Official Aviation Thread...

[flyboyx]

i don't know the answer, but there is a guy i fly with that used to fly pv2's. i'll try to remember to ask the next time i see him.

Will, i was noticing that you seem to be getting much better telephoto results than last year. are you still using the same lens? what do your attribute your success?

[varg]

I'm guessing they keep the turbojets at flight idle during operations where they will be required and throttle up when needed. You probably wouldn't be able to hear the jets idling over the radial engines at a high power setting, jet engines of all types take a lot longer to start and shut down than piston engines so they aren't just switching them off and on.

[LateFan]

We had P2Vs from Neptune Aviation flying around the valley all day - such good noise. Do those auxiliary engines kick in whenever they need more thrust, or are they just for take-off? One of them made a really steep bank right over our yard, and suddenly got really loud, with jet roar. Then it just quit, back to radial hum. Just curious how that works. Can the guy flip a switch?

At one point there was a formation of 4 of them, roaring over the house several times. Laps of the valley. Pretty great. (We're up against a mountain, so they pretty much have to turn here) Then they all peeled off in different directions and randomly flew around. Some went clockwise, some anti-, all at the same (very low) altitude. I could see the numbers on the bottom.

One of them I'm pretty sure didn't have the auxiliary engines hanging off the wings - it was just clean wing and the two radials. He went ripping around at full throttle (at what, 2500, 3000 rpm?) and was really moving. There was a really loud, small, single-engine chase plane with him, taking pics I assume. It was the retirement party of the P2V from service as a retardant bomber. Sad they're going, glad I got to see them.

[BlackbirdM3]

A single 1/60 shot is one thing, how about another?


Jeff Rose Friday morning.


Relentless Pursuit (of non fouled fuel filters...) He landed dead stick just about every time he flew this year. Somewhere he filled up with very contaminated fuel and it plagued him all week long.


What it looks like when you are over 100 mph slower than the front runner.






Will

[BlackbirdM3]

How much is it to get into a plane like that? $200-300k?

The formula 1s aren't that bad. You can pick up a fairly stock Cassult for $20K or so. The gold heat ones like the planes I posted, yeah, those will get crazy expensive. Still, even old designs can be fast. A friend of mine races a Shoestring that has been reskinned with carbon fiber (he and his brother did it themselves) and had he not had more gremlins than the movie, likely would have been a contender. The Shoestring design dates back to the '40s.

A few more shots from Thursday.

Making a Wildcat look like its doing 500mph... (I really pushed my limits as a photographer for this. I shot this handheld at 410mm, F18 at 1/60 sec shutter speed)


Not quite as slow, but still 1/80 sec 410mm.


Shanty Irish at 1/100th sec 400mm


1/80 at 400mm



Shanty Irish on the ramp Friday night.



I got some good stuff of the Sport class as well.
460mm, 1/125 shutter speed.

480mm at 1/80


another at 480 1/80





Will

[flyboyx]

Personally, I wouldn't begin to know. I assume that airplane would cost every bit of 300k and perhaps a lot more. I bet the expenses for a race week alone are around a 100+ grand?

I remember reading that it cost about 300k to take an unlimited warbird there to race.

[jpod999]

How much is it to get into a plane like that? $200-300k?

[BlackbirdM3]

A couple shots of the International Formula 1 planes. These things are pretty cool. They all run a normally aspirated 200ci engine and the fast ones are going over 200 mph. They are great to watch race, and everyone in the class is cool.




Will

[george graves]

I've been watching this guy on youtube that makes recreations of near air misses. Holy crap!

[BlackbirdM3]

Wednesday night really did produce some epic shots. The light Thursday morning was pretty nice as well

Will

[BlackbirdM3]

Jeez, don't stop now.... I really am enjoying your pictures.

I'm processing them as fast as I can. Its slow going. Too much stuff going on.

Will

[SkiFree]

Thanks. I haven't even gotten to the racing shots yet. (The could all be crap, I haven't looked at them yet)

Will

Jeez, don't stop now.... I really am enjoying your pictures.

[FLYNAVY]

when i was a little boy of about 11 or 12, my dad and i went to a farm auction in rural indiana (maybe it was ohio-i can't remember). sitting inside the old wooden barn was a somewhat disassembled p51 a or b just like the one in your last couple photos above. seems like i remember it had a 4 blade prop though. it had some damage to the wing but most everything including the fuselage was still in crates from the surplus auction it probably came from. the whole ball of wax sold that day for about 12 grand. fuck!

My dad got off active duty flying in the early 1960's, around the time the ANG was selling off surplus P-51's. He said the going rate was $500. He didn't buy one. Has kicked himself for the last 60 years since. As another aviator, I will kick him too :)

[BlackbirdM3]

Will your Reno shots never disappoint very very WELL DONE

Thanks. I haven't even gotten to the racing shots yet. (The could all be crap, I haven't looked at them yet)

Will

[mrsleeve]

Will your Reno shots never disappoint very very WELL DONE