Consolidated PBY Catalina at Wild Wednesday

The day before Wild Wednesday might have been called Research Tuesday.  As is habit before I go to an airshow, I keep looking at the scheduled performers and aircraft.  I'm looking for the last minute changes - either additions or deletions.  In the case of this year's Wild Wednesday there was a late addition. A Consolidated PBY Catalina was added.  Very happy.

The PBY is a staple of all good WWII movies about the Pacific theater.  It will show up either as a search aircraft, rescue of downed pilots aircraft or blown up on an airfield.  I need to see one in the air.

And on Wild Wednesday, I did.

Yea, the environment could have been better.  I'd certainly like to see a water take-off.  Or a close encounter with water would do.  A classic paint job would be nice.

Of the more than 3,300 built by multiple companies and countries for WWII, I will finally get to see one.

I will gladly take a white scheme, against a flat sky sighting.  After all, I shouldn't hit a home run on the first try, eh?  Have to have a reason to keep going on.

With the forecasted inclement weather, this PBY could be counted on to stay in the air to the end.

On Research Tuesday I looked to my new friend, FLICKR, to see other shots of a PBY.  Looking for best photos of the props and what speed to go with.  What I found was I could get away with 1/320 but best would be 1/00 or slower.  However, those were in somewhat perfect light.  That was not the case here.  The best photos, for me, came out at 1/200 sec.  That seems to work for me.  Room for improvement!

I usually try to post three to four shots of the selected aircraft in different attitudes or phases in flight.  That didn't work out so well here.  I have three shots taken in the same lap.  Again, room for improvement.  But I have a few shots of a WWII aircraft that I didn't have before.  And I'll gladly take it.

PBY Bank

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20/80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

400 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 180 (Auto)

EV +0.67, Shutter Priority, Size FX

PBY Roll Out

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20/80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

400 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 220 (Auto)

EV +0.67, Shutter Priority, Size FX

PBY Level

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20/80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

400 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 180 (Auto)

EV +0.67, Shutter Priority, Size FX

It was worth the drive to see this one fly again.