JWilsonphoto wrote:
Kevin Eldridge flying "Ruff Stuff". Kevin flies many of the beautiful aircraft out of Chino and is usually a crew member on "Photo Fannie" a B-25 specially modified for photography & videography. I met Kevin in Phoenix years ago and a couple of days later photographed him as he streaked across the Arizona sky in a highly modified Super Corsair. The aircraft caught fire and was trailing about 300 feet of orange flame. Kevin determined the aircraft was not saveable and he slid the canopy back and began bailing out. As he exited the cockpit his foot got wedged between the seat and the canopy rail and he struggled to get free as the aircraft headed for the ground at several hundred knots. Kevin finally was able to free himself, but not before his back was broken in several places and numerous other injuries ensued. He deployed his chute and hung limply as it descended to the desert. Our hearts were in our throats as we rushed to the scene, marked by plumes of black smoke from the little that was left of the Super Corsair. Kevin is back, defying all odds and he is truly one of the best of the best, and a super person to boot....Show more →
He still remains the only Unlimited pilot who has ever bailed out. It's also interesting that this was not an original Super Corsair, they took a R-2800 stock model, and stuffed the R-4360 in it.
Meanwhile back to the Reno pics, two air racing legends,
I just got home from the Angel Flight Gala here in Dallas, as of tonight I am the official Angel Flight, now Grace Flight, photographer/videographer. What a great organization and they need some serious help in the graphic presentation end of their business so they can tell the story about their mission. I think we can put together some presentations that will blow their audiences away, we'll see.
I couldn't get Hawkeye's exif program to scroll and it didn't show the focal length. I went back to the image and it looks like I shot that with the 100-400 at 400. I find that lens to be a very good one all the way through, albeit a bit slower focusing than the 70-200/2.8.
I guess GML sorta spoiled me for air shows - but the "Great Georgia Air Show" was a let down after seeing all those Mustangs lined up. Got a few good shots but with the sun in our eyes and the show center being directly lined up on the sun... nothing was easy... not even looking through a 300 2.8 with a 1.4x
Here is the link - but it ain't much... http://jonberryphoto.smugmug.com/gallery/3652468
more later - but it ain't much either... i guess being brain dead didn't help (Sheesh - heritage flight shot at 600+ shutter... somebody hit me with a 2x4... please!)
Edited by jbear2000 on Oct 15, 2007 at 09:33 AM GMT
Ho, ho! John called me on Saturday and left me a message that the winds were right down the runway so I could probably handle it. You guys really like to rub it in. I guess this proves you're only as good as your last landing, or photograph!
For the rest of my Buddies at FM who weren't there last week when my biplane and I took a tour through the grass at McKinney, Brian's "slowing down" comment referred to my inability to keep 7JW on the original landing surface. No damage done, save to my ego, and on the bright side, it is providing no end of amusement for my Buds in the tower. Glad I could help.
If I don't post as much this week, it's because I'm in remedial taildragger school.
I'm afraid all of us who attended GML are going to experience a bit of withdrawal at our next few shows. Sorry you didn't get what you would've liked. Interestingly, I shot Chandler's soccer game Saturday morning with the III, every shot was tack sharp. I was letting the motor drive rip and there were all kinds of other players in the compositions to confuse the auto focus, 400 shots, razor sharp. I was glad to see it, but once again, I wonder why. I bumped the tracking speed to "high", against Canon's recommendation, other than that, all the settings were as I outlined to you in my e-mail.
Interesting - I'll try the tracking speed thing as well. I shot a football game Saturday morning with typical results for me - some tack sharp and some with a good bit of lost focus and motion blur. I know technique is coming into it - but there is something else going on as well. I hope they get a firmware update out so I can quit blaming them!
JWilsonphoto wrote:
[...] I was glad to see it, but once again, I wonder why. [...]
What was the ambient temperature? The AI Servo AF problems seem to be related to temperature. Apparently it gets worse in hot environments with the sun blaring down hard.
Now now Jim, you know I wouldn't do that to you. As a pilot too, I know better to score anyones landings least I be scored in return. I was just refering to Father Time in general. And I believe my quote was with a "we".
I will however, admit to occasionally chuckling/grimacing as skills are tested on the runway.
I know it. I have discovered that the landing gear is out of alignment since the repairs a few years ago. I'm scratching my head to decide how best to approach realignment. As you know, I have not felt good about the handling characteristics of 777 since that gear hinge repair and it looks like it was more the mis-alignmnet than my technique. Sure wish it was me, it's be a lot easier to fix. The experience has prepared me to fly the squirreliest taildragger in existence though. A single place Pitts doesn't hold a candle to this!
Ambient was around 70 F and bright sunshine. The camera performed better than it ever has. Temps at GML were 50 to 80 F and the performance was typically inconsistent.
Jim, Jbear,
I know this isn't the Canon gear forum, but I will weigh in a bit on the MkIII.
BTW, I don't one of these jewels....
I have noticed anecdotally that the issues reported are more prevalent when the temperatures are up. Just that 70deg to 80deg diff may have been enough.
Semiconductor devices can make excellent temperature transducers.
That is, of course, that is what you want them to do
Typically things get faster when colder, slower when hotter.
Now you would think they would have designed & characterized the AF sensor array to not have a significant temperature gradient. But things change and the vendor may have lost the recipe.
IF this is the case (speculation here) the AF sensor would respond more sluggishly as things warmed up in the camera. If this change in response were not accounted for in the tracking algorithms in firmware, you would definitely see a degraded behaviour.
Now worse-case, this would require that the sensor be changed
But, if they have any legit temperature measurement in-camera, they might be able to use that info to calculate the change in response and tune it out.
Now returning to regular forum content...
BTW, in my previous life as a firmware engineer, I wrote code for disk drive servo stuff that had to take into account thermal changes. This was usually first order info from the disk.
I’m looking for a ride in a T-6/SNJ for my Dad in Florida and I’m wondering if any of you guys might know of a place…
My Dad served in Naval Air in the late 1940’s. He was a desk jockey but got a lot of time to fly in the SNJ’s and the Beech 18/twin, even though he was never checked out to fly officially. He just moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I thought it might be a nice gift to get him a flight in an SNJ somewhere. I’m not sure he’s up for it given his age, but maybe. I found Stallion 51 in Kissimmee offering SNJ flights. Sounds good. But that looks to be about 3-4 hours away. And Dad isn’t too comfortable on such long car rides anymore. Although we might be able to do it.
I’ll go visit the folks over Xmas/New Year’s and that’s when I had in mind. But I’m wondering if anyone knows of an SNJ-T-6 pilot who gives rides in south Florida. Thanks.
And Jim- all your photos are spectacular. Keep them coming!
I also really enjoyed that solo Stearman show- one of my favorite parts of the weekend. That pilot is amazing. He did an afternoon show and that’s when the lighting shifted enough to get better pics than the morning.
Jbear- I’m still up for contributing pics to that charity book, if it ever happens. (Not that my novice pics would probably cut it.)
-Jon
Edited by DrSeaMonkey on Nov 11, 2007 at 01:46 PM GMT
Thanks for the technical info. I found the III to be as inconsistent at 50 degrees as it is at 80. There is no improvement as the temp drops as near as I can tell. The camera doesn't seem to want to give us anything we can hang our hats on.
