AIRSHOW PREPARATIONS

T-6 Texan,   @600 mm, 1/250s, f/13, ISO100

The sound of propeller engines filled the air early in the morning during the last couple days, reminding us that the world’s largest airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin is coming up next week. As every year a number of historic airplanes are at the Dubuque Airport the week before, with the pilots training for the big event.

T-6 Texan,   @600 mm, 1/60s, f/20, ISO100

I went out in the afternoon and the weather conditions were just great for some aviation photography. Some big puffy clouds made for a nice background. As every year, there were a number T-6 Texans and some other airplanes parked but a few did still their practice at my arrival. The runway they used for starts and landing today is not far from the observation deck and I tried my luck with the planes coming in for landing out of the southeast.

T-6 Texan,   @600 mm, 1/50s, f/20, ISO100

There were two things I tried to accomplish. First it is nice to have a little bit of blue sky in the frame, not just the white and gray of the clouds. That of course was not always in my control. And second the props of the planes had to be blurred for a realistic sense of motion. To get there the shutter speed should be between 1/40s and 1/250s. The last was almost too fast for some pictures because the speed of the propeller plays also a role here. I can tell, my panning technique with the long lens was not superior today, I had a lot of misses. I definitely need more practice…

1966 BEECH V35 Bonanza, 1/250s, f/13, ISO100

T-6 TEXANS IN TOWN

Two T-6 Texans after takeoff at the Dubuque Regional Airport

The engine noise of T-6 Texans, P-51 Mustangs, and other historical planes filled the air during the last few days and reminded us that the world’s biggest air show starts next week in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A number of these aircrafts come every year to the Dubuque Regional Airport to train prior to the show. I tried my luck and went out to the observation deck at the airport this evening. At the end I had really just one good opportunity to bring a few Texans into the viewfinder of the camera and it was only this shot, with some great clouds in the background, that I liked. My panning technique is not up to par and the keeper rate was accordingly low. Maybe I should go back tomorrow if it is not too hazy…?

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,     @ 400 mm, 1/160 s, f/18, ISO 100

LATE POST, SPINNING PROPS

AT-6, ready for takeoff

The Air Venture 2018 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin is already over since yesterday and I’m still posting photos from the practice that took place a week earlier at the Dubuque Regional Airport… Business travel and other circumstances prevented me to work on my pictures last week, but hey, here are still a few shots! I’m not really deep into aviation photography but historic aircrafts have an appeal to me and I admire the people that keep them flying. You may ask, why didn’t you post more pictures of flying planes this time? As already mentioned in my post from July 22nd, we had an ugly gray overcast on Sunday. This was OK for shooting the aircrafts on the ground because of the soft light, but when you have gray clouds without any texture the same rule as in wildlife photography applies, never photograph a bird in flight…

P-51D Mustang

Slow shutter speed is key for having all props spinning

PRACTICE FOR THE 2018 AIR VENTURE IN OSHKOSH

Next week is the 2018 EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI, the world’s greatest aviation celebration with more than 10,000 aircrafts arriving and 500,000+ people attending. As every year, numerous airplanes practice for the airshow at the Dubuque Regional Airport the week before. This year the 80th anniversary of the T-6 Texan will be celebrated. This aircraft first flew on Sept. 18, 1938. Usually there are about 50 T-6 at the show but this year 80 of this historic aircrafts are expected. This airshow will feature a 28-ship T-6 formation to create a large “80” and other formations over Oshkosh.

Well, everybody who took the time to go to the Dubuque Airport during the last couple days had a chance to see how this all will unfold in Oshkosh. Both days it was a great excitement to see how the T-6s were lined up with spinning props, getting ready for take-off, two at a time.

Both days the airplanes came back in different formations, including the “80”. Today we had a strong gray overcast and all ground to air pictures just sucked. Hence the blue sky is from yesterday’s shooting while the pilots flew over the airfield.

T-6 #217 of the Royal Canadian Air Force

I positioned myself at the southern end of the runway, just outside of the fence, and it was an unbelievable spectacle when all planes arrived back at the airport.

This N134SM/44005/HM-05 Beech T-34B Mentor (BG-312) flew above the T-6 formation and seemed to direct and lead the whole show.

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER RUNWAY

I went back to the Dubuque Airport on Saturday. The pilots used a different runway for starts and landings, far away from the observation point of the Dubuque airport, and out of reach for a decent photo. I drove on a small gravel road that leads to the end of the runway and tried my luck again. I arrived there just in time to watch three P-51D’s taking off.

Most of the T-6’s trained in formations of four for the AirVenture in Oshkosh and when they come in for landing the photographer gets four chances in a row for a picture. I missed a few but I like this shot because I pre-visualized where I wanted to make the click, right between the two clouds.

When I took this photo I didn’t really know what I had in front of my lens. This is ‘Doc’, one of only two flying B-29’s in the world. If one of my valued blog readers is interested in the amazing story about this airplane and its restoration, here is the link: http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/restoration-doc-flies-again-180960367/