Great to be back in the aviation scene after a long break from shooting here in uk
Didn't get many today as I was out with family mainly (we watch from nearby school and then to miss traffic from fields west of Dux)
The glamorous life of a commercial shooter. Today was overcast to occasionally very slightly broken at 1,900 to 2,100, hazy, with 45kt winds out of the south at our hovering altitude, right beneath the cloud bottoms. In the plus column, my pilot was one of the best/highest time helicopter jocks on the face of the planet and we work really well together. Another batch of lemonade out of the lemons we were handed, not much fun, glad to be home.
Whilst I was taking the above image, the #2 was flying an identical manoeuvre, a small distance down the show line. I came out of the shot and looked over to #2 as I got startled by a horrible, loud, engine destruction type noise. Now these aircraft are called Silence Twisters for a reason – any loud engine noise is bad news. Sure enough, #2 had the prop stopped and made a wheels up hard forced landing. Fortunately, it did not dig in, it stayed in one piece, and there was no fire. Carefully removing the pilot understandably took some time. I understand he is recovering in hospital.
A great show at Duxford yesterday, spoilt only by the news that the Sea Vixen did a wheels up landing when back at Yeovilton as its undergear wouldn't go down. However, pilot walked away, but its first, and probably only, show of 2017. Here are a few from yesterday
Hi, was also at Duxford yesterday, my first show of 2017. Found the breezy conditions a bit challenging to keep lens steady, but at least it blew away a few cobwebs.
I photographed two Hawker jets for a client in Jacksonville on Tuesday of last week, and then I photographed a King Air on Saturday in St. Augustine, FL.
Barely laying my head on my own pillow for two nights, then jumping on another Southwest jet down to Houston for another assignment.
I hope everyone has had a great weekend, as anyone here in America realizes, we would not have our freedom without the sacrifice of many brave men and women lives, as they gave the ultimate for our freedom and we honor them tomorrow with the national holiday of Memorial Day.
JamesG wrote:
Hi, was also at Duxford yesterday, my first show of 2017. Found the breezy conditions a bit challenging to keep lens steady, but at least it blew away a few cobwebs.
I agree, definite problem with camera shake in the wind - particularly with the 500mm baby. I only recently realised I had never been inside Hall 1 at Duxford -"They've got a Sunderland? Where?" I have now. Here are a few more
JamesG wrote:
Hi, was also at Duxford yesterday, my first show of 2017. Found the breezy conditions a bit challenging to keep lens steady, but at least it blew away a few cobwebs.
You're right John, swinging large glass against a breeze is challenging. We run into that at Alliance at some point just about every year. You just end up "praying and spraying".
Like Forrest Gump said, you never know what you're going to get so you might as well take a whack at it. I was shooting from a 407 on Saturday in ridiculous conditions, 45kts.+ hovering just below the undercast. One of my 5DSR's had a 24-70 mounted and a 6x6 stabilizer spooled up, the other had a 70-200 II with no stabilizer. My last series of shots required the longer glass so I grabbed that rig and shot away. Oddly, every image ended up tack sharp and I would not have bet on that outcome. If you're out on that limb already, Ya might as well go for it!
We took off from a pasture on the ranch and basically went straight up to the undercast and sat there, that's a strange sensation for a fixed wing pilot, but I've gotten used to it.
Headed to HQ for the next couple of days, looks like a great Cub day today and I have a couple of days of helicopter work before the clouds and rain slide back in for a week.
JWilsonphoto wrote:
Headed to HQ for the next couple of days, looks like a great Cub day today and I have a couple of days of helicopter work before the clouds and rain slide back in for a week.
Hoping you get some "me" time .... err .... I mean "you" time.
