Meeting the Enemy - VFC-12 Super Hornets

Airshows start with two types of aircraft displays, aerial and static.  There are lots of reasons aircraft will only be on static display.  Any reason from old age to cost to fly.

For the Thunder over Michigan show, I saw that there were two F-18s from the VFC-12 squadron.  Time for internet research.

VFC-12 is an Adversary squadron.  The Navy's version of an Aggressor Squadron.  Or visa-versa.  Both do the same, fly American jets performing enemy tactics.

And to play the enemy, you have to look like the enemy.  Or what you think the enemy looks like.

The current VFC-12 paint scheme on the Super Hornets is based on the Su-35 Flanker Prototype 2 Arctic Splinter Camouflage.

One of the nice things about the ToM show is that on Friday the photographers can move around the ramp without many people around and the stanchion posts and ropes.  Less distractions to remove from the photographs.

F18 Adversary Reflection on the Ramp

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20/NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8

31 mm, 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 560

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size FX

F18 Adversary on the Ramp

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20/NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8

24 mm, 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 640

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size FX

I get the static showing only for these aircraft.  No sense showing what they know.  But thanks for showing up.  Awesome static photos.

Curtiss Wright P-40M

This was my second year at the Thunder over Michigan airshow, but third year of trying.  It was that damn Covid thingie.  I made it last year, and this year.  From what I can tell, they try to have some sort of theme every year.  Last year, it was the gathering of B-25s.  This year, it was WWII fighters.  The American fighters, British fighters and German fighters were represented.  Better yet, they were flying.  And making noise.

This particular aircraft is owned by the Tri-State Warbird Museum in Ohio.  It was built in 1943.

The P-40 Warhawk was exported to a number of Allied countries.  The P-40M signified an Allison engine instead of a Packard Merlin engine.  This particular aircraft paint scheme looks to be a Royal New Zeeland Air Force.  (Just a guess)  And as such, would not be a Warhawk, but a Kittyhawk III.  And that is how it was advertised on the show aircraft list.  It all comes together.

This was one of the aircraft in the Night Shoot.

I really did like the paint on this aircraft.  Very different from what I've seen before.  There is a P-40 that races in Reno that is a traditional olive green.  The extent of my exposure to P-40s.

So for the show, this was a fun aircraft to watch fly.  And to listen to.

P-40 Kittyhawk III Close Taxi

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20/NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8

135 mm, 1/60th sec, f/9, ISO 64

EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size FX

I like this take off shot a lot for a few reasons. First, the prop tip contrails are just plain cool.   I've seen these before in other photos, now I have mine.  The other thing was, I made a mistake.  I usually shoot military props at 1/200 second.  For some reason, I was shooting at 1/1000 second.  In this case, it worked.  Aircraft relatively sharp.  And the props are not frozen, just a degree away.  For the take off, that seems to be OK - but for the prop tip contrails - it is a must.

P-40 Kittyhawk III Take Off

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31 /NIKKOR 80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

600 mm, 1/1000th sec, f/5.6, ISO 640

EV +1, Shutter Priority, Size DX

This inflight shot really illustrates the aircraft markings.  It also looks like I'm beginning to favor the bank shot where the cockpit and pilot open up more.  Also, the sky was so bad in this shot just a total white.  I'm happy with cooling WB of the sky as opposed to replacing the sky.  Turned out OK, and yes that is something else learned.

P-40 Kittyhawk III Show Pass

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31 /NIKKOR 80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

315 mm, 1/200th sec, f/7.1, ISO 100

EV +1, Shutter Priority, Size DX

Again, in this shot the sky is so bad, but there is a smidgen of definition.  And a cool pilot silhouette.

P-40 Kittyhawk III Decent

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31 /NIKKOR 80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

420 mm, 1/200th sec, f/9, ISO 100

EV +1, Shutter Priority, Size DX

Whenever I see these old warbirds in the air, I can picture and hear hundreds in the sky.  Aside from that pesky war thing, what a time in aviation.

ToM 22 - The Night Shoot

If there was a silver lining to the very overcast weather for the airshow, it is that all my body energy was not sucked out of me by the sun.  For the ToM 21 show, that Saturday was very hot.  As such, I didn't make it to the night shoot.  This year I was more prepared, drank a lot more water and was more mentally prepared for a long day.

