Aircraft

[Gravdigr]

Stratovision

[Carruthers]

It's pretty quiet here at night and often it's possible to hear overflying aircraft well above 30,000'.
At about 0415 I heard jet engine noise from great height so went to FlightRadar 24 on my iPad.
By the time I managed to take a screen shot the aircraft in question was some miles away over NW London...



I know that specialised cargo variants of large aircraft are developed from time to time but this one had escaped my attention.
Here's the beast in question.



Boeing Dreamlifter

[xoxoxoBruce]

Yes, it was built to haul Paul Bunyan and his family to various book signing events. Just hope they don't flush the toilet over your house.

[Carruthers]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Just hope they don't flush the toilet over your house.

They wouldn't dare. It's marked on aeronautical charts as an H24 No Flush Zone.

[Carruthers]

The nature of low flying in North Wales provides numerous photo opportunities.
You probably have to be faster than the aircraft though.
Aspiring action photographers with a black hood and magnesium flash are unlikely to achieve much success.

The aircrew of a US air force F-15E Strike Eagle are calmness personified while practicing low level flying in an area of Snowdonia, Wales, known as the Machynlleth Loop.
The so-called Mach Loop is in a set of valleys near Barmouth, and it is possible to view the warplanes from above.

Daily Telegraph

Mach Loop

[glatt]

Even top mechanics and ground crews of one of the worlds finest military organizations have trouble dusting the dashboard where the base of the windshield gets down into that narrow spot where it meets the dash. I don't feel so bad about my car.

[Gravdigr]

So...There I was...

Standing in the backyard, with my di--er--my camera in my hand, when I looked up and saw a passenger plane going over.

I yelled "Boss!! De plane! De Plane!!!" Well, I didn't really, but, I thought it. And then I thought "There's a camera in your hand with the long lens on, take a picture dumbass."

So I did.

Full size crop:



Manual focus, full 300mm tele, handheld, on a moving target. Through the tree, no less. I was kinda impressed with the outcome. Not a great pic, certainly not a keeper, but, it was soooo much better than I was expecting.

A couple minutes later I looked up again, and waaaaay out there was another plane. I mean it was waaaaaay out there, a mere white speck, floating silently through the sky. I remembered the camera in my hand, so I took a pic. And another, because electrons are free, well almost.

Then I reviewed these most recent pics on the back of my camera. My first thought was "Wtf?" and my very next thought was "No. Fucking. Way."

Now, my camera's screen is a pretty good display, so good in fact, that it regularly lies to me concerning the quality of pics I've just taken, so I wasn't 100% sure I was seeing exactly what I was seeing.

I immediately went to the computer, shoved the card in the slot, and clicked the thing.

"No. Fucking. Way."

I'd just taken two pictures of an AWACS plane!

Both untouched full size crops:




Auto focus, full 300mm tele, handheld, on a moving target.

I was totally stoked for a while. I'm not real sure why.

Do those airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) regularly patrol the skies over civilian Murka? Did I do something rare and cool by snapping one in flight (from the ground?)? Should I expect a visit from men in dark suits driving black SUVs?

[Gravdigr]

For comparison, the EC-3 Sentry, of which Boeing built 68. Production ended in 1992.



They were built on 707 bodies. Some 767s have the AWAC treatment. Idk how many or when they were produced.

ETA: My pics are not of the 767 variety. My plane has four engines, 767s have two.

[Gravdigr]

I was trying ID the airline of the plane in my first pic, but got bored real fast.

Also: Anyone know how to track a two-day-old-flight?

[Carruthers]

Should I expect a visit from men in dark suits driving black SUVs?

I think you'll be OK Grav, but it probably wouldn't be wise to try the same trick in certain parts of Nevada. If you get my meaning.

[Gravdigr]

I do.

[Carruthers]

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

I was trying ID the airline of the plane in my first pic, but got bored real fast.

Not posted with any great confidence, but I think this might be what you're looking for.



Delta Airlines Embraer ERJ 145

[glatt]

That's not something you see every day!

[xoxoxoBruce]

Without a 300mm lens how would you know how many you see.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

A couple minutes later I looked up again, and waaaaay out there was another plane. I mean it was waaaaaay out there, a mere white speck, floating silently through the sky. I remembered the camera in my hand, so I took a pic. And another, because electrons are free, well almost.

Then I reviewed these most recent pics on the back of my camera. My first thought was "Wtf?" and my very next thought was "No. Fucking. Way."

Now, my camera's screen is a pretty good display, so good in fact, that it regularly lies to me concerning the quality of pics I've just taken, so I wasn't 100% sure I was seeing exactly what I was seeing.

I immediately went to the computer, shoved the card in the slot, and clicked the thing.

"No. Fucking. Way."

I'd just taken two pictures of an AWACS plane!

Both untouched full size crops:

Attachment 63300
Attachment 63301

Auto focus, full 300mm tele, handheld, on a moving target.

I was totally stoked for a while. I'm not real sure why.

Do those airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) regularly patrol the skies over civilian Murka? Did I do something rare and cool by snapping one in flight (from the ground?)? Should I expect a visit from men in dark suits driving black SUVs?

Well fair his fair since he's taking pictures of you!