Low-Level Flying Photography
Photographic Logs for 2009
(For all these shots, I used a Canon EOS 40D and 7D with x1.6 sensors.
The lenses attached were a Canon EF 300mm f2.8 L with and without a x1.4 extender and a Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 L).
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| Red Arrow Hawk T.1A (XX253) callsign 'Red 11' on its way from RIAT at Fairford to RAF Valley before continuing to its home base at RAF Scampton on July 20. |
Thursday December 17, 2009 A new location today in what was potentially good winter weather which ended in snow showers forcing us down the hill early. Only four Hawks passes two of which were as I was making my way up the hill.
Left to right: Hawk T.1A (XX187) of 208(R) Squadron first of a pair. |
Thursday December 10, 2009 A enjoyable day on a valley exit with a handful of RAF Valley Hawks, a Hercules a pair of Hawk T.2s and a missed Harrier which slipped through another valley.
Left to right: Two passes by Hawk T.1W (XX283) of 19(R) Squadron and is fitted with a 30mm Aden Mk4 Cannon pack. |
| Left to right: C-130J Hercules C.5 (ZH889) of 30 Squadron. |
| Left to right: Hawk T.1 (XX195) of 208(R) Squadron and the first of a pair of Hawk T.2s (ZK020). |
| Left to right: Hawk T.2 (ZK022) of 19(R) Squadron they have just moved up from 20 to 90 hours per week on the Hawk T.2. |
Friday October 30, 2009. It was dull and overcast today with a four hour wait for the first movement. At 11:50 out of the gloom came a pair of F-15E Strike Eagles using callsign 'Jazz 31' for some fantastic flying and multiple passes. A pair of Hawks and a late but high Harrier completed a memorable day.
Left to right: F-15E Strike Eagle (97-0217) of 492 FS, 48 FW. |
| Left to right: F-15E Strike Eagle (98-0131) of 492 FS 48 FW. |
| Left to right: F-15E Strike Eagle (98-0131) of 492 FS, 48 FW. |
| Left to right: Hawk T.1s (XX165 and XX185) of 208(R) Squadron, both back-seaters giving a wave. |
Thursday October 8, 2009. Bright but overcast day in the Loop, I arrived late and a Hecules went over my head at 09:00. Discounting the one high pass of a NSW Harrier and two by the second of a pair of F-15Es which was high on both passes there were still 14 low passes.
Left to right: Hawk T.1 (XX234) of 208(R) Squadron made three passes in the day. Hawk T.1W (XX178) of 19(R) Squadron was unusually carrying a CBLS (Carrier, Bomb, Light Stores) pod under each wing. |
| Left to right: The leader of a pair of F-15E Strike Eagles (91-0313 'LN') callsign 'Storm 31' of 494 FS, 48 FW. |
| Left to right: First of a pair of Typhoon FGR.4s (ZJ918 'QO-L') callsign 'Rampage' of 3(F) Squadron. |
| Left to right: Typhoon FGR.4 (ZJ921 'QO-H') callsign 'Rampage' of 3(F) Squadron. |
| Left to right: Harrier GR.9A (ZD433 '45A') with 1(F) Squadron and mission marks from its deployment to Afghanistan. |
| 492FS, 48FW F-15E Strike Eagle (98-0133 'LN') just below the mountain top cloud. |
Tuesday September 15, 2009. A frustrating day in Wales with a number of aircraft coming through high and just one movement in the afternoon. There were eight passes none of which were 4 FTS Hawks.
Left to right: The second of a pair of F-15E Strike Eagles (98-0133 'LN') callsign 'Jazz' of 492 FS, 48 FW which had been out to the ranges followed by a PD to RAF Valley to then circle above the 'Loop' before dropping in to my valley below the cloud that was clinging to the mountain tops. |
| Left to right: Hawk T.1As (XX222 'CP' and XX285) of 100 Squadron. |
| Left to right: A pair of Tornado GR.4As (ZA372 'E-006') in 2 Squadron markings and unmarked Tornado GR.4 (ZA472 '031') which is carrying two ALARM missiles. |
| Left to right: C-130J Hercules (ZH883). |
Thursday September 10, 2009. A great day in Wales (LFA 7) with 22 passes, only two were in the morning with most in the late afternoon and early evening. A few air bases were night-flying this week so it was expected that most of the activity would be after mid-day. The F-15Es flew till the sun went down, which made it very difficult for them when they were flying towards the setting sun.
