Pictures Of The Week
Week 43, October 2014
Clockwise from top left:
The end of October saw the final touchdown in operational service of another typically charismatic Cold War aircraft type. The A-7 Corsair has seen sterling service with the Hellenic Air Force over the years, and the venerable old variant has soldiered on long after other air arms had retired theirs. The 336 Sqn base of Araxos held small a show to give the retiring jet a fond farewell, and it was here that Chris took this beautiful shot showing some decidedly weathered airframes after their engines had fallen silent for the final time.
Image © Chris Heal
Canon EOS 1D Mk.IV + Canon EF 500mm f4 L IS lensOne of the few consolations to enthusiasts now that the nights draw in and the 2014 season is very much over is the fact that nightshoots are possible again. As popular as ever, Phil and the team at Northolt organised another in a long series of successful nightshoots. Making a spirited appearance was one of 673 Sqn's finest, flying out of Middle Wallop. POTW regular Stuart has captured the Apache in all it's uglyness and glory, and has produced one of the finest shots we've seen from Northolt of late.
Image © Stu Freer (Touchdown Aviation)
Canon EOS 50D + Canon EF 24-105mm f4 L IS lensAlso taking part in the Northolt nightshoot was a IV Sqn Hawk T2 flying out of RAF Valley. The T2 is now a regular out and about in the UK as the T1 becomes rarer and rarer. Alan has produced a shot he can really be proud of.
Image © Alan Potts
Canon EOS 60D + Canon EF 24-70mm lensPOTW regular Barrie features again this week, and in keeping with his usual standard has produced a true master class of editing and creative photography. This rather abstract shot was taken at the Gnat Display Team's Open Day at the Essex airfield of North Weald.
Image © Barrie May
Canon EOS 7D + Canon EF 17-40mm f4 lensStaying at North Weald, and making use of some lovely autumnal sunshine, Dan has also captured a very creative and original shot from the Gnat Display Team's Open Day. With their recently restored Yellowjacks-schemed Gnat, which dominates the image, and with the recent delivery of the Indian Air Force-schemed F1, the Gnat Display Team is fast becoming one of the favourite classic jet teams out on the UK display circuit.
Image © Dan Butcher
Canon EOS 20D + Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lensRounding things off this week is one of the best angles of an A380 we have seen for some time. Posting some of his finest shots to date, Alan was able to capture this fine study of Korean Air's finest on approach to Los Angeles International Airport from a helicopter!
Image © Alan Kenny
Pictures Of The Week
Week 42, October 2014
Clockwise from top left:
We start this week with an old classic, the F/A-18C Hornet. This example, operated by the Finnish Air Force, was performing at the 'Tour de Sky Airshow' in Oulu and is seen pulling vapour and the jet climbs. This show is a spectacular example to show that 'backlit' shots can sometimes be better than those shot conventionally with the sun behind the photographer
Image © Aleksandra Kuczyńska
Nikon D7000 + Nikkor 80-400mm lensThe Swedish Air Force Historic Flight's return to RAF Waddington this year was welcomed by UKAR and the enthusiast community. This shot showcases the brutish lines of the SAAB JAS-37 Viggen, as it blasts off from the runway to begin the display.
Image © Paul Harvey
Canon EOS 7D + Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lensThis month, the European aviation scene lost another classic type, with the retirement of the A-7H Corsair II from Hellenic Air Force Service. The iconic 'SLUF' first flew 60 years ago, with the Greeks being the final military operator. This example was painted in a resplendent silver paint scheme for retirement, and was showcased at Araxos AB.
Image © "Avia2l"
Closer to home, RAF Lossiemouth recently hosted Exercise Joint Warrior 14-2 which included participation from the Swedish Air Force. Opinions differ across the UKAR Member when it comes to whether single or twin seat jets look better, but from this angle the JAS-39D Gripen certainly looks the business.
Image © Tom Sunley
Canon EOS 5D Mk.II + Canon EF 300mm ƒ2.8 L lensWe don't get to see many Brazilians here at UKAR, so the recent photo threads from the EXPOAER 2014 exercise have been very welcome. An uncluttered background, with a beautiful camouflage jet definitely ticks the boxes for POTW!
Image © Marcelo Lobo da Silva
Canon SX-40HSA rare visitor to SaxonAir at Norwich recently was this AS332 Super Puma helicopter, enroute to the Netherlands. A simple, yet effective photograph to capture the helicopter.
Image © Matt Varley
Canon EOS 550D + Canon EF 28-135mm IS lensAn artistic image to end this week's selection. TFC's newly acquired Curtiss P-40C was a highlight of Flying Legends for many, and we particularly liked this monochrome image of the aircraft at rest, the rest of the thread is worth a look if you enjoy abstract images too.
Image © Simon Graten
Canon EOS 50D + Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lens
Pictures Of The Week
Week 41, October 2014
Clockwise from top left:
Powering into our top seven this week, Piotr highlights just how creative one can be if lighting conditions might not be entirely in your favour. The shot of this JAS-39 Gripen was taken at Ostrava which saw a healthy dose of modern and historic Saab machines this year. Not only does Piotr make expert use of challenging conditions, but we think that this is the best "jellyfication" we've seen for some time.
