Pictures Of The Week

Week 34, August 2013

Pictures of the Week
Pictures of the Week Pictures of the Week
Pictures of the Week Pictures of the Week Pictures of the Week Pictures of the Week

Clockwise from top left:

  1. The Dawlish airshow must be one of the most photogenic airshow locations in the UK. For the photographer the place to go is the hill next to Smugglers Inn, which offers excellent elevation and close passes by the display aircraft. Jonathan took this picture of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Lancaster PA474 and in his own words - "I feel that this shot had a very World War Two feel to it, with a lonely Lancaster returning home from a bombing mission." We completely agree!

    Image © Jonathan Coombes
    Nikon D300 + Nikkor 300mm ƒ4 lens

  2. Switzerland and it's stunning scenery are regularly featured on the Week in Pictures. In this image we see the "Battle of Lake Geneva" with a Grumman Avenger being harassed by a "Zero", the latter of course being a T-6 Texan masquerading as a Japanese Zero. Reminiscent of numerous battles over the Pacific during the Second World War, the thread is certainly worth a look, for the scenery over Lake Geneva as much as the two aircraft themselves.

    Image © Laurent Baudillon
    Canon EOS 50D + Canon EF 24-105mm ƒ4 L IS lens

  3. The MAKS airshow at Moscow is for many enthusiasts the "holy grail" of shows, with so much rare Russian hardware on show. This year's event did not disappoint on that front. Here Sukhoi's latest Flanker variant, the Su-35S Flanker-E, is seen wowing crowds with its thrust vectoring nozzles. The Su-35S is the production name for the Russian Air Force, who are the launch customer for the type, ordering 48 examples, all of which are expected to be delivered by 2015. Incidentally the order, which was placed in 2009, was the largest fighter aircraft order for the Russian Air Force since the end of the Cold War. Nice moves Ivan!

    Image © Peter Steelhouwer
    Nikon D3X + Nikon 400mm ƒ2.8 VR lens

  4. The recent RCAF 19 Wing Open Day, CFB Comox thread was of great interest on the forum with many seldom types performing. For Sean one of the main highlights was the 'home team' display from the 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron, where the CC-115 Buffalo performed a SAR demonstration. This included dropping two pararescue jumpers out of the back of the aircraft, as well as a number of flybys. This was CFB Comox's first show in eight years, unsurprisingly the organisers underestimated how popular the event would be, with the biggest criticism being the queues to get off base.

    Image © Sean Kelly
    Canon EOS 50D Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lens

  5. Our second shot from Switzerland this week, was taken at "Hunterfest 2013" at Sankt Stefan, a former Swiss airbase in the Alps. Featured is a Hawker Hunter T.68 which is owned by the Museum of Altenrhein. Alongside a number of Hunters, participation at the event also included Vampires, PC-7s and the Breitling Super Constellation.

    Image © Philippe Rey
    Nikon 300S + Nikkor 70-200mm lens

  6. Vulcan XH558 has been lauded for its performance at Little Grandsen Air and Car Show last weekend. Not performing its full display routine, the aircraft was scheduled to give two passes, but pilots Martin Withers and Bill Perrins ended up giving three, the second of which was a stunning low level topside pass, much to the delight of the crowd. Here the aircraft is seen positioning for that particular pass at low level above the trees. It was entirely Chris' intention to get the trees in to show how low the aircraft was. Is this the same aircraft that's displays have split the opinions of the aviation enthusiast community all season?

    Image © Chris Low
    Panasonic FZ200

  7. We end this week where we started, with another image from Dawlish. Tim captured this Royal Navy Sea King Mk5 of 771 Naval Air Squadron as it started up and got airborne, kicking grass up from an adjacent field to the Smugglers Inn. The aircraft was departing at the end of the show.

