On Saturday, 13th June, the volunteers of Classic Flight at Coventry Airport arranged a 1940s/50s style photo shoot with a bit of a twist. It started with a H&S/Parish Notice briefing and as there were no barriers, we had one volunteer to two photographers who were there purely to keep an eye on us and made sure we did not stray into unauthorised areas and allowed us any photo opportunities we required. Apart from the jets, there was access to virtually all the collections aircraft that were present both inside and out. We spent the morning having a wander around photographing anything outside and inside the hanger. Lunch was a bacon buttie, seems the norm for a photo shoot now, from Kates Kabin I think it was, and after lunch came the twist with glamour models who were posing in period costumes with the aircraft as a backdrop.
A thoroughly enjoyable day out in the sunshine with an excellent opportunity to photograph not only aeroplanes but models as well and an excellent start by all the volunteers to what will hopefully will become a regular event.

Despite it chucking it down with rain as I left Huntingdon, the further south I traveled, the clearer it got and by London it was blue sky. Despite the forecast for showers at Northolt, it held off but the clouds did roll in at times and lighting conditions ranged from flat to bright sunshine. I went around first with my camera on the monopod and then I went low level.

Many thanks to Phil and Lee and the rest of the volunteers for a very enjoyable couple of hours on a warm Sunday afternoon.

Even the drizzle, didn't quite turn into rain, didn't dampen spirits for another unique photo opportunity at RAF Northolt for aircraft arriving for the Families day. We were on a grassy knoll between the rear of the engine run up pan and the wind sock and that gave us a clear view of everything that was going on. As I would have had to leave at 22.00, to make connections for my train, I didn't stay for the night shoot bit which I believe was going to start about 22.30.
As the weather was naff I decided to give RAW a try as I keep reading that you have better control in processing images in these conditions.
Many thanks to Phil for arranging the aircraft and Lee for keeping us corralled and informed as to what was happening and also the Station Commander and Air Traffic for letting us out on the airfield and especially The British Forces Post Office for the use of their 'Rest Room' facilities.

There was quite a lot of space down by ARCo/M11 end and the brick building by the gate came in handy to shelter behind. The weather is the weather and did its thing and well done to all the pilots, especially those from Old Warden, for braving the winds.
The only down side to the day for me was that I must have touched the ISO button on the top of my camera and adjusted the ISO, instead of shutter speed, to 800 and about a third of my shots even Neat Image can't do anything with. A lesson once learned.

As part for the 'FlyNavy100' flypast over London, the Royal Navy rotary wing element operated out of RAF Northolt which became a temporary Royal Naval Air Station base for the day. As we were gathering in the car park the helicopters were arriving and when we were out on the pan we had about 30 minutes for a wander around before the crews came out for start up. I love the smell of Avtur in the mornings especially when 18 helicopters are doing a massed take off, and just over an hour later they returned in line astern. All that was missing was 'Ride of the Valkyries' blaring out. After a splash and dash they departed back to Yeovilton/Culdrose.

First air show of the season and although the sun shone, a bit, it was quite windy and blustery and the pilots did exceptionally well in the conditions. The Hanger 11 P.40 Kittyyhawk was still in its colour scheme used for its part in a film called 'Red Tails' shot in Czech Republic about the Tuskegee Airmen.

Took the Eurostar for a day and a half visit to Brussels last Thursday. One of the museums on my list to visit was the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History to give it its full title and as it's reportedly due to close for massive refurbishment soon, I though I had better make the effort. I did ask when but no one seemed to know, or was it my English?. As it was such a nice afternoon I thought I would take in some of the sights of Brussels and walked to the hotel, about 45 minutes from the Eurostar Terminal, which was right next to the Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark where the museum is situated. I had about an hour that afternoon in the Museum to see what was what and where. Spent Friday morning in the Aircraft hall. I had to check my back pack/camera bag into a luggage locker, 2 euros which you get back, in a cloak room next to the entrance desk. Was well impressed with what they had in there but the exhibition hall really does need refurbishment if only to get rid of the bird guano covering some of the aircraft. I think a return visit is called for as there are some superb opportunities to get some arty rather than the record shots that I took.
Camera hand held, set on 'AUTO' with an 11-18mm lens.

