Seen Over Your House Today

perttime · January 28, 2012, 01:27:01 AM

I used to get pretty close to helicopters landing and taking off, during some Government temp jobs. I learned to stay back a bit when they did it on dusty surfaces...

rickshaw · January 28, 2012, 06:52:45 AM

I stay away from choppers. My military experience taught me to keep my distance.

Jschmus · January 28, 2012, 06:15:10 PM

Quote from: rickshaw on January 28, 2012, 06:52:45 AM
I stay away from choppers. My military experience taught me to keep my distance.

I know that now. They warned us that the rotorwash would be pretty intense, and advised that spectators should back off about ten meters from where I was standing. I begged off, saying my camera only has 10x zoom, and said I didn't mind. The first few minutes of them spooling up wasn't bad, but by the time they took off, one side of my head was liberally coated in dust, sand and clay particles. I consider it a lesson learned. I had a bandanna in my bag. Next time I'll mask up.

Gondor · January 29, 2012, 03:41:13 PM

I managed to get a few pictures today (sunday) of a Chinook that was probably on a navigation exercise around where I live.

Not supprising that they were flying around here, Stirling Castle and the Wallice Monument are easy to spot landmarks.

Gondor

rickshaw · January 31, 2012, 05:08:02 AM

Quote from: Jschmus on January 28, 2012, 06:15:10 PM
Quote from: rickshaw on January 28, 2012, 06:52:45 AM
I stay away from choppers. My military experience taught me to keep my distance.

I know that now. They warned us that the rotorwash would be pretty intense, and advised that spectators should back off about ten meters from where I was standing. I begged off, saying my camera only has 10x zoom, and said I didn't mind. The first few minutes of them spooling up wasn't bad, but by the time they took off, one side of my head was liberally coated in dust, sand and clay particles. I consider it a lesson learned. I had a bandanna in my bag. Next time I'll mask up.

It is their propensity for falling out of the sky after shedding blades that always worried me.

PR19_Kit · January 31, 2012, 07:51:01 AM

Quote from: rickshaw on January 31, 2012, 05:08:02 AM
It is their propensity for falling out of the sky after shedding blades that always worried me.

Before I retired I worked for a company who made test rigs for fatigue testing materials and assemblies. If you've seen that vid of the 777 wings being bent up and down until they broke, that was our stuff. One of our most SENIOR engineers, a man who knew every possible facet of fatique, refused point blank to fly in a helicopter, calling them 'Flying fatigue machines'!

I once flew back to UK with him, inbound to Gatwick in a NWA DC10-40 and we were both due to fly out of Heathrow later in the day, me back home to East Midlands and him onward to Berlin. Not remembering his hatred of rotary wings I'd booked us on the S-61L shuttle that Caledonian operated before the M25 was opened, but he refused to go anywhere near the check-in for the transfer flight once he realised what we were flying in, and went with the shuttle bus instead.

I got home nicely on time but he missed his Berlin flight and had to overnight at Heathrow.....

pyro-manic · January 31, 2012, 08:20:26 AM

RFA Mounts Bay was in Portland harbour on Saturday. There was a big tanker and I think a Type 23 as well, but I couldn't get a clear shot of them.

PR19_Kit · January 31, 2012, 11:46:33 AM

Quote from: pyro-manic on January 31, 2012, 08:20:26 AM
RFA Mounts Bay was in Portland harbour on Saturday. There was a big tanker and I think a Type 23 as well, but I couldn't get a clear shot of them.

Yeeeay! My ex-secretary's husband's ship!

pyro-manic · January 31, 2012, 12:59:54 PM

Thought you might like that one.

I tried from another angle, but the Mulberry harbour is right next to where she was berthed (just out of the frame to the left), and was in the way.

perttime · February 01, 2012, 04:50:34 AM

I could here the sound of powerful jet engines in that direction:

AeroplaneDriver · February 06, 2012, 07:32:03 AM

After spending the weekend on a beach in the Virgin Islands sipping fruity rum drinks, I've determined that this will be my retirement job:

Seaborne Airlines Twin Otter leaving St. Thomas harbor.

Army of One · February 08, 2012, 08:47:50 AM

Travelling on the Gatwick express north to work.....overflown just now by a chinook as the trn went over the M25....chinook was travelling west to east.....

Captain Canada · February 08, 2012, 07:02:07 PM

Driving back from Mount Pleasant MI today. Something was on the go....maybe A-10s from Selfridge ? 8 in all. Pretty cool regardless......

And this guy from the VFW on the way there

scooter · February 08, 2012, 08:59:05 PM

That chassis sure got around. When I was in Iraq in 05, there was an M-8/M-10 Tank Destroyer just lurking out in the barren wastes of the FOB I was at (Speicher aka Al Sahr AB). Wish I'd gotten a bloody photo of it before I left

Hawkeye · February 09, 2012, 09:26:14 AM

A couple from yesterday.

Something closer to the ground. Literally perched just under 10 feet from where I am sitting at my desk.