More from MCAS Beaufort - Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion

I really enjoyed the MAGTF demo at the MCAS Beaufort Airshow.  

I have a number of F-35, F-18 and demo team (Blue Angels) shots already.  Not that the shows are boring, I could listen to the sound of Freedom all day long.  For those events to get something different, I have to experiment with fames, and angles, and exposure triangle stuff.  Not much success in that department this time around - other than I know what to rule out at future events.

But, helicopters.  Very little library and very little experience.  Not like a jet where you set the speed as high as you are comfortable with and GO!  Props, not matter if it is for thrust or lift take some amount of planning.  A new toy.

You have to have some amount blur on the main rotor - and still be able to see the tail rotor.  The main rotor turns at under 200 RPM.  At a diameter of 79 feet, the RMP must keep the blade tips from going super sonic.  And however the math works out, about 185 RPM will do that.  The tail rotors diameter is 16 feet.  It can turn a bit faster.

So the dilemma is shoot slow enough for the main rotor and fast enough for the tail rotor.

In these three shots, I was 'experimenting' with shutter speeds.  I know to get a full rotation of blur on a C-130, that is 1/60 second.  If it is not moving, very doable.  That being said that same shutter speed on a UH-1 renders both main and tail rotors invisible as posted here.  Depends on what you like.  But catching a moving object at that speed is a bit beyond my normal capability.  But I can get a good percentage of shots at 1/100th of a second.

In the end for me, as long as the rotor isn't frozen I'm good.

Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51/NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G

280 mm, 1/60th sec, f/22.0, ISO 100

EV 0 (Polarizer), Shutter Priority, Size FX

Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51/NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G

310 mm, 1/100th sec, f/16.0, ISO 100

EV 0 (Polarizer), Shutter Priority, Size FX

Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51/NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G

185 mm, 1/125th sec, f/16.0, ISO 100

EV 0 (Polarizer), Shutter Priority, Size FX

I really like the last shot.  Blur is OK, but both helicopters are reasonably sharp.  There was a lot of movement going on here.

As to lessons learned, I think I'll be keeping to 1/80th to 1/100th second for my larger aircraft shots.

And as is said, no matter how many shots didn't turn out - a bad day at the show is better than a day at (fill in blank).