Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Eagle sunset!
About six weeks either side of the shortest day there are a few days when the sun sets in line with the runway at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, after many years of trying and seeing great sunsets and no aircraft landing and/or lots of jets but clouds blocking the sun I finally got the shots I was after on Monday, over 400 of them in fact, afterwards I viewed the pictures on the back of my camera, it was a Tourettes moment!
The last days of a legendary jet
For 3 days in December I headed up the A1 with a heavy heart, they would be the last days in service of the iconic Harrier; for 40 years this quite astonishing aircraft has, in it’s various versions, been one of the RAF’s most versatile jets, leaping into the air from conventional runways, ships decks, rough fields and well just about anywhere!
The defence cuts spelt the end of it’s career here in the UK, so on the 13-15th of December 2009 the most faithful of British plane spotters gathered to freeze in the winter wet and wind at RAF Cottesmore to pay homage as the crews rehearsed and displayed to mark this sad occasion.
The Monday (13th) was such a slow day, grey weather, low cloud and rain meant delays and at times looked like no flying would happen; however at lunchtime the sky cleared and the whine of Pegasus engines warmed the cold crowd! 17 aircraft taxied out a 2 seater with a photographer in the back seat and the 16 ship formation flight; fortunately they managed to overfly all the sites that the last flypast would entail as the weather on the big day (15th) would be dreadful.
For those of us gathered on the fence the return of the Harriers to Cottesmore could not have been more fitting, a spectacular sunset being the finest of backdrops to see them against.
The 14th and 15th were just as cold, the Harriers flew both days, but sadly not able to do the 16 ship flypast at their home base on either.
The defence cuts spelt the end of it’s career here in the UK, so on the 13-15th of December 2009 the most faithful of British plane spotters gathered to freeze in the winter wet and wind at RAF Cottesmore to pay homage as the crews rehearsed and displayed to mark this sad occasion.
The Monday (13th) was such a slow day, grey weather, low cloud and rain meant delays and at times looked like no flying would happen; however at lunchtime the sky cleared and the whine of Pegasus engines warmed the cold crowd! 17 aircraft taxied out a 2 seater with a photographer in the back seat and the 16 ship formation flight; fortunately they managed to overfly all the sites that the last flypast would entail as the weather on the big day (15th) would be dreadful.
For those of us gathered on the fence the return of the Harriers to Cottesmore could not have been more fitting, a spectacular sunset being the finest of backdrops to see them against.
The 14th and 15th were just as cold, the Harriers flew both days, but sadly not able to do the 16 ship flypast at their home base on either.
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Harrier
Rumour has it that the Harrier will cease flying operations on or about the 16th of December, what a sad day that will be; with such a time limit set to see them in air I have spent as much time as I can photographing their unique and amazing flying capabilities at RAF Cottesmore, I hope to get them low-level in Wales again before its just a memory!
So here are a few more of many of the shots taken in recent weeks, plus a shot of a French Navy Embraer Xingu that stole the best light of the day when I wanted Harrier sunset shots!
So here are a few more of many of the shots taken in recent weeks, plus a shot of a French Navy Embraer Xingu that stole the best light of the day when I wanted Harrier sunset shots!
Friday, 29 October 2010
Harrier
Another of British aviation's finest is now heading for the scrapheap. The Harrier is nearly as old as I am, but it's still a very formidable aircraft, probably one of the best close air support platforms ever and I do not comprehend the logic behind scrapping it!
Design started in 1957, I was 2 and it entered service when I was 14 years old; ever since then it has wowed everyone, not just aviation enthusiasts, a real crowd pleaser, this 'jump jet' and the Vulcan was what my now departed dad always wanted to see on the airshow list.
I remember being totally gobsmacked seeing Harriers for the first time at Farnborough, they just rose up out of the trees at the far side of the airfield during an airfield attack to see off the marauding Sea Vixens (Simon's Circus, 890 squadron display team I think). I am still just as impressed seeing them screaming through the Mach loop in appalling weather piloted by the RAF's finest. I have also spent long hours at various bases photographing them.
RAF Cottesmore has been their home since the departure of the Tri-national Tornado training unit in 1999, I have been there many times and not always seen much activity, so it was joyous that this weeks 'pilgrimage' was like a private airshow for the above average number of spotters gathered for another sad-eyed fix of a favourite jet.
It was the best day I've had at the base, 9 aircraft flew including a 2 seat T10, all the pilots gave a friendly wave before deafening us, the smell of burnt kerosene tingled in my nostrils and a few tears rolled down my cheeks too, my dad would have loved that day as much as I did!
Design started in 1957, I was 2 and it entered service when I was 14 years old; ever since then it has wowed everyone, not just aviation enthusiasts, a real crowd pleaser, this 'jump jet' and the Vulcan was what my now departed dad always wanted to see on the airshow list.
