Jim, I have 1 of these flying over alot and never knew what it was called. I thought it was a "build it yourself" plane but it is a production model?
Dan
mdbassman wrote:
Jim, I have 1 of these flying over alot and never knew what it was called. I thought it was a "build it yourself" plane but it is a production model?
Dan
From the faa:
Airworthiness
Engine Manufacturer: AMA/EXPR Classification: Experimental
Engine Model: UNKNOWN ENG Category: Amateur Built
Amazing thread that took me away from work I should have been doing for way way too long. You have some incredible work...
I haven't shot an air show since I got my first decent camera in '04 (my previous camera would have gotten shots of aircraft... or should i say aircraft-shaped specs...that came out roughly the size of this period.) I'm constantly finding out about nearby airshows the day of or the day after....or the rare time I know in advance, I've got another event planned. I just researched what's going on in and around NJ, and I'm hoping to go to McGuire AFB, Millville, and Atlantic City this year to do airshow photos.
In the meantime, I'll have to start working out more to handhold the 400 2.8L IS if I decide to bring that, work on my panning skills, and keep drooling over the shots I see posted here...
They look very much like the Rutan EZ designs, but they are more sophisticated. The Rutans have fixed main gear and a retractable nose wheel, the Berkut's gear is all retractable. It is a "kit" but there is still a tremendous amount of work left to the builder. They are very efficient, flying at 200 mph + on 100 horsepower. Personally, I like lot's more airframe around me. I kid the builder about his "yard dart", and diplomatically dance around offers to go fly.
Thank you for your kind words. My big Bro lives in Florham Park, NJ. You'll love the shots you get with your 400. My arms literally shake at night after a day of shooting with the 600 f/4.
You're pilot's certificate must roll out like a scroll with all the ratings you're accumulating! Good for you!!
JW
Thanks Jim, the more I add the more attractive I think I'll be to prospective employers. I'm kind of glad I'm running out of advanced ratings though, I'm running out of cash!!!
Thank you for your kind words. My big Bro lives in Florham Park, NJ. You'll love the shots you get with your 400. My arms literally shake at night after a day of shooting with the 600 f/4.
JW
You're very welcome - and deserving of far kinder words. I don't like to throw the words 'amazing' around, but your work really is *amazing*.
Your brother lives maybe 10 minutes away from me tops - he's pretty close to Morristown airport. I'm constantly on Rt. 10 with planes coming in over the highway at only a few hundred feet. I was once stopped at a store 1/4 mile from the flight path, and a fairly large sounding jet was coming in, and the sound was just so cool...this one sounded very....military fighter like...
I've also passed right by Lincoln Park airport right under the flight path of incoming/outgoing planes - and I've thought about going and shooting some photos, but figure that I'd get some person calling the cops on me...
I've had an interest in aircraft since I was quite young. I remember flybys of A-10's at Picatinny Arsenal, seeing the thunderbirds at McGuire, my first flyby (F16 at no more than 150 feet) at Doolittle field in Boonton Township, multiple balloon festivals, sussex county airshow, going to morristown airport to see one of the 3 flying B24J's, and a number of other events. Though as a young guy, my preference is jet aircraft (especially the F15, A10, B52 and F14), older craft like the P40, P51, B24, and B17 are still able to capture my imagination. I think the closest I'll come to flying are flight sims, or perhaps owning a supercharged/turbocharged Corvette sometime in the future...
Question on the 600 4 you use - do you use a circular polarizer for it? I honestly only have one C.pl and I rarely use it. I have plans to get a second one for all my 77mm lenses, but now that I know I'll be shooting these air shows, it makes me want to get a c.pl for the 400 2.8 (which is $160-180 that I'd rather spend elsewhere if I can). I'd assume the effect would also change a lot as you track a plane across the sky - I wouldn't want to get one, put it in for the show, and then get what'd otherwise be a perfect shot if I hadn't had the polarizer set up wrong...
Morristown airport would be a great place to hang out and shoot, lots of activity. People are jittery post 9/11 but I would let that keep you from shooting. Find a good spot, which of course will vary depending upon wind/landing direction and then go over to the airport manager's office and introduce yourself and explain your passion for aviation. You'll get one of two reactions, a blank stare and no cooperation, or a warm reception and some suggestions about where you might try shooting from. Somehow work the fact that you'll be very careful not to show "N" numbers in your shots, they'll like that bunches. Really, other than places where they have "no parking, standing, stopping" signs along the road, you shouldn't have any problem. If you know the local constabulary, it wouldn't hurt to stop in and just ask if they think it would bother anyone if you photographed aircraft coming and going. In doing these things, you have given everyone their territorial due and you can probably shoot to your hearts content. Don't wear a turbin or bring anyone named Achmed with you on your pr or photo trips.
Re: your polarizer query. I have the drop in polarizer for the 500 f4 IS and the 600 f4 IS. While there are occasions where it makes a huge difference in the color of the sky and the impact of the image, those lenses by their very nature have significantly reduced depth of field at a given f stop. Much of the time I just don't want to sacrifice the two stops a polarizer costs me. I also think it slows your autofocus capture speed down a bit. Given what you can do with contrast and color in Photoshop, I tend to use the filter less and less.
I'll bet! You're making an investment in yourself though. Keep up the good work, I look forward to capturing your smiling face behind a GV left seat windscreen one of these days.