    Image © Tim Croton
    Canon EOS 1D MkIII + Canon EF 300mm ƒ2.8 L IS lens

Pictures Of The Week

Week 33, August 2013

Pictures of the Week
Pictures of the Week Pictures of the Week
Pictures of the Week Pictures of the Week Pictures of the Week Pictures of the Week

Clockwise from top left:

  1. As the days start to get shorter (and invariably colder), we move into the aviation 'Nightshoot' season, and to whet your appetites for the oncoming season of full-disc propellors and starburst nav lights, here's a shot of Just Jane looking beautiful during Neil Cave's 'Bomber Command Part 2' event at East Kirkby.

    Image © Keith Meachem
    Canon EOS 5D MkIII + Canon EF 24-105mm ƒ4 L IS lens

  2. Resembling something of a KC-135 which has spent too much time shopping in 'Antennas-R-Us', this lumpy RC-135 has been made to look almost pretty with the help of some warm summer light and Craig's deft photography and editing skills.

    Image © Craig Hollis

  3. This shot features both the conventional and "look what we can do with science" ends of the WWII German aviation spectrum. The peculiar looking machine in the foreground is a Fiesler Reichenberg, which has recently returned to the Lashenden Air Warfare Museum after undergoing a five-year restoration in Geisenhausen, near Munich. Check out the rest of Richard's thread for some excellent coverage of this IMPS event at Headcorn.

    Image © Richard Foord
    Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm ƒ2.8 lens

  4. There are few better places to get up close and personal with the RAF's noisiest flying machines than getting yourself onboard an air-to-air Refuelling sortie. This is what Kev did (on one of the new Voyagers, of all things) in order to snap one of 3 Squadron's Typhoons over the North Sea. We're glad to see he's made the most of the opportunity and come away with some excellent photographs!

    Image © Kevin Daws
    Nikon D800 + Nikkor 70-200mm VR lens

  5. And you thought the CAG Trackers were colourful...! Mark caught this Chinese Navy S-2T landing back from an ASW patrol just before a storm hit Pingtong North Air Base, Taiwan. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find another photograph of one of these on our forums...

    Image © Mark Rourke
    Canon EOS 7D + Canon EF 600mm ƒ2.8 L IS lens

  6. Only taking up our sport of aviation photography a year ago, Paul made sure he had the best hideout for the Eastbourne show by making his way up to Beachy Head. As you can see from his thread it really is an excellent place for air-to-air-esque photo opportunities, and we especially liked his photo of these two ageing (gracefully) French birds.

    Image © Paul Langford
    Sony A99 + Sigma 500mm ƒ4.5 lens

  7. We've learnt by now that the Germans don't skimp on their special schemes, and their latest piece of airborne artwork adorns Jabo G33's Tornado IDS, serial 4301 - the oldest in the GAF fleet. Take a look at the thread for a rare look at what a Tonka looks like with no pylons - remarkably sleek!

    Image © Oliver Jonischkeit
    Canon EOS 50D + Canon EF 70-200mm ƒ4 L IS lens

Pictures Of The Week

Week 32, August 2013

This week's Picture of the Week is somewhat bittersweet, as we dedicate this week's selection to two giants of the enthusiast scene who have sadly passed away recently.

Alasdair MacPhail, known on our forums as "Swingy", suffered a stroke over the weekend of RIAT 2013, and tragically passed away in Oxford just a few days later at the woefully young age of just 53. Al was a familiar face to many FRIAT members, as well as a regular for many years at his local bases Lossiemouth and Kinloss.

Michael Freer needs no introduction. A legendary figure in the hobby, and one of the most respected and revered photographers the community will ever know. We were all truly saddened to learn of Mick's passing, after a long illness. His work graced many aviation publications over several decades, and most recently his photography and writing was seen on the much-respected Touchdown Aviation. As one poster on our forums remarked, Mick was one of the "old school".

Both he and Al will be much missed, but fondly remembered. We extend our sincere condolences to their families. It is to Al and Mick's memory that we dedicate this week's selection of images. We think they'd both approve of our choices.