Image © Piotr Kostur
Nikon D300 + Nikon AF-S 70-200mm ƒ2.8 VR lens & TC-20E IIIA more unusual and seldom-seen aircraft is up next. With all the charm, eccentricity and charisma you would expect from a vintage aircraft, the Chilton DW1 was one of those flying at Shuttleworth's season finale and Anthony has truly given us a true lesson in effective low-shutter speed shooting.
Image © Anthony Baines
It's fair to say that the Sea Vixen has had a rough time of late. Dogged by serviceability issues, and of course that crash-landing, any silver linings in her dark cloud have been brief. After yet more trouble (ingesting FOD prior to a scheduled flypast of Rosyth Dockyard) she was grounded at RAF Leuchars. Following her recovery, Ross took a chance that she might do a spot of low-level flying, following a brief test-flight, before she made the journey home to Bournemouth. As chances go, it would seem the odds were slim, yet here we are looking at easily our favourite Sea Vixen shot of the year.
Image © Ross Forsyth
The French Air Force Rafale Solo Display remains a firm favourite on the European airshow circuit. Britain sadly missed out on an appearance from the French fighter this year, so shots like this one are all the more welcome. Chris travelled to Kleine Brogel in early September and was treated to not only one of Europe's best fast-jet displays, but one using a NATO Tiger-schemed jet and lovely blue skies to boot!
Image © Chris Heal
Another firm favourite fast-jet display in Europe has to be Solo Turk. Since its debut in 2011, the Turkish F-16 has stunned onlookers wherever it goes. Making a welcome return to RIAT in 2014, the display is as polished and dynamic as ever. Unbeknownst to most, however, was Philippe's air-to-air flight with them on their way to the show. We've seen some great stuff from Philippe before, and his most recent shots are no exception.
Image © Philippe Rey
Bulgaria is in the midst of modernising (or "Westernising" depending on how you look at it) its air force. Recent additions to the growing air arm are Alenia C-27J Spartans, providing the Bulgarians with some much-needed modern transport capacity. Providing a pairs display at the Bulgarian Air Force Airshow at Sofia in 2014 are two of Alenia's finest, and POTW regular Ivan was on hand to capture them and a whole host of exotic hardware.
Image © Ivan Voukadinov
Shots from Lakenheath seem to have become a little more seldom recently. However, in keeping with his username, Dan headed to the Suffolk base and came away with Eagles and Strike Eagles alike, including shots of F-15D 86-0182 just days before it was lost in a non-fatal accident. In the end though, it was this fine study of a 494th Fighter Squadron "Mudhen" that caught our eye and the one we chose to round off yet another fantastic week of aviation photography posted on UKAR.
Image © Dan Butcher
Canon EOS 20D + Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lens
Pictures Of The Week
Week 40, October 2014
Clockwise from top left:
The CWHM's Lancaster may have returned to it's home, there is still a fever-pitch in the UK over that most famous of bombers. Concluding what really has been the Lancaster's summer was a night-shoot featuring East Kirkby's "Just Jane". Ben captured the moment flawlessly, and it is for that reason that we can think of no better way to start this week's offering.
Image © Ben Montgomery
Shuttleworth has had a lot of coverage this year (mostly) for all the right reasons, and POTW regular Ian has managed to convey why in just one photo. Gorgeous lighting conditions, a sublime bit of flying at an intimate venue. The collection's Sea Hurricane was shot at the season finale rounding off another fine year of airshows. We look forward to heading to the Bedfordshire airfield in 2015.
Image © Ian Garfield
Pete Kynsey seems to be a deft hand at anything he flies. He has regularly drawn praise from his displays at Duxford from the public and enthusiasts alike, regardless of what mount he is in. Recently, however, his name has become synonymous with the diminuitive Cosmic Wind. "Ballerina" is no Spitfire, but still remains a nifty little display item in her own right, and the two of them together seems to be a winning combination. POTW regular Harry caught the pair displaying at Old Warden's season finale.
Image © Harry Measures
It's fair to say that Gloster Meteor T.7, WA591, has a soft spot in the hearts of most enthusiasts. Since her meteoric (sorry...) return to the airshow scene in 2011 after a meticulous restoration, Britain's oldest flying jet turns heads whenever and wherever she is displayed. Someone once described seeing her display as "poetry in motion" and Pete's shot shows just how true that statement remains.
Image © Peter Mitrovitch
Little introduction is needed for the mighty F-4 Phantom. Taken back in June as part of his trip to Japan, Ivan's wonderful shot shows that Hyakuri is THE base to visit to see numerous variants of the Phantom in great numbers. Their numbers are slowly dwindling, and we think it's fair to say that the world will be a gloomier place when this most impressive of machines takes its final bow.
Image © Ivan Voukadinov
It's not often you see a shot like this of four-engined aircraft. Taken as the German P-3C Orion departed the Malta International Airshow, Paul tells us he chatted to the crew and was expecting a flyby. What he wasn't expecting was the aircraft to zip along above the taxiway at 40ft!
Image © Paul Harvey
Keeping things classic is a shot from Ostrava, and what a shot it is. The SwAFHF's (Swedish Air Force Historic Flight) aircraft have rapidly become one of the most loved and sought-after in Europe, and up there with their Viggen is their equally gorgeous Draken. There are topsides, and there are topsides. This is the latter, and we think Zoltan's shot, which shows the charisma and beauty of the SAAB machine, is as fine a way as any to close this week's top seven.
Image © Gut Zoltan