Left to right: C-130K Hercules C.3 (XV221) was the first movement of the day at 09:55. The Tutor T.1 (G-BYUL) came through at 500 feet. |
| Left to right: F-15E Strike Eagles (91-0312 'LN' and 91-0317 'LN') of 494 FS, 48 FW. The first came through on its own at 10:30, the second was the first of a pair using callsigns 'Wild 81 and 82', 'Wild 82' came through high. |
| Left to right: Tornado GR.4 (ZG752 '129') it was unmarked and probably using callsign 'Marham 13'. |
| Left to right: Harrier GR.9 (ZD329 '10') was the first of a pair from 800 NAS using callsign 'Vixen Flight'. |
| Left to right: Harrier GR.9 (ZG508 '79') in 800/801 NAS markings. Hawk T.1A (XX187) of 208(R) Squadron. |
| Left to right: F-15E Strike Eagle (91-0304 'LN') callsign 'Dirty 51' of 492 FS, 48 FW. 'Dirty 51' and '52' made their passes between 18:14 and 18:18. |
| Left to right: F-15E Strike Eagle (91-0304 'LN') of 492 FS, 48 FW, this aircraft was later to crash in Libya on March 22, 2011 during operation Odyssey Dawn to secure a no fly zone, both crew ejected safely. |
| Left to right: F-15E Strike Eagle (98-0133 'LN') callsign 'Dirty 52' of 492 FS, 48 FW. |
| Left to right: F-15E Strike Eagle (97-0222 'LN') callsign 'Jazz 31' of 492 FS, 48 FW. 'Jazz 31' and '32' made their passes between 18:27 and 18:44 before going on to the Lake District. If you click twice on from the first image you will see a cropped image showing that the Weapons Systems Officer (WSO) is putting is hand up to protect his eyes from the setting sun. |
| Left to right: F-15E Strike Eagle (98-0132 'LN') callsign 'Jazz 32' of 492 FS, 48 FW, the sun is really getting low now and the pilot has to pull up out of the valley as they turn west bound. |
| MC-130H Combat Talon II (88-0191) following the terrain at 500 feet. |
Monday August 24, 2009. It was back to the Lakes today. The MC-130H was the only movement in the morning at 11:52. These US Special Forces Hercules have eluded me for six years and this one lumbered up the valley at 500 feet towards me it was easy to spot it in the distance. Other movements today were three Tucano T.1s, three Tornado GR.4s and a Typhoon T.1 at 16:30 to finish off the day nicely.
Left to right: MC-130H Combat Talon II (88-0191 callsign 'Talon 71') of 7 SOS, 352 SOG based at Mildenhall. |
| Left to right: Tucano T.1 (ZF204) of 207(R) Squadron and Tucano T.1 (ZF244 inscribed 'Moshoeshoe') of 72(R) squadron. Tucano T.1 (ZF349 inscribed 'Lewis & Harris Fighter') of 72(R) squadron. |
| Left to right: Tornado GR.4A (ZA369 '003') first of a pair from of 13 Squadron. |
| Left to right: Tornado GR.4 (ZD792 '100') of 13 Squadron with a Thermal Imaging Airborne Laser Designator (TIALD) pod fitted under the fuselage and two 1,500 litre drop tanks. |
| Left to right: Tornado GR.4 (ZA557 '048') using callsign 'Marham 16'. |
| Left to right: Typhoon T.1 (ZJ805 'BD') of 29(R) Squadron using callsign 'Typhoon 49'. |
Thursday August 6, 2009 With a French squadron exchange of four Alpha Jets at Valley it was back to Wales. It was the Alpha Jets first full day and their first two passes with Hawk escorts were too high. The day of 13 passes included a good variety of interesting frontliners.
Left to right: Anonymous French Air Force Alpha Jets which were being lead by their Hawk escorts and came through very high. |
| Left to right: Tornado GR.4 (ZA472 '031') of 9 Squadron using callsign 'Bulkhead 1' later pulled out of low-level at Hereford. Earlier they had been to the Air Weapons Range in Cardigan Bay and fired an AIM 9L Sidewinder at a flare-pack towed by a drone. The left taileron you can see cordite deposits left by the missiles rocket motor as it leaves the rail. Tornado '029' below has the same deposits on its left taileron. |
| Left to right: Hawk T.1s XX244 unmarked, XX171 and XX201 both of 208(R) Squadron. |
| Left to right: Tornado GR.4 (ZA469 '029') of 9 Squadron in special 'Tornado GR4 25 Years On' it was using callsign 'Primus 1' made two passes, the first was too high. |
| Left to right: F-15E Strike Eagle (91-0313 'LN') of 494FS using callsign 'Casino 61'. |
| Left to right: Hawk T.1 (XX200 and XX199) of 19(R) Squadron. |
| Left to right: French Air Force Alpha Jet (E45 '314-TF') on a mid-afternoon solo sortie. A Hawk T.1 which was one of the early morning Alpha Jet escorts. |
Monday August 3, 2009 Off to the Lake District today for 'Mad Monday' to be nearer to the Scottish lads who were unusually absent. A damp day had to be called short when later afternoon I lost sight of my car below me in the rain and rapidly descending cloud. Not a bad day however with eight passes, five of which were Tornado GR.4s.
Left to right: Grob Tutor T.1 (G-BYUJ) of 85(R) Squadron, Yorkshire University Air Squadron and No.2 Air Experience Flight based at RAF Church Fenton taking its time with a pair of 13 Squadron Tornado GR.4s (ZA557 '048' and ZD707 '077'). |
| Left to right: 13 Squadron Tornado GR.4 (ZD707 '077'). |
| Left to right: Tucano T.1s (ZF317 in stunning 2009 display 'shark' markings and later ZF339 in 72(R) Squadron markings). |
Left to right: Tornado GR.4 (ZD851 '112') with QinetiQ followed later by the same 13 Squadron Tornado GR.4 pair (ZA557 '048'') during its afternoon sortie, I could not see the second GR.4 in the poor light ans so missed the shot.
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