Tag Archives: aircraft

Virgin Atlantic Fin Looks Shabby

Virgin Atlantic’s jets usually look pristine. Getting the red of the nacelles and the fin to show up in images properly is a bit tricky, but they do tend to look pretty smart. Consequently, I was surprised when looking at some images I took of one of their A350s while taxiing in at Heathrow to see that the paint on the fin seems to be peeling off in chunks. No idea whether that is from the original paint when built or following a repaint, but it looks rough and I imagine that a repair will be demanded at some point soon.

Lufthansa Anniversary A380

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The conditions for these shots were not ideal, but sometimes you just have to take advantage of the opportunity when it presents itself. I don’t now live somewhere where I get to see the Lufthansa long haul fleets so the special liveries that they have been applying for their 100^th anniversary are not something I have seen until we were getting ready to depart Dulles. As we were on the gate in our seats, the Lufthansa A380 taxied in. I was only able to get an oblique shot through the window of our 777. We then taxied past it on our way out when it was on the gate at which point things were very dark. At least I have got one of them now.

Naval Wildcat Being Thrown Around

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I shared some images of the Royal Navy’s Wildcat in formation with the Swordfish. The Wildcat also did some solo demonstration manoeuvres and, while the lighting was still a bit difficult, I quite liked some of the angles it was possible to get on the airframe. While the Wildcat is quite an evolution of the original Lynx, it is nice to see that it still has the agility that the Lynx was renowned for.

Photographing a helicopter, I am looking for a more dynamic angle on the airframe. Their ability to keep the speed low and have things close to the crowd line means you can get head on shots, underside shots and topside shots as they throw the helicopter around. The topside is the one I want the most. Things went pretty well and I am overall quite happy with the results. Oh, to have something like this on a summer evening with the light behind me.

Opportunistic Trip to Udvar-Hazy Center

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We had a quick trip that we made to Northern Virginia for a family wedding. We were only in the area for a few days before heading back to the UK. Since we had an overnight flight back, we needed to head to the airport in the late afternoon. Since we were checking out of the hotel and going to the airport, it provided a little spare time to swing by the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven Udvar-Hazy facility which is located on the south end of Dulles Airport.

I have been to Udvar-Hazy once before but that was a long time ago and I was looking forward to seeing some of the exhibits again and also seeing what had changed. There was still a lot of empty space when I had gone before but I was expecting things to have filled up a bit in the meantime. This was indeed the case.

There is so much to see at this place, one post is not even going to scratch the surface. There will be a string of individual posts about specific exhibits that will come in the weeks to come. This is more a quick overview of what we saw. The time we had there wasn’t enough to do everything that was available. Putting aside the IMax theatre which would only have been something to do if I had been there for a full day, there is the tower that they have which overlooks the airport. No time to get to that.

We didn’t have time to go to the café, and the shop was a quick pass but was also abandoned. The later parts of the exhibits were a really rapid run. I didn’t even get to fully explore the elevated walkways. We were there for a while, but it still wasn’t enough.

I have no idea when/if I will ever get back there so I was keen to get as much as I could and minimise how much Nancy was getting dragged around. I think we did as well as we could. I hadn’t seen the restoration space in my previous visit so having a look through the windows to see what was down there was good. Here are some shots that give an overview of the place. Now you know that there will be plenty more to come.

Tiger Moth is Perfect for a Sunny Day

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I recently shared some images of a Spitfire two-seater that was providing rides at Compton Abbas when we visited. It wasn’t the only plane providing rides (although it was definitely the most expensive). There was also a de Havilland Tiger Moth taking people up. I might not have quite the nostalgia that some have for old de Havilland types (let’s leave the Dragon Rapide out of the conversation at this point), but I have developed more of an interest in older types as I have similarly become an older type myself.

I did wonder whether the gusty conditions might make it a bit difficult for a tail dragger but they seemed to be coping just fine. It did look in fine condition and had a more sedate pace that didn’t test my panning skills quite as much as the Spit. I have had a flight in a Tiger Moth once in my life and that came courtesy of my friend Eric. I know how much I enjoyed that and I imagine that the passengers at Compton Abbas had a great time too.

The Tutor is Going

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It seems that equipping display teams is becoming rather difficult for some countries. The RAF has taken the Red Arrows down to seven jets because of engine issues and a replacement has not yet been selected. Meanwhile, the RCAF has selected the PC-21 to replace the Tutor with the Snowbirds, but they won’t arrive for a while. In the interim, the Tutor is being retired so there will be a hiatus for the team.

The Tutor was a strange little jet. Looking a bit like a Jet Provost but with a bit more oomph, the RCAF retired it from training duties a long time ago but kept a bunch of them running just to support the Snowbirds. I have seen them display on multiple occasions and really enjoy the display. The team also were a lot of fun when I got to spend time with them in Waukegan for the show there. Moose Milk is dangerous stuff.

This year is the last year that they have displayed with the Tutor and, since we have been gone for a while now, I didn’t get to see their last shows. My last year of seeing them display was filled with difficulties either with aircrew that had been injured or with unserviceability. In one show a jet went down and the pilot ran to a backup jet but couldn’t get that one to work either. I guess that was a sign of just how much the fleet was aging. Oh well, farewell Tutor. I hope I get to see the display with the PC-21 at some point.

One of These Planes is Not Like the Other

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After landing back at Heathrow from a work trip, we were taxiing back towards T5 and passing a variety of parked airlines. These two 787-9s caught my eye. Both are in Norse livery but one is labeled IndiGo. This Indian airline has been leasing jets from Norse. I guess only one got the change in titles. At the time of writing this, I understand the lease arrangements have ben terminated so maybe this was a lucky break to catch this before it wouldn’t be seen again.

I Guess I’ll Post This Gazelle

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The Gazelle was very widely used in the UK armed forces when I was young. You would see the occasional civilian one as well, but I would see the military examples at air shows all the time. They have gone, now, but there are still examples to be found in use. That included a very pleasant surprise when I came across one at Boeing Field. The owner was doing some hover testing on the ramp at BFI, and I do love a Gazelle.

He was manoeuvring the airframe around a fair bit in the confines of the ramp, so I was able to get some different angles as well as a bit of variety in the background. Plenty of images were taken while I watched. After he landed, he came over to me and asked what I was doing. I was quite straight that I was taking photos of his helicopter. He did answer some questions about it but was not keen on the images being taken. Time has moved on quite a bit now, so I figure there is no harm in sharing them now.

Looking Out of the Window When Waiting to Depart LHR

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Sometimes, when I get the window seat at the airport, there is really nothing much to see. I am on the wrong side, and everything is out of the other windows. However, on this recent flight, I did have a good view of the parallel taxiway as well as the runway for departing jets. Sure, it was backlit and sometimes taxiing jets could block the view of the runway. Also, windows looking into the sun are not great for clarity. Even so, an A380 from Singapore or a Virgin Atlantic A350-1000 is worth a look and whatever shots the phone can manage.

Won’t Forget the Blue Angels Crosses Too

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I posted a bunch of crossing shots of the USAF Thunderbirds and, since I was doing that, I thought it might look like favouritism if I didn’t do the same for the Blue Angels. I saw a lot more of the Blue Angels in the second half of my time living in the US because Fleet Week in San Francisco and Seafair in Seattle always had them in attendance. That meant I got to see them after the transition to the Super Bug but the majority of shows I saw over the years were with the legacy Hornets. Anyway, here are a bunch of crossing shots for the Blues to balance things up.