Yep, kicking myself for not going last year.  Self backslap for making the effort this year.

The night shoot is just that, photographing aircraft at night.  With a little help from some strategically placed lights.  And where appropriate, the props turning.  Recipe for an awesome photograph.

For most of Saturday afternoon, I was pestering other photographers about what settings to use.  I am the consummate fair weather photographer, the previous Wet Wednesday show not withstanding.  But the nighttime environment is new to me.  What to use?  What to set?  Will I embarrass myself?

The equipment question was easy.  I made sure the tripod was packed for the show.  As for the camera, the D850 with a full frame was the easy choice - as opposed to the D500 and the crop frame.  Full frame in less light.  The mechanical performance advantage of the D500 was not necessary.  As for the lens, either of the f/2.8 lenses would be used.  I guessed, and it was a guess, that I would need 50 mm for the event.  I chose the 24-70.  I was using it for the walk around earlier in the day and I had the distance calculated in my head.  I was fairly confident.  Ha.

Now, what settings?  I asked around a lot - shutter speeds of anywhere from 3 to 15 seconds.  Yikes.  OK, I didn't ask about equipment used, but I can account for most of the discrepancies.  What about releasing the shutter?  I was going to use a wireless - but I saw may others doing the same.  What about a cross frequency un-commanded release?

But where to start?

I started when the sun started to set.

We arrived to the location when the sun was just behind the trees.  Time to practice.

First, I set a shutter delay of 1 second.  With an expected shutter speed of over 3 seconds, would a delay of any time really matter?

By pure accident, I found a solution to all my settings questions.  First, the ISO was 64 - the D850 base.  No question there.  Then, because I was using a tripod and getting the to eye viewer wasn't that easy, I activated the camera's Live View on the rear screen.  What luck!  I had it set up to show the shutter speed and aperture settings.  Just in time to be of use.  Using this, I could dial in just a bit of underexposure to get the look I was going for.  For me, this was the eureka moment.  It helps to know your camera - or at least fake it.

The three aircraft, F-16, Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Curtiss P-40.  Yep, no prop on the F-16 but it did turn out better than I thought.  Rumor had it that this was the first current military aircraft ever done with a night shoot.  I'm trying to confirm.

All shots are with the D850 and 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8 lens.  All are EV 0, MANUAL Mode and size FX.

The F-16 was first.

The first test shot.  Great sky colors.  The spot lights are just starting to come in.

F-16 Night Shoot - Test

50 mm, 0.6 sec, f/4.5, ISO 64

Shortly after this, the firetruck showed up to put down the reflective layer of water.  Picky photographers, eh?  The spraying of the water with the longer exposure time had an interesting effect.  

F-16 Night Shoot with Firetruck

50 mm, 1.6 sec, f/4.5, ISO 64

For the final F-16 shot, it wasn't completely dark.  Michigan in July.  Days are long.  The crowd was getting restless.  Still, it worked.

F-16 Night Shoot ToM '22

50 mm, 4.0 sec, f/4.0, ISO 64

Very cool.

Next aircraft in was a Messerschmitt Bf 109.  My only criticism of the event was the selection of this aircraft.  No paint on the props.  I'm sure it isn't easy to get 'volunteers' to stay late for a bunch of photos.  That being said, the shots were still OK.

Messerschmitt Bf 109 Night Shoot ToM '22

44 mm, 4.0 sec, f/5.6, ISO 64

Tough to see the props.

The last aircraft was a Curtiss P-40.  This was a show personal favorite.  The paint scheme was from the RNZAF.  Very cool.  And the prop was just right.

Curtiss P-40 Night Shoot ToM '22

40 mm, 3.5 sec, f/4.0, ISO 64

Because I was a rookie at this, I took a position and held.  There was time to move around to get a different angle.  That being said, there were about 70 photographers there and moving wasn't that easy.  But time to think about that for next year.

Corsair Aircraft - and what I learned

For someone with a declared hobby of WWII aircraft, I don't know a lot.  And for someone who proclaimed that their favorite aircraft included anything with F-4 in the name, I have lots of room to learn.

Not sure why I gravitated to the F-4 Corsair for a personal interest.  Was it the unique gull wing?  Was it a 70's TV show?  Who knows, but the attraction is there.

