Low-Level Flying Photography
Photographic Logs for Turkey 2024
(For all these shots I used a Canon EOS R5 with the following lenses;
Canon EF 400mm f2.8 L IS Mk II and Canon EF 70mm-200mm f2.8 lenses.
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| Türk Hava Kuvvetleri (THK-Turkish Air Force) McDonnell Douglas F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo based at 1st Main Jet Base at Eskisehir got closer and closer..... |
50th Anniversary of the introduction of the Turkish Air Force F-4 Phantom - "The Valley Passage"
When I read the Türk Hava Kuvvetleri invitation it did not register at first with me what "valley passage" actually meant, indicated for the first day of the event, Saturday November 16. The second day, to be held at 1st Main Jet Base at Eskisehir which included an "Elephant Walk", was more than enough for me to respond positively.
A quick message sent to my Turkish contact (who chooses to remain anonymous) gave me some exciting details on the "Valley Passage." Apparently two F-4E Phantoms were to fly low through a designated valley at low level specially for the invited photographers. As an air force organised low flying event, it was a first for the Turkish Air Force and the first time, I believe, that their F-4E Phantoms had been photographed flying through a valley at low level. My contact informed me that he was going to check out the location during a low flying rehearsal, a week or so before the actual event. Flying out to the location on a Turkish Air Force helicopter he made the short climb up the selected hill and witnessed the pilots making their passes through the valley. All went well and the location and event confirmed. It was only the weather that might interfere with the plans.
We were given the grid references, with a warning that the weather may well cause the passes to be cancelled or postponed by a few days. The forecast was not good just days before. The drive to the remote location was epic. The forecast had improved on the day but during the drive low cloud covered the hilltops and light rain was falling with 100 miles or so to drive. While climbing up through the mountains on narrowing roads and we were in the cloud and I was very apprehensive that all would be cancelled. The final communication explained if the event took place it would be between 12:00 and 16:00.
Once we arrived mid-morning and the short climb was made to the valley side which over looked a long lake, the cloud was still covering the nearby hilltops. My feeling was that as the military were all set-up and the event had not yet been cancelled that it was going to go ahead. The cloud lifted hour by hour and by around 15:00 the jets arrived and started to line up for their passes, they were flying in trail a minute or so apart. I was expecting, perhaps two or even three passes, to be probably straight and level and down the centre of the valley. The need for the 400mm lens was obvious in the large valley. However, after the first and spectacularly close pass of the two jets, I had to quickly switch to the 70mm-200mm zoom lens in anticipation of similar passes. They actually flew some passes even closer, actually too close to make photographs possible at the closest point.
The following images of the two jets, presented pass by pass, tells the story of how spectacular stunning the 30 minute low flying event proved to be.
Pass 1 and 2 (400mm lens) |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme which incidentally did not include re-painting the aircraft's serial on the jet. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Pass 3 and 4 (200mm lens) |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Pass 5 and 6 (zoom lens set at 200mm and 170mm) |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme, approaching from the east for the first time. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Pass 7 and 8 (zoom lens set at 125mm and 160mm) |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Pass 9 and 10 (zoom lens set at 70mm and 100mm) |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme. On the tail is; '1974-50-2024' and 'Phantom Phorever' with the 111 Filo's 'Panterler' (Panther) emblem. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Pass 11 and 12 (zoom lens set at 70mm and 100mm) |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Pass 13 and 14 (zoom lens set at 70mm and 70mm/150mm) |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme. The underside is painted; 'Phantom Phorever' with the Phantom II 'Spook' between. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Pass 15 and 16 (zoom lens set at 80mm and 160mm) |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Pass 17 and 18 (zoom lens set at 200mm and 115mm) |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Pass 19 and 20 (zoom lens set at 200mm and 115mm) |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme. From where I was located on the hill it was not possible to see the jets approach from the east. They could appear full-frame at 50mm with a roar and virtually no chance of photographing them with less than a second's notice. They could also appear 750 feet or more below you flying so low above the lake that they left a wake in the water. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Pass 21 and 22 (zoom lens set at 200mm and 90mm) |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (77-0303) with 111 Filo in a special 50th Anniversary scheme. On the tail is; Atatürk’s 'Istikbal Göklerdedir' (The future is in the sky). |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Left to right: F-4E-2020 Phantom II (73-1052) with 111 Filo. |
| Still with hours to go the hill is now very crowded. |
Left to right: Looking towards the west the clouds were starting to lift by mid morning.
By the end of the day the cloud had lifted enough for the sun to actually break through the cloud.
Looking north at the end of the day.
Looking east just after the flying had concluded and the many photographers were packing up and leaving. |
Left to right: The Turkish military were on hand throughout the day to asist with path marking, directions and general safety.
At the end of the day their was a long queue of photographers carefully making their way down the narrow rough path. |