I remember being totally gobsmacked seeing Harriers for the first time at Farnborough, they just rose up out of the trees at the far side of the airfield during an airfield attack to see off the marauding Sea Vixens (Simon's Circus, 890 squadron display team I think). I am still just as impressed seeing them screaming through the Mach loop in appalling weather piloted by the RAF's finest. I have also spent long hours at various bases photographing them.
RAF Cottesmore has been their home since the departure of the Tri-national Tornado training unit in 1999, I have been there many times and not always seen much activity, so it was joyous that this weeks 'pilgrimage' was like a private airshow for the above average number of spotters gathered for another sad-eyed fix of a favourite jet.
It was the best day I've had at the base, 9 aircraft flew including a 2 seat T10, all the pilots gave a friendly wave before deafening us, the smell of burnt kerosene tingled in my nostrils and a few tears rolled down my cheeks too, my dad would have loved that day as much as I did!
Monday, 20 September 2010
Eagles at last light.
One of those slow days where nothing seemed to be happening at Lakenheath was lifted by a very posy Little Owl on the fence, I spent a while photographing it and got some nice images, the base however stayed silent, the cloud came over the sky and then the rain fell.. time to go home except one of the other guys there had car problems and I decided to stay at least until the breakdown service arrived!
Some things happen for a reason, without Robert's car failing to start we'd have been long gone when the last rays of sunlight came out and lit the departing F15Es with quality light, an evening that will be long remembered. Loads more images on my Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/nigelblake/
Some things happen for a reason, without Robert's car failing to start we'd have been long gone when the last rays of sunlight came out and lit the departing F15Es with quality light, an evening that will be long remembered. Loads more images on my Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/nigelblake/
Saturday, 17 July 2010
Raptors in Suffolk
I had heard that the 2 Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptors due in the UK for RIAT and Farnborough would visit RAF Lakenheath a day or two before the big airshows, then on Monday I was informed 4 were due in at 7:30 that evening, I dropped everything and headed to the Suffolk base.
Of course I wasn't the only one to get advanced info, the aircraft had been heard by lots of avid scanner listening 'spotters' and excited messages had gone out on various online forums, the area around Lakenheath was packed with aviation enthusiasts.
Some F15Cs launched to go and meet the visitors, cameras were checked and rechecked as the hum of excitement got louder, the F15Cs returned, perfect for some test shots, checking the histogram and tweaking the settings, then in came the Raptors to touchdown at 7:30pm!
Will they go low-level; I doubt it, as it's not necessary for the high level intercept role this stealthy futurist jet was designed for, but who knows, I would love to see these pouring vapour and screaming through Cad or around Corris, but I think it'll only be if I photoshop it!!!
Of course I wasn't the only one to get advanced info, the aircraft had been heard by lots of avid scanner listening 'spotters' and excited messages had gone out on various online forums, the area around Lakenheath was packed with aviation enthusiasts.
Some F15Cs launched to go and meet the visitors, cameras were checked and rechecked as the hum of excitement got louder, the F15Cs returned, perfect for some test shots, checking the histogram and tweaking the settings, then in came the Raptors to touchdown at 7:30pm!
Will they go low-level; I doubt it, as it's not necessary for the high level intercept role this stealthy futurist jet was designed for, but who knows, I would love to see these pouring vapour and screaming through Cad or around Corris, but I think it'll only be if I photoshop it!!!
Flying legends
I am sure it's obvious from the content of my blog that I love jets, the scream of Typhoons and the roar of F15Es around the loop are awesome noises... but the song of Merlins as a 'choir' of 10 Spitfires growl up the grass and into the air at Duxford's spectacular 'Flying legends' show is THE music of aviation.
Legends is the airshow that I just cannot miss, year on year it gets better, 3 hours of beautifully preserved and maintained 'Warbirds' fill the air for such a full on show, you really don't know which way to look.
Apart from the flying there is also the reenactors that surround the airfields parked aircraft and present a picture of wartime, the like of this I have only ever seen 'on set' when I used to work on movies. Photographically it's the combination of people and planes that is the 'icing on an already tasty cake' I took so many pictures I have still to look at and edit many of them.
A fantastic show!
Legends is the airshow that I just cannot miss, year on year it gets better, 3 hours of beautifully preserved and maintained 'Warbirds' fill the air for such a full on show, you really don't know which way to look.
Apart from the flying there is also the reenactors that surround the airfields parked aircraft and present a picture of wartime, the like of this I have only ever seen 'on set' when I used to work on movies. Photographically it's the combination of people and planes that is the 'icing on an already tasty cake' I took so many pictures I have still to look at and edit many of them.
A fantastic show!
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