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Has the Catfish Escaped Me? NO!

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The first Boeing 757 built was kept by Boeing as a test aircraft and never went to an airline.  When Boeing became a partner in the F-22 Raptor program, a new use was found for the aircraft.  It was fitted out as a flying testbed for the avionics suite.  A test crew could ride in the cabin and they could try out a number of different configurations of software changing things as they go without having to have the software flight qualified.

To make the whole ensemble work appropriately, the aircraft was fitted with F-22 sensors.  This included a radome on the aircraft nose with the F-22’s radar.  In addition, because a number of sensors were embedded in the wings, a wing structure was added about the cockpit.  This unusual configuration resulted in the aircraft gaining the nickname “Catfish”.  It flew a lot during the development program but I only ever saw it on the ground at Boeing Field and then it was partially obscured.  I did also look down on it from an airliner approaching SeaTac.

I knew it didn’t fly often but I hoped that, in moving to the area, I would finally get to see it airborne.  Then I discovered that it had flown to St Louis.  The rumor was that it had been retired.  Indeed, on a flight across the country involving a plane change in St Louis, I did see it parked up in an open-ended hangar.  I figured that might be as close as I got.  Then I got a notification that it was heading west again.  Better yet, it wasn’t going direct to Boeing Field but to Everett first.  It is a short drive from the office to Everett and the flight plan meant it was coming in during lunch.

The harsh lunchtime light and the prospect of heat haze notwithstanding, I figured this was too good a chance to miss.  It showed up pretty much when expected so I was able to get some shots of it coming down the approach and across the threshold.  The heat haze was really bad as it was over the runway but actually slightly less of an issue further out.  I don’t care.  I finally got to see it fly and that is what I was after.  It headed back to St Louis from Boeing Field the following day.  I have no idea when it left Everett for Boeing Field though.  If it comes back again and I can see it, that will be a bonus.

Growlers Pop By

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The US Navy brought a couple of E/A-18G Growlers from Whidbey Island to the open day at Paine Field.  The pair showed up in the morning and were parked up on the ramp at Heritage Flight Museum before they left later in the day.  We got a good look at them as they landed and departed.  Hopes of a nice low approach and go around were sadly not fulfilled but it was still cool to see them visiting.

Can You Find Yourself in North Vancouver?

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Standing on the shore in Vancouver on a sunny Sunday afternoon provided a great view of North Vancouver. Plenty of boats were making their way across the bay including some large ones which proved a little problematic for this task. I figured I could use the long lens, shoot a large sequence and create a panorama when I got home. It turned out that Photoshop and Lightroom both struggled compiling this panorama so I ended up positioning everything manually. However, it all worked out pretty well. Here is the result. Feel free to navigate around to see what you can find.

The Growlers Must Be Shy

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I have shot at quite a few Red Flags both on and off base.  On base of get such good access that you don’t see anything to make you think that the participants are camera shy.  However, off base I have become rather suspicious of the Growler community.  When you see something strange once, you figure it must be an oddity but, when you see something repeat, you start to think there is a pattern.  When you tell your friend that something happens and then they do it again for both of you, you really think something is going on.

The E/A-18G Growlers fly in a way that makes me think they are trying to be difficult for photographers. (Either that or they think they are doing something to help but are actually making it worse!).  During arrivals the Growlers often go left but, when they go right, they either fly incredibly tight patterns or they go so long as to make all shots rather dull.  However, it is on departure that I have got most suspicious.  When they come off the left runway heading towards us, they seem to sidestep to the left and then straighten up after a while.  This puts them almost directly overhead the awaiting photographers.  You get an underside shot but nothing more.  Not a great shot but you start wondering what you are missing from the profile or above that might be more interesting.  I am probably paranoid but I do see a pattern developing.

Hydro Power!

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Snoqualmie Falls may be impressive but they would be even more so if there weren’t a diversion of a lot of the water.  There are two hydroelectric power stations at the Falls.  The original station is built into the Falls themselves.  Water is taken off at one side and drops down to some turbines before being ejected alongside the base of the falls.  The exiting water can be seen from above.

The second station was built a few years later and has been expanded since.  Water is ducted around the Falls to a holding pond where it then enters some pipes that run it down the side of the hill to a turbine hall.  The hall has been replaced and expanded relatively recently but the style has been kept in keeping with the original.  The pipes also look like they have been replaced because they looked quite new.  As we walked across them, it was hard to imagine just how much power was flowing within.

Zero G and, Ironically, It’s Not Raining

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I last saw this jet on approach to Oakland.  I blogged about that event here.  On that day, it was pouring with rain.  I got the shot but it was rather dreary.  This time I saw the jet parked up at Boeing Field in Seattle.  Ironically, the sun was out on a lovely day – not Seattle’s reputation.  Sadly, it wasn’t moving while I was there.  I don’t know why it was in town but I heard there was a big software conference underway so maybe it was a fun trip for some big cheeses in the software business.

Are Baby Reindeer Cute?

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There is a school of thought that baby animals are a lot cuter than the fully-grown versions.  I guess cuteness is in the eye of the beholder so there may be some that find reindeer to be cute.  They are fine as far as I am concerned but probably not the cutest animal there is.  This herd had a number of babies (anyone know the name for a baby reindeer?) and some of them were more adventurous sniffing their way around the enclosure although the mother was never too far away.  They did look pretty sweet as the walked around the place, occasionally looking a little unsteady but generally showing that skill of instantly being mobile that humans clearly lack.

Honeywell Test Convair

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An older airframe is always a pleasant surprise.  While I was at Everett, Honeywell had some people making a visit to Paine Field and they came in the company’s old Convair.  This is not the sort of plane you see around much anymore so I was rather pleased to see it show up.

What Happened to the Old Bridge?

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Walking across the bridge from the overflow parking to the top of Snoqualmie Falls, I looked down the river to the top of the falls just beyond the barriers to stop errant boaters getting too close.  I also noticed something in the water below us.  For a while I was trying to work out what it was.  Then, courtesy of polarizing glasses, I could see through the reflections and make out the shape of some structure.

It looks to me like this was a previous bridge.  It sits just below the current bridge alignment and looks like it would have been the right size and shape to be a bridge span.  I wonder whether it collapsed or whether, when the replacement bridge was being built, it was simpler to dump the old span into the river than to take it away.  There could be another explanation of course and maybe it isn’t even part of a bridge.  However, it clearly is something man-made sitting on the bed of the river.

Erickson Super Puma

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Erickson is a company that you certainly associate with helicopters but normally you would think about the Skycrane.  They also use airframes from other manufacturers.  This Super Puma was sitting on their ramp at Medford.  I’m not sure whether it is used for heavy lift work, firefighting or a bit of both.  It was not what I expected to see though!