Pictures Of The Week
Week 43, October 2013
Clockwise from top left:
There can’t be a more photogenic aircraft to shoot than the Supermarine Spitfire, and shooting one air-to-air is something special. Philippe captured this classic photo of a MKVI Spitfire (TE184) over the Black Forest, during a photo shoot organised by Christian Bramkamp and Reto Schneeberger.
Image © Philippe Rey
Nikon D300s + Nikkor 70-200mm ƒ2.8 VR lensWith Green Flag over, things have returned to normal at RAF Coningsby. That hasn’t reduced the opportunities to be had and Craig’s striking photo of T1 Typhoon from 29 Sqn OCU creating its own spectrum of colors from the vapour pouring of the upper surfaces is testament to that.
Image © Craig Hollis
Despite being earmarked for closure, RAF Leuchars in Fife is still home to two operational Typhoon squadrons whose primary task is to provide crews and aircraft at 10 minutes readiness, 365 days a year, to police the UK’s Airspace. ZK302 has recently rejoined 6 Squadron after a period away and has yet to take up a new code. Mark captured this superb photo of ZK302 as it recovered in the autumnal light.
Image © Mark McEwan
Canon EOS 1DS MkIII + Canon EF 300mm ƒ2.8 L IS lens & 1.4x TCNighttime photography brings it’s own unique set of challenges, but the result can be truly amazing. After spending the day at RAF Marham, Mark made the trip across to RAF Lakenheath to capture dramatic photo of a pair of F-15’s from the 48th Fighter Wing prior to conducting night sorties.
Image © Mark Ranger
Canon EOS 550D + Canon EF 300mm ƒ4 L IS lensThe Reno Air Races is renowned for the modified “hot rod” aircraft. In stark contrast to these highly modified warbirds, the Commemorative Air force brought along their Mitsubishi A6M Zero, one of only three flyable Zero’s in the world. This airframe was recovered from New Guinea in 1991 and made it’s first restoration flight in 1998. Laurie captured this beautiful photo of it silhouetted against the rising sun.
Image © Laurie Hughes
Nikon D300 + Nikkor 70-300mm VR lensDaniel captured this great photo of Daniel Koblet in a Morane MS.406 in Swiss Air Force markings, during the Dittingen airshow in Switzerland.
Image © Daniel Rychcik
Canon EOS 1D MkIII + Canon EF 70-200mm ƒ2.8 L IS lensFinishing off this week is one from the archives, 2003 to be precise. In anticipation of its retirement, Richard captured this fantastic image of a SAR “grey bird” Sea King based at NAS Key West against the clear blue waters of Florida Keys.
Image © Richard Collens
Canon EOS 1DN MkII + Canon EF 70-200mm ƒ2.8 L IS lens
Pictures Of The Week
Week 42, October 2013
Clockwise from top left:
The airshow season is done and dusted and the nights are getting longer, but on the upside, we're now well into nightshoot season. Following on from Newark's Viggen shoot featured earlier on this page, UKAR's nocturnal photographers moved onto their second event of the off-season at RAF Northolt, and amazingly this was the fifteenth instalment of the RAF station's increasingly popular events in just four years. The S-2 Tracker is a rare machine and we salute POTW newcomer Gary Beale for the creativity displayed in this shot - it's always worth doing something different to stand out from the crowd, particularly at an event like this.
Image © Gary Beale
Canon EOS 50D + Canon EF 70-200mm ƒ2.8 L IS lensWe remain under the floodlights in London for our second image this week. Radleigh Bushell makes his POTW debut with a fine study of the star item at Northolt - an RAF C-130K that was retired and flown out for scrapping a mere handful of days after it was the centre of attention at this event. Radleigh remained in situ after the engine run to capture this unique image, with his long exposure capturing both the full-disc of prop rotation and the stationary blades after the engines were shut down.