Pictures of the Week
Pictures of the Week Pictures of the Week
Pictures of the Week Pictures of the Week Pictures of the Week Pictures of the Week

Clockwise from top left:

  1. The hype for the Russian Knights at Kecskemet exceeded expectations because they displayed two hours late on the Saturday, owing to a delayed schedule. This meant conditions were more than favourable as they flew their routine in golden evening light! Andrzej caught this excellent shot during a crossover of two jets during the show and it truly is a stunning piece of photography.

    Image © Andrzej Rogucki

  2. More Soviet hardware on offer in Hungary were the Polish Su-22 Fitters' role demo, another rare type with a not so distant out of service date. Dean caught the pair with wings half swept as they performed their routine. Hopefully it won't be long before the display makes its UK debut.

    Image © Dean West
    Canon EOS 7D + Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lens

  3. Rounding off a hat-trick of Kecskemet photos was Mic's capture of the Bulgarian Su-25 Frogfoot as it arrived to join the static display. This was a highlight for a lot of people travelling from the west of Europe, where such an aircraft hasn't visited in many years! Mic was in an excellent place to capture the Frogfoot as it trundled off the runway with drag chutes.

    Image © Michael Lovering
    Canon EOS 7D + Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lens

  4. Team Orlik of the Polish Air Force are seen here taxiing out for a practice performance ahead of the Radom Airshow. Slawek caught an excellent head-on angle showing a line of active aircraft with great clarity and processing.

    Image © Slawek Krajniewski

  5. For the Summer, Peter has found himself a job at the Classic Air Force which is based at Newquay. He flew into Fairford with the Meteor pair of T7 and NF11 and captured this excellent shot of the latter en route to the Cotswolds, complete with the British countryside in the background.

    Image © Peter Reoch

  6. Photos from South Africa are rare on this board, so Gerard's excellent set showing most types in their inventory was more than welcome! We picked this Oryx performing a low flypast because of the stunning light and action captured within. If you have time you really should look at the rest of the set which are all equally as stunning.

    Image © Gerard Griessel

  7. This Dornier Do-24ATT, caught in stunning light as it displayed in Austria for the Scalaria Air Challenge,rounds off POTW in style! Perfect light on such an unusual seaplane is rare to see!

    Image © Philipp Weber
    Canon EOS 7D + Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lens

Pictures Of The Week

Week 31, August 2013

Pictures of the Week
Pictures of the Week
Pictures of the Week Pictures of the Week Pictures of the Week Pictures of the Week

Clockwise from top left:

  1. The award to the bravest photographer of the week goes to Piotr Dziendziel. Faced with a rare subject in perfect light the standard thing to do is to set a high shutter speed. Kula has done the exact opposite with a superb low shutter speed shot of the Russian knights at Kecskemét.

    Image © Piotr Dziendziel
    Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm ƒ2.8 VR & 2x TC

  2. The pilot of the French Air Force Rafale at RIAT was not content with making his own cloud in Lloyd's photograph - he created his own rainbow as well!

    Image © Lloyd Horgan
    Nikon D300s + Nikkor 300mm ƒ4 AF-S lens

  3. The prize for capturing the world's rarest formation team goes to "tomcat" with this image of four OV-10 Broncos belonging to the Columbian Air Force.

    Image © "tomcat"

  4. Opposition passes are tricky to photograph at the best of times, even more so when the aircraft is as small as the Pitts Special. This photograph taken by Keith at East Kirby is a fine example of great timing.

    Image © Keith Campbell
    Canon EOS 1D MkIV + Canon EF 400mm ƒ2.8 lens

  5. The Swiss Air Force's F-5 fleet is latest of Europe's classic fast jets approaching its retirement date. Philippe took this photograph during the celebration of the last training course by 19 Staffel.

    Image © Philippe Rey
    Nikon D800 + Nikkor 70-200mm lens

  6. The ever changing character of the warbird scene is illustrated well by Brian Marshall's shot of the TFC's P-47 'Snafu' being dismantled and packed into a shipping container for transportation to it's new home in the USA.

    Image © Brian Marshall
    Sony SLT-A57 + Sony 16-105mm lens