I am fortunate to see them fly before the last one is grounded.  And the noise, don't get me started.

And as I found out this past weekend, I might have a high school degree in the subject of the Corsair - but far from a BS.  (Ha...)  

When I see an interesting (to me) aircraft at an air show, I like to do a bit of research on the actual aircraft.  If it is on the web, the information must be correct, eh?  But you can believe at least 80% of the internet search.  And that is what happened in my last search of aircraft N43FG.

Aircraft N43FG looks like a F4 Corsair.  And I would have lost the identity bet.  Aircraft N43FG is a FG-1D Corsair.  WTH?

A quick search of Wikipedia helped clear the confusion.  I listened to the Book Arsenal of Democracy a few months ago.  Although there are many subject lines discussed, the aircraft subject got me the most.  Many aircraft were built by many manufacturers under licensing agreements.  And in the case of aircraft N43FG, FG-1D is the designation of a Corsair licensed built by the Goodyear Company between 1943 and 1945 (EOW).  There were just over 4,000 built by Goodyear company.  In very round numbers, this was about 1/3 of the total built for the war effort.

There is the rest of the story.

But the eye test tells me this is a Corsair, and it could have been on the TV show.  Only the data plate will tell.

At Thunder over Michigan this year, the Corsair put on a very nice show.

It is nice to be able to get on the ramp when the people traffic is slow.

FG-1D Corsair on the Ramp

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20/NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8

38 mm, 1/320 sec, f/6.3, ISO 64

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size FX

As the show went along, I dropped my shutter speed for taxi shots from 1/200 to 1/60.

FG-1D Corsair Close Taxi

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20/NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8

170 mm, 1/160 sec, f/11, ISO 64

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size FX

This shot was taken early Friday afternoon, when the sky was somewhat passable.  Not sure how this happened, but it turned out pretty good.

FG-1D Corsair Left Bank

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6

292 mm, 1/200 sec, f/11, ISO 100

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

Every day is good when you learn something new.

Thunder over Michigan - 2022

The show is over.  I know the word 'luck' is often overused to describe how events turn out.  Although I had fun for the days I went, the photo ops were very limited.  The skies were just horrid for a lot of the aerial shots.  Friday for the first few hours were OK, but after that it was a real hit (20%) or miss (80%) for any kind of sky definition.  For the show, 2,526 files.  1,895 shots were from the D500 and 80-400.  There was about 30 minutes where I had the 200-500 in use, but quickly ditched it in favor of the 80-400.  The rest were with the D850 and the f/2.8 family.

My number of aerial shots is really down because of the sky conditions.  Most of the remaining shots are taxi, ramp and lucky breaks in the sky.

Things I learned:

1.  I had been shooting on shutter priority mode for the last few shows.  At Selfridge last week, I had a few missed shots due to the metering being off.  So I started this show off back in Manual mode.  That didn't last long.  The light conditions were constantly changing with the heavy clouds.  Back to Shutter Priority.  Everything worked out fine.

2.  My go-to shutter speed for military props is officially 1/200.  C-130 props will show fully in at 1/100.  Best speed for helicopter is 1/60.

3.  For the night shoot I got some things right, and room to improve in other areas.  Things I got right, I brought a tripod.  After that, lots of room to improve.  I was going to use a wireless remote to release the shutter, but I noticed there many others doing the same.  All I could see was cross channel releases.  So I went with a manual delayed release. I also had to quick learn the Live View function and how it could help me in a new environment.

4.  The Spitfire demo was one of the best I've ever seen by a WWII era aircraft, and the Hurricane wasn't far behind.

In the end, the night shoot was a total learning experience.

Sometimes it is fun to watch the watcher.

UH-1H with Photographer

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20/NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8

165 mm, 1/60 sec, f/18, ISO 64

EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size FX

Weather also caused quite a few aircraft cancellations.  I think the show coordinators did a pretty good job of filling in the gaps.  I'm sure it wasn't easy.  Despite the last minute weather related changes, I'll be going back next year.  As to the photos for this year, I'm sure I'll find something to talk about and post.