Image © Radleigh Bushell
Canon EOS 60D + Canon EF 50mm ƒ1.4 lensOur final image from Northolt is Steve Matterface's excellent image of the French Air Force EC725 Caracal. The low vantage point is put to excellent use here, making this beefed-up Combat Search and Rescue variant of the Super Puma helicopter seem very imposing.
Image © Steve Matterface
Canon EOS 5D MkIII + Canon EF 70-300mm L IS lensSlawek's name has become almost a part of the furniture on the Pictures of the Week pages, such is the regularity with which his images are featured, but when every contribution he makes to UKAR's forums is of such a high standard, who could blame us? This image, taken at AirPower13 and oozing atmosphere, comes from a set that Slawek claimed he's not very proud of!!! Unbelievable!
Image © Slawek Krajniewski
Nikon D800 + Nikkor AF-S 500mm VR lensPiotr Kostur is another new name to these pages, proving just what a talented bunch of lensmen our Polish friends on UKAR really are. The featured photograph, showing an F-18 pulverising the air into masses of vapour, is another from the Axalp that never was. Piotr's full set includes a nice mix from the action in the mountains and on the ground at Meiringen Air Base.
Image © Piotr Kostur
Nikon D800 + Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm ƒ2.8 VRII lens & 2.0x TCThe SWIP team are an airshow act we see so frequently in the UK, but the plastic Spitfire-lite Twister aircraft they fly are not the most photogenic or exciting of aircraft, so it would have to take an amazing shot to feature them on these pages. Daniel managed just that when he took part in the Air2Air Academy, capturing the team like few people will ever see - high over the Belgian countryside, trailing airshow smoke from the exhaust efflux and pyrotechnics from the wingtips!
Image © Daniel Rychcik
Canon EOS 1Dx + Canon EF 24-105mm ƒ4 L IS lensOur final image this week, and our fourth debutant. Terry Murphy caught this rare machine - a Kamov KA-27 Helix - on camera during the International Naval Festival, when visiting foreign naval ships took part in a spectacular Naval Fleet Review in Lower Cork Harbour, at Cobh. The Naval Fleet Review is a traditional gathering of ships which is observed by a dignitary from the hosting State the Irish Republic.
Image © Terry Murphy
Sony A450 + Sony 70-400mm SSM lens
Pictures Of The Week
Week 41, October 2013
Clockwise from top left:
RAF Leeming recently hosted Exercise Capable Eagle, with the French Air Force providing a number of air assets. Many enthusiasts took advantage of the excellent access provided at Leeming to photograph the visiting Mirage 2000N aircraft. Paul's capture of this example from EC.02.004 landing in gorgeous light caught our eye, but check out the rest of this set for some more superb images.
Image © Paul Cameron
It's that time of year that the UKAR forum is flooded with images from the Swiss hills as the annual Axalp display is conducted. Though the main event was cancelled this year, many dedicated photographers still made the five hour climb to view some of the rehearsals. It was hard to pick a favourite from Andrzej's astonishing set of images, but this shot of rainbow vapour bleeding from the wings of a Swiss Hornet simply had to be featured!
Image © Andrzej Rogucki
Canon EOS 1Dx + Canon EF 500mm ƒ4 L IS lensNo apologies from us for featuring another Swiss Hornet this week. Piotr's shot captures the speed and excitement of low level flying, while keeping the aircraft pin sharp! We'll hopefully see the Swiss Air Force F-18C Hornet solo display return in 2014, after it's noticeable absence on the European display circuit this year.
Image © Piotr Dziendziel
Nikon D300 + Nikkor 80-400mm VR lensOur last Swiss shot this week, we promise! With the F-5 coming ever closer to the end of it's operational life with the Swiss Air Force, this kind of shot with the iconic scenery will soon fade away into history. Kevin has excellently documented a Swiss Tiger in its natural environment here, departing Sion.
Image © Kevin Martin
Back to RAF Leeming, but this time for some non-French Delta winged aircraft! Alan Kenny is known on the forum for some of his more exotic catches, but his image of two Typhoon FGR4 aircraft taxing out at Leeming still caught our eye. While the 'Tiffie' doesn't have the character of its predecessors in RAF service, we've grown to love this iconic head-on angle of the jet which is captured expertly here.
