Tag Archives: photo

Flying With Flair

Canada has had a surge in low cost airlines. One of them is Flair. They too delivery of a few new jets but I never happened to be around when any of them was on test so, I never got a shot of their pretty bright colors. Another delivery was due recently and I happened to be at BFI when the jet was being ferried in from another location – presumably where it had been painted. Not the greatest light I’m afraid but still enough to be worthwhile and the colors are a bit more interesting that the usual. I’ve no idea how their operations are going but, with so many new players in the market, they will have their work cut out for them.

Otter Skirting The Bay

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We have a few otters that are regulars in Juanita Bay. One afternoon, while waiting to see what would show up, one of them could be seen swimming along the shoreline across the inlet from where I was. It seemed to be on the move rather than hunting so the question was where would it go? It headed right into the inlet and then came along the shore. It would pop out of the water on to the land and wander a little before slipping back into the water.

It came around the edge of the inlet and up towards where we were on the boardwalk. Would it try and cross under us? No, it continued along the edge of the water swimming and then climbing on to land again. Back to the water, around the edge of the inlet and then around to the open part of the bay. It stayed close to the edge but kept on moving and disappeared around the corner and to the larger lake. At its closest, it was in the long grass which meant getting a clear shot was tricky. Still, it was pretty close for a long time which is unusual for the otters.

Navion Rangemaster

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The Navion is a type that you see a fair bit around the US. They are a popular aircraft and are both used for private flying and also sometimes for display teams. I’ve shot a bunch of them over the years. However, I did not know until very recently that Ryan, when they took over the design, came up with a larger cabin version of the aircraft called the Rangemaster. I only found out because I happened to shoot one at Paine Field. It was only when I looked it up that I found out what it was. I may have seen one before but I certainly didn’t know it if I did. A quick search shows that there weren’t too many of them built and I guess a lot less are currently airworthy.

Random Heron Shots

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I have spent a lot of time at Juanita Bay recently photographing wildlife. One thing that you won’t have to wait long to see there is a Great Blue Heron. They are a regular feature of the bay and they often come very close to the viewing decks. Consequently, I have got a lot of shots of them. Here is a sample of some that I have recently seen. I haven’t got bored of shooting them but I certainly don’t rush to shoot them when they show up like I used to!

C-17 Patterns At Boeing Field

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Boeing Field has a lot of civilian traffic, but it is also a popular stop off point for military traffic. What I hadn’t anticipated was a McChord C-17 wanting to use it for some pattern work. I was sitting in the car working on a spreadsheet updating my forecasts for a project that we are working on. I guess I had heard something call up but was busy with the work and had not realized what was coming. However, the rumbling of four engines got quite loud and I looked up to see the C-17 on short final.

I did grab a couple of quick shots, but luck was on my side. They wanted to fly a few patterns so I was going to get another go at it. The left-hand patterns meant you could see them heading downwind and turning back on to final. I could get on with my spreadsheet and be ready when they came back again. The light was really nice and they seemed to fly a little higher on the approach than is normal so getting shots was not tricky.

At one point, while flying downwind, I could see another C-17 flying directly across the field. They were actually setting up for an approach to McChord and were not going to come our way but it was cool to see both in shot at once. After they completed their pattern work, they headed back north again so I am not sure what their next plans was but I was pleased to have seen them and had the chance to try and few different shots.

McLaren Elva

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This car was at the opening weekend of Exotics@RTC and I have to admit I had no idea what it was at the time. A couple of days later, I saw a YouTube video about it and realized that it was what I had seen. The McLaren Elva is a strange vehicle. No roof and not even a windshield. Apparently, it is strange enough that they are not selling so well and the production run has been reduced. I guess the best part of two million dollars is too much for a car that requires you to wear googles and probably a helmet!

Aleutian Airways SAAB 2000

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A SAAB 2000 in passenger configuration was transiting through Seattle. It was registered to PenAir in Alaska and had apparently been repainted since it was now showing up in the colors of Aleutian Airways. I had not heard of Aleutian Airways but it isn’t hard to work out where it serves. The plane arrived with a PenAir registration still showing but it looked like it was applied temporarily so, presumably, it is going to have a new registration before too long.

They didn’t spend too long on the ground before departing for Alaska. They were heavy for the longer flight but still off the ground quite quickly compared to the full length of BFI’s runway. Then they looped off around the south end of the area before climbing overhead and en route to their next stop. The livery is a bit retro but I did like the look of it.

Citroen Style

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I must not be a typical Brit because I seem to have an affinity for things French. This is something I have acquired over the years (and may be the reason I was driven from the UK!). The French do things their own way and it results in some really interesting stuff. The Citroen DS is just such an interesting thing. I first noticed one when traveling on a ferry and was fascinated when it started up and the suspension inflated. I had never seen something like that before.

The looks didn’t appeal to me then because I was used to the more familiar vehicles of the time. Now I have come to appreciate it for being a stylish looking vehicle. Sure, it has quirks that might make it a nuisance to own but it certainly looks very swish. One was on display at Exotics@RTC and I was drawn to it. It certainly didn’t hurt that the owner had applied hubcaps that looked like some sort of hypnosis device. What a fantastic addition to the day.

A Rare Beast – Shame It Is 34k’ Above Me!

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My buddy, Mark, sent me a message about a plane that he had spotted coming inbound from the Pacific which he had hoped would stop in Vancouver. It was a Royal Thai Air Force Airbus A340-500. Instead it was coming further south but it was still at cruising altitude so there was no way it was coming my way either. However, it did end up flying directly overhead, albeit at 34,000’. It was a lovely clear day and the four contrails from the jet showed up nicely as they ran back and then rolled up together. I grabbed the camera from the trunk and got a few shots as it passed overhead. It was heading for DC so we didn’t have a chance that day or for the return journey.

Juanita Bay Birds

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Ducks don’t make for the most exciting photographic subjects but, when you are testing out a new camera, everything is fair game. The eagles had been flying around Juanita Bay but they had been keeping their distance from us. A whole host of coots had been near the shore just tempting the eagles to come hunting but they hadn’t bothered. Consequently, I photographed the coots and the ducks instead.