The A-1D Skyraider

I am not as familiar with a lot of the aircraft used in the Korean conflict era as I am with WWII aircraft.  And outside of a few aircraft in the Viet Nam era, I am lacking in knowledge there as well.  I first learned of the Skyraider in the film BAT-21 where the aircraft was used to aid in the recovery of a downed crewmember on the run after being shot down.  

The aircraft had a long service parody of over 35 years in a time where jet powered aircraft were replacing piston powered aircraft at a high rate.  This is truly one aircraft in the category of what you want to take in an alley for the dirty fight.

This is another aircraft I can check off the list of seeing in flight.  And somewhat more importantly, hearing.  Straight pipes off the Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone radial engine.  Worth the price of admission alone.

This first shot is very interesting to me.  This is coming out of a bank and you can see the pattern of the pilot's helmet.

A-1D Skyraider Head On Bank

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31 /80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

600 mm, 1/200 sec, f/13, ISO 100

EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size DX

A-1D Skyraider

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31 /80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

465 mm, 1/200 sec, f/16, ISO 100

EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size DX

Again, so much fun to see these old warbirds fly.

The KC-135 Story

The KC-135 and I go back a long way.  Or at least the engines of the KC-135.  And lets then say a much older generation of engines.

I think there are 3 aircraft in the US military inventory that are older than me.  The C-130, the B-52 and the KC-135.

I started my Air Force career in 1980 with my first duty station being the SAC detachment at Okinawa.  The SAC detachment was the KC-135s.  I was assigned to the in-shop engine unit.  We would get engines that had to be dis-assembled and re-assembled for any number of reasons.  Usually there were engine time overhauls that were scheduled.  And on occasion, the unscheduled bird strike damage compressor re-build.

The engines at the time were the J-57W manufactured by Pratt and Whitney.  The J-57 was a workhorse of the USAF at the time.  The engine was also used in the B-52 and the F-100 Super Sabre.  (The F-100 was also performing at Selfridge.)

I did get to ride in a KC-135 for a flight from Okinawa to the Philippines.  A few shots are posted here.  

So going to the Selfridge Open House was another trip to memory lane for me.  Yea, it didn't have the rumble of a water assisted take off, but the lines of the aircraft were still in tact.

I was very happy to see one fly again, not that it will be the last time as the aircraft is still in active service.

KC-135

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

277 mm, 1/200 sec, f/5.3, ISO 100

EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size DX

The primary role of the KC-135 is aerial re-fueling.  Back in the 1980s, during my time as a flight engineer on a C-5 A/B I was aerial refueling qualified.  We did a number of missions where this was necessary.  Always a wild ride.  Two big aircraft 30 feet apart.  Another memory lane.  So this is re-fueling with the A-10s.  Formation flying.

KC-135 with A-10s

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

180 mm, 1/200 sec, f/6.3, ISO 100

EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size DX

It was fun to see the aircraft flying.  Old is gold.

Swamp Fox from Selfridge Open House - 2022

I went to the Selfridge ANGB Open House on what was by Michigan standards was an excellent day for flying.  The show line-up was really interesting.  The show headline was the F-22 Raptor demo team, supported by the CRAF CF-18 demo team.  The C is for Canadian.  

Other supporting performers were the Misty Blues All Female Parachute Team, a Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" bi-plane, a F100F Super Sabre, a A-1D Skyraider and many others.  There were a lot of first time aircraft for me - always a bonus!  And did I mention, a really nice Mid-west blue sky.  All that was left was for me not to screw up the shots.

I hit the business button over 1900 times and came away with 130 decent shots.  (Lots of slow shutter speeds for effect.)  Culling shots is often like choosing sides for an All-Star team.  Every category has at least one entry.  A lot of deletions, to which my alter ego will say is BAD, BAD, BAD.

Recently, I had changed from shooting in MANUAL mode to Speed Priority for air events.  I also upped default frame rate from 3 FPS to 7 FPS.  (That might have something to do with the increase in number of shots taken.)  I may have to change back.  There were a number of shots where the metering made 'creative' color changes.  Can't have that - I don't like competing creativity - especially from a computer chip.

This was a really good show, despite over 100k people and their cars and all the issues that brings on.  Everyone had a good time.  Nice skies, and upper 70s with a cool lake breeze going.

A lot of the performers were prop driven.  There was one P-51 flying, the local favorite Swamp Fox.  

