Blue Angels Homecoming, Nov 3, 2018
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 11:53 pm
My annual trek to NAS Pensacola for the Blue Angels final demonstration of the season. VERY low humidity, almost no vapor, but a brilliant clear sky and bright sunshine.
F-22 demonstration. This is the most vapor I got in any shot. In "normal" Florida humidity, the tail would probably be all we could see of the aircraft.
Photo pass.
High speed flat pass, just barely subsonic.
USAF heritage Flight.
The P-51 is closer, with the F-22 flying his left wing.
I was at the very right-hand end of the crowd line, almost a mile from my "regular" place just a bit left of center. That meant I could see some formations approaching from behind the crowd, though, like this photo pass, behind and to the right as they approach. This view lets you see how they "stack" the formation in an offset manner to give the overlap view that the crowd sees in front of the show line. Each aircraft is actually a bit to the right of a "centered" formation on the leader.
And in front of the crowd:
#3 is under #1's wingtip, about 18 inches clearance. It looks like #2 is as well, but that would be impossible, as 2 and 3 would have to overlap each other. That's the perspective trick from the offset formation. Then #4 is under #2's wing, the same as 3 under 1, but the perspective makes it look like he's splitting the difference.
Carrier landing configuration, with #5 inverted
Heat haze!!!! If I can't get vapor, at least I got me some heat haze!
#1 and #4 inverted, what they call the Double Farvel
Echelon right, again still behind the crowd from the right
And in front of the crowd
I only got one opposing crossover shot today
5-ship line abreast loop
Delta roll
Pitch-up for landing.
I've never shot this before, as from my usual spot, they've passed me by the time this happens.
First day out with my "new" D7200, rather than my "old" D7000. The 7200 is much improved as far as continuous burst speed and buffer size. The 7000 was done at 9 shots, max 6 fps. The 7200 can do 8 fps for 25 or 30 shots. It also has a generation newer image processor with MUCH lower noise and MUCH higher ISO available.
F-22 demonstration. This is the most vapor I got in any shot. In "normal" Florida humidity, the tail would probably be all we could see of the aircraft.
Photo pass.
High speed flat pass, just barely subsonic.
USAF heritage Flight.
The P-51 is closer, with the F-22 flying his left wing.
I was at the very right-hand end of the crowd line, almost a mile from my "regular" place just a bit left of center. That meant I could see some formations approaching from behind the crowd, though, like this photo pass, behind and to the right as they approach. This view lets you see how they "stack" the formation in an offset manner to give the overlap view that the crowd sees in front of the show line. Each aircraft is actually a bit to the right of a "centered" formation on the leader.
And in front of the crowd:
#3 is under #1's wingtip, about 18 inches clearance. It looks like #2 is as well, but that would be impossible, as 2 and 3 would have to overlap each other. That's the perspective trick from the offset formation. Then #4 is under #2's wing, the same as 3 under 1, but the perspective makes it look like he's splitting the difference.
Carrier landing configuration, with #5 inverted
Heat haze!!!! If I can't get vapor, at least I got me some heat haze!
#1 and #4 inverted, what they call the Double Farvel
Echelon right, again still behind the crowd from the right
And in front of the crowd
I only got one opposing crossover shot today
5-ship line abreast loop
Delta roll
Pitch-up for landing.
I've never shot this before, as from my usual spot, they've passed me by the time this happens.
First day out with my "new" D7200, rather than my "old" D7000. The 7200 is much improved as far as continuous burst speed and buffer size. The 7000 was done at 9 shots, max 6 fps. The 7200 can do 8 fps for 25 or 30 shots. It also has a generation newer image processor with MUCH lower noise and MUCH higher ISO available.