Anyone else like Birds AND planes? (4 Viewers)

[Barred Wobbler]

And a few more.

 

[Farnboro John]

And a few more.

Great set! Brilliant light and lovely crisp images. Your Black Eagles pictures are particularly nice.

I have a fair idea where you were standing now, perhaps where we usually watch from just right of centre.

We got caught by the early start having not even finished the East end of the static and ended up watching from the Western edge of the Red Zone.

Cheers

John

 

[Barred Wobbler]

Great set! Brilliant light and lovely crisp images. Your Black Eagles pictures are particularly nice.

I have a fair idea where you were standing now, perhaps where we usually watch from just right of centre.

We got caught by the early start having not even finished the East end of the static and ended up watching from the Western edge of the Red Zone.

Cheers

John

I never got to the east end, although my son did when he went walkabout. We were left of centre.

We arrived at about 0915 and were walking from the green zone car park just as a Gulfstream was departing and the Italian Typhoon started its display as we entered the arena at 0940 after passing the static Air Force One. As we got to the first set of shops (I noticed a fish and chip shop) I spotted a clear space against the fence behind the first set of plastic chairs (which were empty at the time). Rather than risk going nearer to the centre I claimed that spot and never moved for 8 hours. It was about a third the way down the runway (looking at Google Earth), just west of where the aircraft landing from the east turned and went back to the hangar area.

As things got going and stuff like the helicopters did their displays, concentrating to the front of the grandstand two or three hundred yards further on, I wished I'd gone closer, but the die was cast.

Refraction was a problem on the more distant shots due to windless conditions and the heat, but the light was the best I've had at a display. I was delighted that the crowd was to the south of the runway. At Duxford you're always on the wrong side for the sun.

This C27 Spartan shot gives the view I had as we arrived. It filled up as the morning went on, but it was always tolerable.

 

[KenM]

Shot this (Hercules?) doing circuits off Landguard Point on Tuesday, are they now employed in a maritime role?

Cheers

 

[Andy Adcock]

I think that's French?

 

[Farnboro John]

Shot this (Hercules?) doing circuits off Landguard Point on Tuesday, are they now employed in a maritime role?

Cheers

USAF MC-130J from Mildenhall. They support the SF CV-22 Ospreys, including tanking.

John

 

[Andy Adcock]

USAF MC-130J from Mildenhall. They support the SF CV-22 Ospreys, including tanking.

John

Where is the insignia John, that's a French flag on the tail and fuselage, just like this one?

Lockheed Martin KC-130J Hercules ( France - Air Force ) 5874 • c-130 photography

www.c-130.net

 

[Farnboro John]

Where is the insignia John, that's a French flag on the tail and fuselage, just like this one?

Lockheed Martin KC-130J Hercules ( France - Air Force ) 5874 • c-130 photography

www.c-130.net

Its not: the only things on the tail are the low-observable illumination patch and a mess of grey which is the USAF serial number. You will also notice that the French aircraft in your linked picture is overall very dark grey whereas the one Ken has photographed is in the typical USAF scheme of dark grey uppers with light grey underside. My look at the rear fuselage shows another mess of grey which is the stars and bars, not a full-colour Armee de l'Air roundel.

No doubt Ken's actual shot shows better detail than the BOC version.

Cheers

John

 

[Mono]

The Osprey I see flying over the Lakes always have their rear door partially open, often with a crew member or two sat on the back, legs dangling down. The recent airshow picture and a quick Google image search seems to show Osprey usually fly around this way.

Anyone know the reason, is it just for rear visibility?

 

[Farnboro John]

The Osprey I see flying over the Lakes always have their rear door partially open, often with a crew member or two sat on the back, legs dangling down. The recent airshow picture and a quick Google image search seems to show Osprey usually fly around this way.

Anyone know the reason, is it just for rear visibility?

They often have a fifty cal mounted on the rear ramp and when coming into a landing/pickup zone the loadie will be on the open ramp so even without the gun mounted the crew are gaining experience and confidence in being at the edge of the yawning void while manoeuvring at speed.

John

 

[Mono]

They often have a fifty cal mounted on the rear ramp and when coming into a landing/pickup zone the loadie will be on the open ramp so even without the gun mounted the crew are gaining experience and confidence in being at the edge of the yawning void while manoeuvring at speed

Thanks, makes sense. A great way to see the Lakes, they should offer passenger rides!

 

[Farnboro John]

Thanks, makes sense. A great way to see the Lakes, they should offer passenger rides!

You can definitely have my ticket!

John

 

[Prestdj]

They often have a fifty cal mounted on the rear ramp and when coming into a landing/pickup zone the loadie will be on the open ramp so even without the gun mounted the crew are gaining experience and confidence in being at the edge of the yawning void while manoeuvring at speed.

John

see the crew of the chinooks do this low over the pennines a nice way to see the country

 

[Ratal]

Hi guys and gals - The rear ramp is not just for a sightseeing trip or weaponry - the Air Loadmaster will be in constant chatter to the pilot up front about the environment around the air vehicle in question (be it a fixed rotor or V-22) and will be scanning all arcs for other airframes and unexpected encounters as well as being vital for 'brown out' landings in hot desert environments. Many a parachutist and paraglider owe their lives to a clued up air loadie.

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

See Ospreys quite a few times each week, and they never have any doors open. Could be that they’ve not long taken off, or are about to land.

 

[moose1991]

. My look at the rear fuselage shows another mess of grey which is the stars and bars,

I got ripped into by a US friend of mine for using that term incorrectly.
The "stars & bars" refer to the Confederate flag not the Stars & stripes of the Union.

 

[Ratal]

Shot this (Hercules?) doing circuits off Landguard Point on Tuesday, are they now employed in a maritime role?

Cheers

Judging by the electro-optical sensor under the nose? This is a MC-130J Commando II from the USAF.

 

[Ratal]

For comparison. See the nose and that small sensor turret?

 

[Farnboro John]

I got ripped into by a US friend of mine for using that term incorrectly.
The "stars & bars" refer to the Confederate flag not the Stars & stripes of the Union.

True but "stars and bars" has also been used for USAF insignia from WWII when the bars were added - before that there was just a star in a circle (not forgetting that until almost the end of WWII there was no USAF as such, it was the US Army Air Corps and then US Army Air Force). So your friend needs to learn a little of their own culture, although it may just be that they don't like the association of the term with the other usage: unfortunately, not liking it doesn't change the facts, just like Guy Gibson's dog.

John

 

[MJB]

For comparison. See the nose and that small sensor turret?

The image is reversed, judging by the lettering and numerals...
MJB