Image © Alan Kenny
Canon EOS 50D + Canon EF 70-300mm L IS lensCharacter is something the F-4 Phantom certainly isn't lacking, especially when adorned with a special tail to celebrate the squadron's attendance in the annual TAC exercise at Hyakuri. With the Luftwaffe retiring their Phantoms earlier this year, and Greeks expected to retire their F-4 & RF-4 fleet in 2014, the Phantoms days are numbered and Mike should be pleased with his capture of this iconic aircraft.
Image © Mike Leonard
Nikon D7000 + Nikkor 70-200mm ƒ2.8 VRII lensRounding off this week's selection is an aircraft we're not likely to ever capture, a Shaanxi Y-8 in Venezuelan Air Force markings. Malcolm captured this example passing through Malta on delivery flight to Venezuela earlier this year. A licensed built copy of the Antonov An-12, the type is only currently operated by the military forces of China, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sudan, Tanzania & Venezuela.
Image © Malcolm Bezzina
Pictures Of The Week
Week 40, October 2013
Clockwise from top left:
Brian's awesome SAAB Viggen night shot was our pick of the bunch from the recent Newark Air Museum nightshoot. The museum had moved the Swedish aircraft out of their hangar and in to the fresh air to welcome the Swedish Air Force Historic Flight to Waddington back in July, with the aircraft remaining outside for the nightshoot. Brian has captured the aircraft's best side, looking as though she's ready to be crewed up at a moment's notice!
Image © Brian Marshall
Sony SLT-A58 + Sony/Zeiss 16-80mm lensSadly the 2013 Axalp live firing demonstration was cancelled due to poor weather. Luckily for us Phillippe made the trip up the mountains to shoot the practice days resulting in a stunning set of in-your-face Swiss jets. It's hard to pick a favourite, but this fluffy Hornet is certainly grabs your attention!
Image © Philippe Rey
Nikon D300s + Nikkor 300mm lensMore fluff, this time provided by an F-15E Strike Eagle of the 492nd FS based at RAF Lakenheath. The USAFE Eagles aren't the most common aircraft to be snapped down in the weeds, but when they do appear they certainly make an impression! This is one of a pair that Stuart caught down in the weeds back in August.
Image © Stu Freer
Canon EOS 50D + Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lensThe 4Aviation tour group travels the world, taking keen enthusiasts from continent to continent in search of rare and unusual types (not a bad job, eh?). Back in June one of their tours took them to Israel for a graduation ceremony at Hatzerim Air Base. The ceremony featured a small air display which featured everything from a Harvard to a Boeing 707 to the F-15I Ra'am. This image of the IDF AH-64 Apache caught was our pick of the bunch, with the flares being illuminated by the early evening sunset.
Image © Arnold ten Pas
Tim made the trip to the RAF Musem Cosford to snap the recently displayed FW-190. The aircraft had been at the IWM Lambeth for no less than 22 years until December 2012, when it was boxed up and moved north. The aircraft had been suspended in the London museum and so the move to Cosford provides visitors with a much closer view of the type.
Image © Tim Croton
Canon EOS 1D MkIII + Canon EF 24-105mm ƒ4 L IS lensThe Shuttleworth shows are always highly praised due to their superb atmosphere and spirited flying. Andy went along to the Old Warden Flying Day and from his impressive set we selected his image of the Bristol M1C replica as it captures a great sense of that Shuttleworth spirit.
Image © Andrew Shaw
Canon EOS 5D MkIII + Canon EF 400mm ƒ5.6 L lens The Tactical Leadership Programmes always attract a great variety of European hardware, with the recent exercise attracting varied types such as Italian Pelicans, French Mirage 2000 and Spanish Sea Kings. The TLP Spotters Day provided great access which Rich used to to full effect, resulting in some simple awesome images that will no doubt be of interest to any modern military fan.
Image © Richard Pittman