Big Flyer at local RSPB reserve

Thanks for the comments and info guys.

I had the Bigma at 500mm when I heard the engines, I thought "thats no Cesna" and looked to the skies to see it emerge over the treeline, the camera was straight to my eye but I couldnt find the damm thing, I ended up zooming out to find it, by that time I only had chance to get 2 shots from the angle you see, she was really low, and I mean LOW, I thought I'd zoomed back to about 300mm, I just checked the exif and it was 98mm, although this is about a 1/4 crop, ie discarding 75% of the empty sky.

Great stuff Alan. Right place, right time, and quick reactions

I'm sure you know by now, but always find it before you try to point the camera at it.

Even with piston-engined aircraft, which are usually a lot slower than jets, they don't have to be very far away for the sound that initially reaches you to come from behind where they now are.

So if you point the camera based on the sound, you're almost guaranteed to be pointing it in the wrong direction. And you don't get much of an angle of view at long focal lengths.

ChrisA,
I did say 'mostly' cosmetic. I wasn't meaning that it was 'only' cosmetic. But you are quite right in what you said about he faults.

Well ok. My experience is different from yours, I guess - I've never known 'flying condition' refer to the cosmetics.

The fact of the matter is that when the Canadian Lanc was 'being restored to flying condition', it had nothing at all to do with cosmetics - it was prop blade corrosion that would very much have *had* to be fixed before it could get a release to service.

Obviously, if someone wanted to ground their aeroplane because the carpets were worn and it needed a respray, that would be entirely up to them. It would be unlikely, though, if there was to be much of a delay before getting the paint and carpets done. Not flying an aeroplane for any length of time can cause all sorts of additional problems.

Anyway, getting back to the topic of the photo...

For a grab shot like that, it's very good.

It would feel churlish to criticise it really - a longer exposure would blur the props nicely, but there's a limit to what you can do when you aren't expecting it.

I bow to your "superior knowledge" captain.

No need to call me 'captain' - I don't have a CPL.