in my presence and then retreated too. I assume that the park must have a few cats in residence.
Google Maps can really be your friend. I was hoping to find the time to get to see the space shuttle stack in Expo Park while I was back in LA if possible. I went on Google Maps to see how to get there and the layout of the area and I saw a tag for an A-12. Sure enough, the twin seat Lockheed A-12 is mounted on display right next to the parking lot. It is tucked in between the lot and a pathway over a dip in the grounds. It is rather tight to the parking lot which made getting shots a touch tricky but the early morning light when I was there was the best angle for it. I was pleased to add an unusual airframe to the briefest of visits!
