Pictures Of The Week
Week 48, November 2014
Clockwise from top left:
Two things were noticeable from the Army Air Corps Apache displays over 2014. The first was the subtle commemoration of the centenary of the commencement of WWI. The second was the long-overdue (in our opinion) use of pyrotechnics during its display. Paul's shot is evidence of both, and more. Taken from his thread harkening back to RIAT this year, choosing this dramatic shot of the Apache was not difficult, and a great place to start this week's offering.
Image © Paul Harvey
Canon EOS 7D + Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lensThe Hellenic air force may have finally retired its venerable Corsairs after their stellar years of service, but the air arm still offers us many gems that continue to soldier on. It's fair to say that we have a soft spot for the Greek F-4s (or any F-4s for that matter!), and we loved Julien's portrate of the mighty Phantom. In particular, we like how he has made use of contrasting light and dark areas within the frame to really draw attention to the aircraft.
Image © Julien Gernez
Canon EOS 70DThe US might have taken a battering to its air force (and other military arms) recently, but one of the few good things to come out of the USAF's recent decisions is to finally have some Ospreys based in Europe, filling the gap left by the much loved MH-53s. Making use of some rather beautiful lighting conditions, there is little more that can be said about Ben's fantastic shot. Lets hope we see a few of the Suffolk-based CV-22s at one or two British shows next summer.
Image © Ben Luck
Canon EOS 7D + Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lensThere are some who say that the French Rafale is everything the Typhoon isn't, and as far as aesthetics are concerned, we have to admit that they have a point. Taken at Kleine Brogel at the Belgian Air Force Days show earlier this year, POTW regular Jonathan's shot really reaffirms our point of view. What a beautifully mean machine.
Image © Jonathan Haylock
Canon EOS 7D + Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lensHaving taken delivery of their first Airbus A380 in October of this year, Qatar Airways is the latest service to operate the "Super Jumbo". With thirteen currently on order, sights like this are set to become increasingly familiar as time goes on which, judging by this shot, is no bad thing at all.
Image © 'SPA'
Closing shop this week is another new civilian airliner, at another London airport. This sleek looking 787-8 Dreamliner is operated by Norwegian Air Shuttle, or simply Norwegian. With 7 in service, and a further 10 (of different variants) on order, the northern European airline certainly seems pleased with its purchases. Taken in rather lovely light at Gatwick airport, this shot shows just how large those Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines really are!
Image © Ian Amis
Canon EOS 600D + Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lens
Pictures Of The Week
Week 47, November 2014
Clockwise from top left:
We in the UK are lucky enough to have a healthy and vibrant warbird community that only seems to grow stronger. This point is clear when we look at how warbirds are restored in the UK. Meticulous restoration of truly unique pieces of history is de rigueur all over the UK, especially at Duxford. Seeing, for the first time in over a decade, wind beneath the Blenheim's wings was truly gratifying, and with a shot worthy of being a movie poster, Tony has captured everything that is romantic and wonderful about these machines.
Image © Tony Clarke
Air-to-air shots from Europe are seldom seen, and when they do appear, they draw everybody's attention. Making a fabulous contribution to the forum recently is Daniel's fine study of Swedish-registered Spitfire Mk XVI which shows the clean elliptical lines that made this aircraft so famous. RW386 always has a special place in the hearts of UK aviation enthusiasts after a lengthy restoration process from between 1992 to 2007 (albeit with a stint in storage at North Weald). Be sure to have a look at the rest of Daniel's thread for a smorgasbord of warbird jewels from Sweden.
Image © Daniel Karlsson
Next up has got to be the stuff of an aviation enthusiast's dreams. Taking part in a visit to the US Navy aircraft carrier CVN-77 George HW Bush, POTW regular Ivan had unparalleled access to a vibrant operational environment. His extensive coverage of the trip includes shots of all manners of aircraft that operate off of US Navy carriers. At first it was difficult to choose which shot to feature, but in the end it had to be this gorgeous shot of an EA-6B Prowler, now firmly in the twilight of its career, in dirty configuration over the deep blue sea painted by some gorgeous lighting conditions.
Image © Ivan Voukadinov
Canon EOS 5D Mk.II + Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lensAs the nights draw in and the mornings grow darker, us enthusiasts tend to get a little retrospective about the past season. Mark's thread looking back at his "A good year" caught our eye, and what a lucky man he has been. Jam-packed full of variety and diversity, it was Mark's shot of this USAF B-52H that really caught our eye in what might be one of the most interesting shots we've seen of the well-covered USAF bomber deployment to RAF Fairford earlier this year. Taken high over Scotland, the dramatic cloudscapes and scenery really lend themselves to the image. A good year indeed, Mark.