Well the weather gods relented on Easter Saturday as it stopped drizzling as the Newark Air Museum closed to the public and we didn't quite get a golden sunset, but one of sorts. A thoroughly enjoyable evening and many thanks to the staff and volunteers, especially those who held their pose for the long exposures, not just for the photo shoot but also for their hospitality during the afternoon I was there. Unfortunately I couldn't stay to the end, I only missed the Vulcan, as I had a train to catch and many thanks to Howard for a lift to the station.

The purpose of this trip to Cosford was a first visit to the Michael Beetham Conservation Centre, which was open for its twice-yearly viewing period, and a first look at the Cold War Exhibition. Monday was probably not the best time to visit as it appeared to be pensioners’ day and there were a lot of people about.
Interesting seeing some of the airframes in the MBCC that I had only seen in photographs before and listening to the engineers talk about their projects. The one aircraft I had wanted to see was the Single Pioneer (XL703) but the fuselage was in the paint shop and only the wings were on display. Apparently the RAF ‘loaned’ the Royal Air Force of Oman some Single Pioneers when they were in service. This one is being painted up in RAFO markings and will be on ‘loan’ to the RAFO Museum.

‘Lusty Lindy’ was open all afternoon for a look around and to photograph inside the cockpit. Before the main event, Buccaneer S Mk.2/XN974, which was nose on to the Victor, was hooked up to the GPUs and flapped its wings a couple of times but never fast enough to become airborne.
At 17.00, our small happy band of photographers congregated in the Chapel for a briefing on health & safety and what was going to take place during the evening. Outside, the rope barrier that had been close up around the Victor had been moved outwards to a point where, with an 18mm lens, the aircraft filled the frame but with a bit of room to spare either side. The weather was excellent with a cool breeze blowing, a clear blue sky and a chance of a golden glow at sunset. Alas it was not to be. There was a bit of a haze, again, and cloud on the horizon.
The APU of the Victor screamed into life. For several cycles the flaps were lowered and raised, airbrakes opened and closed, HDU raised and lowered and control surfaces moved. Everything turned deathly quiet when the APU shut down. As it grew darker four pre-positioned portable spotlights either side of the nose and tail, were switched on. Later, when it was much darker, the landing lights were switched on (Note: next time avert eyes) and finally the hose was pulled out of the HDU and in the darkness you could just make out the ring of green lights around the edge of the basket.
Many thanks to my brother for the lift and to everyone I met and especially to Ollie Suckling and the crew of XL231 who put in a lot of work to achieve a very successful first nigh photo shoot with ‘Lusty Lindy’ and also to the staff of the Yorkshire Air Museum for their hospitality during the event.

After a couple of engine runs, the Storch was taxied around to the fuel pumps and had its engine panels fitted. Not easy with one hand on the aircraft, the other on my camera and trying not to slip in the mud and water as we pushed back the aircraft to firmer ground. With the test pilot on board it then went up for a 20 minute flight. The stall test looked impressive because from where we were standing it looked like it was hanging motionless in the air until the nose dropped. With hazy sunshine, not the best lighting conditions. Congratulations to Peter and his team and for the opportunity to get up close. After lunch, I had a bimble around the hangers with my mono pod and wide angle lens trying to keep one step ahead of the school party that was wandering around.

Duxford is slowly coming back to life from its winter hibernation. A few airframes have been moved around and the Yale has departed Hanger 3, hopefully to have its engine installed.

I must be slipping, only one visit this month but the sun shone and the car park was full when I left. The F-15 is inside having some TLC and there was access around the Viscount and Shackleton in the AirSpace Hanger. Many thanks to the guys in The Fighter Collection for the wander around and cockpit shots. The P-47 fuselage has been moved closer to its wings and Sea Fury VZ345 has filled its place and will have the fuselage parted from its centre section on Sunday I believe.

A bit of an exercise for me this as I have wanted to shoot aeroplanes in the snow but there has been a marked lack of it over the past few years. Nearly did this time with an opportunity at the Newark Air Museum. I found out that the tilt screen/live view is not much good in daylight and had to go back to the hit and miss principle of framing images, and a lot of deleting. There was also a lot of contrast between bright sunlight and shadows.They were all taken with a 11-18mm wide angle lens on my Alpha 350 on the end of a monopod being waved about in the air with the camera set on 'AUTO'. I must get a longer shutter release cable as I was a bit limited in height as well.