Every now and then, you just catch one right.  I've been lucky with catching focus before, but the positioning and the sky will often deter from a really good shot.  Not this time.

Swamp Fox Left Bank

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

435 mm, 1/200 sec, f/16, ISO 100

EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size DX

Most of my P-51 shots come from Reno where I never get this angle.  In Reno, I'm sitting on the outside of the turns, I get a lot of underbelly.  This is on the inside of the bank.  Maybe that is why I like this one so much.

Blue Angels Flight Shots from ToM '21

Continuing on some shots from Thunder over Michigan '21 show.

These are some inflight shots, in some form of formation.  That would lead one to conclude that there are solo shots, and maybe some shots from on the ground on the way.  Both thoughts would be correct.  I'm running out of time to post those.  Next two weekends are booked, with one being the Selfridge open house.  Then ToM '22.  Already checking out the long range weather forecasts.

A lot of what I'm looking for is the camera/lens combos.  Currently I think the best combo is the D500 and 70-200 f/2.8.  On a sunny day.  And at ToM, the show line comes close enough to use a 300 mm lens.

The nice thing about ToM is I have three days of access.  And access means I can bring whatever I need or want to use.  Lots of time to mix and match.  Experiment.  And this year I have the 80-400 to add into the mix.

And a few shots from ToM '21, Blue Angel performances.

The first shots are with the D500/70-200 f/2.8 combo.  There was very little cropping on this shot, as well as the rest.  For me, this was pretty clear.  That f/2.8 allowed a really fast speed.

Blue Angels - Diamond 4

NIKON D500 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8

300 mm, 1/3200 sec, f/3.5, ISO 110 (Auto)

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

Same camera combo and speed for this next shot.  This is a common echelon pass, and is close and clear enough to see the pilot at work.

Blue Angels - Echelon Pass

NIKON D500 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8

300 mm, 1/3200 sec, f/3.5, ISO 100

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

Moving on to the D850/200-500 combo shots.  For some of these, I was using a mono-pod.  Trying to work it.  This year, maybe more time with the Mpod.

This is a photo of the ever common Fortus Maneuver.  This is really truly unique to the Blue Angels, as the tail-hook is dropped.  On both aircraft.

Blue Angels - Fortus Maneuver

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20/NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6

500 mm, 1/2500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 (Auto)

EV 0, Aperture Priority, Size FX

I had to look for the formal name for this maneuver.  This is called a Double Farvel.  Google it.  The stuff you learn when you go to an airshow.

Blue Angels - Double Farvel

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20/NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6

410 mm, 1/2500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 (Auto)

EV 0, Aperture Priority, Size FX

This next shot has a bit of chaos.  Chaos in a world of perfected coordinated movement.  That is worth a photo every time.

Blue Angels - Head On Breakout Pt2

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20/NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6

410 mm, 1/2500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 (Auto)

EV 0, Aperture Priority, Size FX

Looking forward to the '22 show.

F-35 In Flight at TOM '21

One of the really nice things about the Thunder over Michigan show was it was three days long.  And in three days, there are changes in weather.  There are also changes in camera and lens combos.  Usually with two day shows, the time of day for the performers doesn't change.  But add a Friday in - and the times may change.

In the case of the F-35 Demo team, the Friday practice was mid-afternoon but the show times on Saturday and Sunday were mid-morning.

The Friday mid-afternoon shots were crystal clear with a 70-200 f/2.8 lens.  The Saturday and Sunday shots were with the 200-500 f/5.6 lens.  My opinion, not so clear, but the humidity was high in those morning hours.

The Friday mid-afternoon shot.  Using the f/2.8 lens allows for a 1/2500 shutter speed at ISO 100.  Pure awesomeness.

F-35 with Some Vapor

NIKON D500 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8

300 mm, 1/2500 sec, f/4.0, ISO 100

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

There's always something about an afterburner shot.  And, if the exhaust cone can be seen, in the day, BONUS.

F-35 AB Climb

NIKON D500 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 200.0-500.0 f/5.6

435 mm, 1/1600 sec, f/5.6, ISO (Auto) 180

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

And another AB shot.