Image © Mark Rourke
Canon EOS 7D + Canon EF 18-50mm lensThere's nothing like Soviet-era hardware to really catch the eye. POTW regular Rich travelled to Bulgaria to witness the birthday celebrations of their 102 year old Air Force at Sofia. Like much of the equipment of that age, Su-25 "Frogfoots" are becoming rarer and rarer as time wears on, so we're always obliged to see shots of the old beast, and of course other such machines, including what looks like a wonderful display by the Air Force's Major General Rumen Radev in a MiG-29.
Image © Rich Pittman
The season might be over for us in the UK, but in Japan shows are still able to go on. Taking place this week was Gifu Airshow, with a fantastic array of hardware, including a fantastic mixed-formation. As illustrated by this fine image, Japan is one of the few places left in the world to see F-4 Phantoms doing what they do best.
Image © Ali Hunt
Closing this week is what is fast becoming a familiar sight again in European skies in the shape of the Dutch B-25 Mitchell. The quiet period at this time of year often gives enthusiasts a moment of respite and allows us to get through some editing. Doing just that, Jonathan has provided us with a splendid capture from quite the standard show. The big twin engined bomber has a tremendous amount of presence on the display circuit, and is one of the finer European warbird displays out there.
Image © Jonathan Haylock
Canon EOS 70D + Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lens
Pictures Of The Week
Week 46, November 2014
Clockwise from top left:
A shot from Biggin Hill's recent nightshoot kicks things off this week. "Tail-draggers" are often rather difficult to shoot head-on, on the basis that you get a lot of prop and undercarriage, and not much else. Fortunately, though, Anthony nailed the angle on the based Mk.1 Hurricane as it started its engine under the lights, and we think the smoke really adds that ethereal element, capturing this gorgeous machine in all her glory.
Image © Anthony Baines
Nikon D700 + Nikon 24-120mm ƒ4.0 AF-S VRII lensThe second of our nightshoot picks this week comes from Wellesbourne where Avro Vulcan XM655 was put under the lights. Complete with period vehicles and re-enactors, not to mention thoughtful consideration of photo opportunities, XM655 Maintenence and Preservation Society really put on a show. As such, Paul treated us to some wonderful shots from the event. It's difficult to sell a nightshoot featuring one aircraft, but we think that the guys and girls from Wellesbourne have really shown how it should be done.
Image © Paul Hamilton
Canon EOS 5D + Canon EF 24-105mm ƒ4 L IS lensMaking three for three on nightshoot photographs this week is POTW regular Tomasz's shot of Monarch's last passenger flight using the venerable Boeing 757. Seen here preparing for departure to Luton, Tomasz has captured this fine study of that most sturdy of passenger workhorses.
Image © Tomasz Chrul
Canon EOS 70D + Canon EF 10-22mm lensAs forum debuts go, you couldn't ask for much better than this. Leszek gave us a flavour of the Athens Flying Week that has recently taken place. Amongst a smorgasbord of juicy participants, mostly from the home-team, this fantastic shot of a Hellenic Navy S-70B "Agean Hawk" caught our attention. The bar is firmly set, and we look forward to seeing what Leszek produces in the future!
Image © Leszek Kujawski
Canon EOS 5D Mk.III + Canon EF 200-400mm L lensWe were fortunate enough to be treated to a rare thread from China earlier this week. Taking place at Zhuhai in early November, the Chinese treated Peter and other airshow goers to some true gems including the new J-31. Foreign participants also featured, and adding to a mouth-watering line-up was this immaculate-looking Sukhoi Su-35.
Image © Peter Terlouw
Nikon D300s + Nikon AF-S 300mm ƒ2.8 lensBy contrast to the rarity of Chinese contributions lately, we've seen a lot from Japan, which is no bad thing. Adding his photos to the mix is POTW regular and king of the slow shutter speed; Andrezj, including this superb shot of Nyutabaru-based F-15DJ aggressor that is in keeping with his impeccable standards. The only bad thing about Andrezj's threads is that it's so hard to choose which shot to feature!
Image © Andrzej Rogucki
Canon EOS-1Dx + Canon EF 500mm ƒ4 L IS lens Concluding this week's top seven is Rod's shot from NAS Fallon. After what sounds like an amazing tour of the Southern air bases in USA, he managed access onto NAS Fallon's ramp and the results certainly paid-off the cold and early start! This F-5 of the based VFC-13 aggressor squadron is shot at a wonderful angle, and beautifully composed.
Image © Rod McDonough
Pictures Of The Week
Week 45, November 2014
Clockwise from top left:
Hitting the top spot this week is Bartek's beautiful shot of a USAF 182nd AW C-130H. He headed to his local haunt of Krakow (home of the 8th Transport Base of the Polish air Force) to catch some night-time parachute drops being undertaken by the Polish 6th Airborne Brigade. Co-operating with the Polish armed forces was the above mentioned Hercules which looks tremendous in these conditions.
