Tag Archives: airplane

Raptors at Play

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wpid13828-C59F9146.jpgIs the Raptor a good looking jet or not? I still have yet to make up my mind on that one. From some angles it looks pretty cool and from others it looks awkward. Never look at it on the ground because the undercarriage is really not designed to make it look elegant! Either way, it is a striking jet. I have seen them a bunch of times at different venues and, while picking out some shots for a project, I also saw a bunch of F-22s and figured I might have a selection of some of them, hopefully looking at their best.

In’n’Out at LAX

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AU0E3492.jpgIf you are going to shoot at LAX, one spot that is worth a visit, even for a short while is the In’n’Out Burger. Just north of the runways, the approach comes across the street just beside a small park and you can sit and watch the planes on their last moments of the approach. I ended up there when I had a few minutes to spare before meeting a colleague. The sun was heading down and the marine layer was already blocking out the best of the light so it wasn’t the perfect time to take shots. However, who cares? I had some time and I wanted to see what was coming in.

AU0E3277.jpgYou get a lot of similar shots in this location. Trying to find something different is a little limited but you can still have a go. The standard approach shot is the obvious one. You can go tight and get details on the planes. You can go wide and get something that shows the area and how close the planes are. Sadly, this one never really shares the feeling you get there since it makes the planes seem a lot further away than they feel in person.

AU0E2982.jpgYou can also get the shot through the landing lights as they get close to touchdown. There is a lot of crap in the way for this but you can still play with it. No-one seems bothered if you are taking shots here since it is so popular. Years ago, I had a cop stop and talk to me but he was only interested in comparing notes on lenses. You can wander across the street and further down to get head on shots if you like too. I have done this in the past. On this occasion, it was a quick visit so no time to go exploring.

Aggressor F-15s

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The USAF recently got rid of their squadron of Boeing F-15 Eagle aggressor aircraft. The aggressors have used a combination of F-15 and F-16 aircraft for a while but now they have gone to an all F-16 operation. The aircraft have been redistributed to the other units that operate the type and will gradually lose their aggressor colors as they get repainted.

AU0E6178.jpgI thought I would celebrate them with a selection of shots of the F-15s that I have got over time. I wonder whether we shall see them again. It is not unknown for things to change again so we can hope. However, I won’t be putting money on it.

Virgin A340-600

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AU0E1840.jpgPeriodically, this blog gets populated with something that is disappearing be it an airline or a type of plane. Virgin Atlantic has been operating a single 747 in to SFO for years now. Recently they started up a second service five days a week. It is intended that this service will be operated with a 787-9 but the number delivered is not enough at this point. Therefore, they are using an A340-600 to start things before transitioning to the 787 in October. I have a relatively narrow window in which it will be operating and then it won’t be long before the A340s are gone from Virgin’s fleet. With a bunch of stuff coming up, I was looking for a chance to get a shot.

AU0E1714.jpgHaving the plane was only part of the issue. Having a nice day was another. Also, it arrives around 7pm so I needed to get it before the evenings get shorter and it shows up after dark. The only problem with that is that the heat haze is bad at this time of year. Nothing I can do about that so I have to make the best of things. Fortunately, I chose a nice evening. The light was good, the timing was right and the heat haze, while present, was not so bad as to run things completely. These images won’t survive too much scrutiny but I am glad to have got them before time runs out.

Thunderbirds With One Extra

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QB5Y4965.jpgWhy is this different and why should I look? Thunderbirds shots are not hard to find online. I have tons of them myself and an appearance by the team at any show is going to result in a ton of shots from the people there. These are shots with a slight difference though. These were taken in Chicago at the Air and Water Show a number of years ago. However, they weren’t taken on the main show days. Instead, they were taken during the Friday practice.

QB5Y5007.jpgBecause it was a practice day, the team carried out their display with a spare aircraft loosely in formation. It was a twin seater so I assume the backseat had a photographer occupying it. (I am not in the least bit jealous of course!) The team flew their normal display routine and the extra jet would position itself around the formation and (hopefully) get some shots of them with some excellent backdrops of the city.

QB5Y4911.jpgFor me, it meant getting pictures of formations that you don’t normally see. I imagine the excess power of the F-16 means there is some scope for the spare jet to position itself well around the formation without running out of energy. It must provide scope to get some cool shots. They had better be cooler than the ones I got that day given the position they had. I am happy with mine all the same.

Porter Q400

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C59F4005.jpgI have shot many times at Midway over the years but one airline that is a regular feature there that I have not previously got is Porter. They operate a fleet of Bombardier Q400 turboprops on services to Canada and they have several trips a day to Midway. Finally I happened to be outside when one came in. I have seen them many times from inside while waiting for a flight but it was good to finally get one “in the wild”.

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WACO and Stearman

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AU0E4384.jpgVintage types are always nice to see out and about rather than in a museum. When they are active and in fantastic condition, things are even better. One evening at Boeing Field, I was treated to a pair of great looking planes. A Cabin WACO was one of them. It landed and taxied back in past where I was standing. Having had a fun time at the WACO Reunion a few years ago (more of which you can read about here), I am now more aware of them as a type than I once was.

AU0E4342.jpgThe other visitor was a Stearman. Again, looking great in the evening light, it taxied out and departed away from me. The problem with planes like these at a location like Boeing Field is that they tend to fly quite a distance from you and, since they are a lot smaller than some of the other planes there, you don’t get such good photo opportunities. Heat haze can also make things tricky. Despite that, there were a few shots to be had and some time to just enjoy watching them.

Collings Foundation at Livermore

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AU0E6426-Pano.jpgThe annual visit of the Collings Foundation to Livermore with their vintage warbirds is a popular event with many people turning out to look at the planes and, in some cases, fly in them. This year I didn’t plan on spending a lot of time there but I did head down for a while to check out how things were progressing. It was a hot day so the heat haze was playing havoc with shots as usual but there was still enough to see.

AU0E7522.jpgI had pondered what other spots might be useful for getting a shot or two and tried wandering down the street. However, the area is not pedestrian friendly so that idea didn’t progress too far. I did wrap up the day by driving to the public golf course at the end of the field to see whether I could get a different perspective on the departures. It wasn’t a bad spot but not somewhere I shall try again unless there is a good reason. You get a brief view and have to grab your shots before the planes are behind the trees.

AU0E7640.jpgWhatever the limitations, having the P-51, the B-24 and the B-17 on display is always nice and worth taking time out for given that it is so close to home.

Gulfstream G650

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C59F4211.jpgWhile I have written about my preference for Bombardier’s Global Express jets, the top of the Gulfstream range has been bolstered by the arrival of the G650 (and more recently the G650ER) and this is a fine looking aircraft. I have had a few encounters with the type recently including one that I saw at Midway. Tracking inbound traffic is fine for airliners but, with so many business jets blocked, often it is a surprise when something shows up. This one was showing up though, so I had time to be ready for it.

C59F4232.jpgFrom a long way out you could see it since, while it is a business jet, it is really the size of a small airliner. The huge wing is apparent from head on and, as it comes past, the sleekness of the fuselage design is clear compared to the previous generations of Gulfstream. They have also made a far nicer job of the integration of the wing with the fuselage than was the case for the earlier jets.

C59F4223.jpgI won’t be buying one any time soon but that doesn’t seem to have worried Gulfstream. Judging by the frequency with which they have been showing up, I imagine the sales team has been busy!