F-35 Hard Left Bank

NIKON D500 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 200.0-500.0 f/5.6

750 mm, 1/1600 sec, f/5.6, ISO (Auto) 180

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

AB yellows and oranges,  Nothing like it.

A10 Demo Team - TOM '21

The A-10 Warthog, to me, is one of the most interesting weapon systems in the inventory.  Don't misunderstand, I do like the gee-whiz factor of the F-22.  And as much as I like the high-tech stuff, I also believe in the simplicity of the Warthog.

The aircraft that was designed in the early '70 has gone through a number of upgrades over the years.  Some high tech has been added.

But the role of the aircraft remains the same.  Deliver the 'gun'.

The 'Gun'.  The 'Gun' is actually a GAU-8/A Avenger Autocannon.  The total system weighs just over 4,000 pounds.  The system can fire up to 3,900 rounds per minute accurately to 4,000 feet.  Simplicity.

I saw the A-10s during Desert Storm.  For clarity, I didn't see them in action, but while we were on a down range ramp waiting to be unloaded or for gas, most of the fighter aircraft we saw were F-15s and A-10s.  We traveled among some good company.

So I'm always very happy when I see one in the air, or at a show.  No afterburner.  No noise.  Just one of the coolest weapon systems, ever.

These are some shots from the Thunder over Michigan 2021 show.  For the taxi shot, we were that close to the taxiway.

A-10 Close Taxi

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20/NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR

55 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/4.0, ISO 64

EV +1, MANUAL Mode, Size FX

I'm beginning to like the shots where the pilot is in view - and you can almost see see the flight panel.

A-10 Left Bank

NIKON D500 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR

195 mm, 1/2000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

A-10 Dirty Approach

NIKON D500 Ver.1.30/70.0-200.0 mm f/2.8

300 mm, 1/1600 sec, f/6.3, ISO 100

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

Fun to watch it fly.  Can't wait to see another demo flight in the future.  Simple is good.

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.

CF-18 Demo Team - In the Rain

The 2022 version of Wild Wednesday was anything but.  As planned, the show would have been pretty good for a mid-week break.  Mother Nature had other plans.

Says it all.

The show was scheduled for two hours.  In the end, there was 45 minutes of flight time.  And one deceased bird.

And truth be told, I'd do it again.

You can't fight Mother Nature.

I did get some photos of the local B-17, Yankee Lady.  I also got a few shots of a PBY Catalina.  Along with the CF-18 photos, I consider this outing a success.

I am by choice a fair weather outdoor photographer.  This was so far outside of my comfort zone, I needed a rain coat.

Yep, that is a plastic bag over the D850.  In the morning I searched/watched Youtube on how to protect your camera equipment from the elements.  There was one video that said, you don't need to do anything.  I passed that one by and kept searching.  I landed on a video that suggested a mid-sized garbage bag with two holes cut in for the lens and eye-piece.  In my budget and I had time and scissors.  By the end of the show, the camera was the driest thing in the car.  I can live with that.

A little rain will not stop the all-weather fighter.  The CF-18 for me was the top liner of the show.  I saw the new Top Gun movie last weekend, ready for the noise.  If they queue the music just right....  And they did.

There are many challenges to shooting an airshow is less than perfect light.  For me, I would be shooting jets a a lower shutter speed - going from my preferred 1/1250 to 1/800.  And ISO setting from 64 to 1600.  Get the photo first, let the software do the rest.  For now I'm posting the final products, but may do a before and after post processing.

I originally thought that none of the shots would clean up enough for a Flickr posting, but I was wrong.  I'm really happy with how these turned out.

Being dark, thank you Mother Nature, allowed this shot to really grab me.  Afterburner.  Very rarely seen before sunset.  And the front gear landing light.

CF-18 Off the Deck

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

400 mm, 1/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600 (Auto)

EV +0.67, Shutter Priority, Size FX

Due to a local bird violating the TFR for the show, and not getting proper clearance, a collision with one of the CF-18's engines was inevitable.  The aircraft did recover without further issue.  But it was really dark now, as the weather was really dropping.

CF-18 Dark Taxi

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

400 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600 (Auto)

EV +0.67, Shutter Priority, Size FX

I could add some exposure, but this is pretty realistic of the lighting for the time.

Hope to see the Canadians fly in the future.  In better lighting.