Image © Bartosz Bera
Next up this week is Daniel's well-composed shot from his first visit to Lakenheath. Capturing a myriad of different variants of the mighty F-15, we settled on one that really reflects the tempo of the Suffolk base. It may have been his first trip but with quality like this, we hope it isn't his last!
Image © Daniel Kennedy
Making three for three on US hardware this week is another shot from the bountiful Lakenheath. This time of year means that lighting conditions are utterly sublime. No further evidence is needed than Mark's fantastic photo of a based F-15C strutting its stuff. Gorgeous lighting, a great angle and an uncluttered shot makes this one a sure winner.
Image © Mark Ranger
Recently celebrating the type's 40th birthday, the guys n gals at RAF Marham saw fit to apply a special paint scheme to the spine of ZD788. Liam caught the "Tonka" during a day out at Marham. Sadly, the jet has been a bit shy recently, and we can only hope the scheme last until next year's airshow season.
Image © Liam Killington
Another Tornado, and another special scheme features next. The 41(R) Sqn Tornado special has been seen extensively over the past few years. Making use of the wonderful lighting conditions at the Bwlch Exit in the Mach Loop this time of year, the shadow on the side of the hill shows just how low, and just how thrilling a good day on the Welsh hills can be.
Image © Emilio Di Pietro
Our second international contribution this week is from Marcelo's coverage of the Brazilian Florianópolis Air Force Base "Open Gates" show. With shades of the famed "RAF at home" days of old, the Brazilian Air Force put on a fantastic array of aircraft including this Tucano special scheme celebrating 30 years of service with the air arm.
Image © Marcelo Lobo da Silva
Concluding this week's top seven is POTW and air-to-air regular Paul's shot of a 27 Sqn RAF Chinook whilst on detatchment to his home-base of RAF Valley. As always we relish Paul's air to air shots and these are no exception, and a fine way to conclude yet another week of top quality contributions.
Image © Paul Heasman
Pictures Of The Week
Week 44, November 2014
Clockwise from top left:
We have been lucky enough to see a resurgence of threads from Japan of late, and where better than to start this week's top seven than with Mike's superb study of this "Cherry Blossom" schemed F-15J? Taken at Hyakuri, it's not hard to see why this base, and indeed nation is a true paradise for the budding aviation enthusiast.
Image © Michael Hall
CWHM's Lancaster might have returned to it's home in Canada, but shots like Phil's are keeping that monumental aviation moment very present in our memory. Taken shortly after their touchdown at Biggin following a flight dodging storms left, right and centre, Phil's patience whilst sat in the pouring rain was certainly paid off.
Image © Phil Whalley
Nikon D7000 + Sigma 50-500mm lensHolding the claim to Europe's most advanced (and, we think, best looking) "Vipers", the Polish Air Force kicked up a storm at an annual exercise at 32 Tactical Air Base at Łask. Maciek was on hand to capture some stunning imagery of a mix of Soviet-era and Western pieces of kit. Catching our eye in particular was this particular F-16 driver pulling a sporty break to land.
Image © Maciej Ramos
With the onset of winter, nightshoots are becoming more and more common, and represent a way for us to get our aviation kicks during the long and cold "off-season". POTW regular Harry was present at Bruntingthorpe for the Lighting Preservation Group's twilight run. Ever the creative photographer, we really enjoyed his offering, including this shot of Lightning XR728 set at a jaunty angle.
Image © Harry Measures
You've got to hand it to the Germans; they really do know how to paint an aircraft. Re-activated at the start of 2013 following the transition of the CH-53s from the German Army to the German Air Force, HSG64 wasted no time in presenting their special-schemed CH-53 at an open day at Laupheim, and in some wonderful lighting conditions Robin was on hand to capture the moment.
Image © Robin Manhart
There's been some rather big news this week at Duxford. Shedding the "Big Beautiful Doll" clothes she wore during her time at IWM Lambeth, this P-51 has now been unveiled as "'Etta Jeanne II" at a small but important event at the Cambridgeshire aerodrome. In keeping with the incredible standards at Duxford, this machine looks impeccable, and we can't wait to see her in the flesh. The plan is to hang her from the ceiling of the American Air Museum following it's refurbishment early next year.
Image © Tony Clarke
As mentioned earlier, nightshoot season is well and truly upon us and, like airshows, each has its own unique moments. Making a very, very rare appearance under the lights was Elvington's Handley Page Halifax. We can't think of the last time a Halifax was under the lights, if at all. It was a special opportunity finely captured by Ian, and we are privileged to see such rare a moment shared on our forum.
Image © Ian Finch