Low-Level Flying Photography
Photographic Logs for 2003
(For all these shots, I used my Canon EOS 10D and a Canon EF 300mm f4L lens with or without a Canon x1.4 extender.
Plus the x1.6 sensor crop factor of the 10D)

Aviation Photography low level flying
Harrier GR.7 (ZD466 '56') of 20(R) Squadron in December 4, 2003

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Thursday December 18, 2003. 13 Hawks and two Harriers. The second Harrier was just a few seconds behind the first and so it was impossible to get multiple shots of it. I could see that it was also cutting the corner and would have made a better shot. They were taken at 1/800 at f5.6 ISO 200 with a 300mm with x1.4 extender. The Harriers are from RAF Cottesmore 1 Squadron and 3 Squadron respectively. The Hawks are from 4 FTS at RAF Valley, the dying bracken gives an interesting background colour.
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Left to right: Hawk T.1s from 4 FTS at RAF Valley.

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Monday December 15, 2003. Three Tucano's and a USAF MC-130P Hercules (69-5828) using callsign 'Talon 21' with 352nd Special Operations Group, 67th Special Operations Squadron operating from RAF Mildenhall. It only stayed at hilltop level (500 feet AGL) unfortunately, it was followed by a Tucano just one minute behind.

Aviation Photography low level flying
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Thursday December 4, 2003. Low-flying area (LFA) 7 in Wales. A very quiet day with only one Harrier GR.7 (ZD466 '56') of 20(R) Squadron based at RAF Wittering.

Aviation Photography low level flying
Wednesday November 5, 2003. Saw 10 Hawks, but only 5 came by me and those mostly in poor weather.
Left to right: Hawk T.1 was taken at just 1/200 at f4 set at ISO 800 at 15:31.
Hawk T.1 XX221 of 4 FTS, 19(R) Squadron at RAF Valley.

Wednesday October 15, 2003. 15 Hawks and a Griffin through the pass by 13:00, just one more Hawk at 16:07. Pictures: Griffin HT.1 ZJ708, Hawk T.1 XX156 high through pass and in Red Arrows scheme but with 4FTS at RAF Valley, Hawk T.1 XX346 19(R) Squadron one of a three ship formation and Hawk turning in pass, taken at 1/500 at ISO 400.

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Wednesday September 17, 2003. 14 Hawks today and new location on outside of turn, so mostly bottom shots.
Left to right: 4 FTS, 19(R) Squadron Hawk (XX218) 480mm at 1/640 f6.3 and ISO200; 4 FTS Hawk (XX221) 480mm 1/500 f7.1 and ISO200; Two shots of FRADU Royal Navy Hawk T.1 (XX238) from RNAS Culdrose 672mm 1/1000 at f7.1
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More Hawk action, sometimes they will fly high (above 250 feet AGL) through the valley.
Aviation Photography low level flying
19(R) Squadron Hawk (XX239) and 208(R) Squadron Hawk (XX220).

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Tuesday September 16, 2003. 15 Hawks and 2 Tucanos, moved across and up the valley at midday when the sun moved around.
Left to right: Two shots of Tucano T.1 (ZF204 '204') from 1 FTS at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, 672mm 1/500 f5.6 ISO200 and 2 shots of Hawk (XX295) 672mm at 1/500, f5.6 and ISO200.

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Wednesday September 3, 2003. 9 Hawks today.
Left to right: Hawk taken with 420mm lens at 1/640, f5 and ISO400; 2 shots of Hawk T.1 (XX309) inscribed 'Hawk 25th Anniversary' of  208(R) Squadron from RAF Valley, 480mm at 1/640, f4 and ISO200 and Hawk T.1 of 19(R) Squadron (XX203) 480mm at 1/320, f4 and ISO200.
Hawk T.1 of 100 Squadron coded 'CG'. 19(R) Squadron Hawk and an image of a 208(R) Squadron Hawk.

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Tuesday September 2, 2003. 1 Jetstream and 6 Hawks today.
Left to right: Royal Navy Jetstream T.2 (XX488 'CU-562') from RNAS Culdrose taken with 480mm at 1/1000, f4.5 and ISO200; Hawk taken with 672mm at 1/160, f5.6 and ISO400 and finally Hawk T.1 of 208(R) Squadron (XX201) taken with 480mm at 1/200, f4.5 and ISO200 the time was 17:23.

Thursday July 10, 2003. Low swirling cloud all day, nothing through the pass until 5 minutes after I left at 16:00, disappointing particularly as 5 miles up the road it was sunny with low-flying all day.