Target Aviation Photography

Top Shots Gallery 4

You Have Just Got to Say, Wow!...

F/A-18F Super Hornet (165894) of US Navy at Farnborough Air Show on July 2002.

This picture was taken with my Canon EOS D60 and Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lens at ISO 100 and 1/250^th. On the first day of the Farnborough Air Show, the Super Hornet pilot surprised spectators by starting a roll the moment his wheels left the ground - I wasn't expecting it, and was badly positioned for a shot. Through the rest of the week weather and positioning conspired against me getting the shot I wanted, but on the Friday, the sun came out and I was ready and waiting. Knowing what was coming made it a matter of simply pointing the camera in the right direction.

Flying in a Hawk T.1 from RAF Valley with two specially painted Hawks to celebrate the 30th year of the BAe Hawk. We were flying in formation over Wales in August 2004.

The picture on the left was taken with my Canon EOS 10D and a Sigma 14mm wide angle lens set for Manual Focus and Aperture Priority at f8. It was taken when returning home from a specially organised three ship photo sortie, just after a low level run down the A5, in which many low level photographers snapped us (they were all grinning). Right: The formation at 17,500 feet.

F/A-18C of VFA-86 'Sidewinders' approaching the deck of the USS Enterprise off the North Coast of Scotland on 22^nd June 2004.

It was one of a number of aircraft returning from an afternoon sortie during the JMC exercise and was taken from 'Vulture's Row' on top of the Big 'E's superstructure using a Canon 10D with a Canon 28-135mm lens. I decided that I had to rely on a fast shutter speed for the approach shots and did this, by using AV (Aperture Priority) to set the widest possible aperture. This would give me the fastest shutter speed possible. In the glorious sunshine with a full zoom of 135mm (216mm on 10D) and using 200 ISO, an aperture of f5.6 gave me 1/1500sec.

'Tighter is Better' F/A-18C Hornets of the Blue Angels at El Centro NAF airshow on 13^th March 2004.

I was using my Canon EOS 300D and Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS lens set with shutter speed 1/1000^th, aperture: f6.3 and ISO100. I ventured out to El Centro NAF to see the US Navy Blue Angel's first public demo of the 2004 airshow season. It was also the first time I used this big lens, so I didn't really know what to expect. The lens, although heavy, works well with the 300D. I am very happy with the results. Other than that, the Blue Angels fly closer than anyone else and one can always expect some nice photos when shooting them.

CF-18A Hornet (188724) of Canadian Air Force in special scheme at the Royal International Air Tattoo, RAF Cottesmore on 28^th July 2001.

I used my Canon EOS 3 with the Canon EF 100-400mm L IS lens with 1.4 extender at f8 and 1/250. The film was ISO 100 Fuji Sensia slide film. I was positioned at the mid-point of the runway at the top of the grand stand to capture the aircraft shortly after take off at the start of its display.

F-16AM Fighting Falcon (J-016) of 312 Sqn RNLAF taken at RIAT 2003 air show at RAF Fairford on 19^th July 2003.

I was airside, facing the crowd and used my Canon EOS 10D with a Canon EF 75-300mm lens at 1/750^th at f8 and ISO 100. Great colour scheme and superb display. You can even see the pilots hands on the throttle and control stick!

Tornado GR.1 (ZA354) from BAE Warton, Lancashire from RAF VC-10 call sign 'Tartan 42' in AARA 13 on 5^th February 2004 at 14.25 pm.

I was using my Canon EOS D60 with 28-105mm lens, set at 1/750^th, f5.6 and ISO 100. This photograph was taken during a daytime air to air sortie. The aircraft was refuelled several times whilst we were airborne and each time the pilot of the Tornado would fly along side the VC-10 tanker to allow the photographers on board ample opportunity to take photographs. As the Tornado banked away sharply you could hear the engines power and off he would go to complete another mission. The last remaining GR.1 is carrying 4 Storm Shadow stand off attack missiles and 4 Air Launched Anti-Radiation Missiles (ALARM) as part of trials with BAE Systems, Warton.

F-14A Tomcat (AC132) landing on USS ........... somewhere in Atlantic Ocean on 20^th October 1996.

The setting sun gives fantastic light for taking pictures.

(Above) Mirage 3RS (R-2117) of Swiss Air Force taking off from Sion Air Base, Switzerland on 25^th May 2003.

I used a Nikon D100 with 70-300mm f4.5/5.6 zoom lens at 1/750 f7.1 (+0.3). Despite what the images appear to show I was positioned on a track beside the runway, using my zoom lens to full affect, each shot was taken in quick succession shortly after the Mirage had left the runway.

Two Spanish Air Force C212-100 Aviocars (T.12B-34/74-74 and T.12B-25/74-72) from the multi-engine school in Salamanca, shot taken at Palma de Mallorca when performing a formation take off on 29^th April 2003.

The photo was taken with a Nikon D100 and a Nikkor 80-400VR at 400mm (VR off), ISO 200, shutter 1/400 f9. I heard on the radio that the Aviocars wanted to depart together. I needed full zoom to fill most of the frame. The effect of the full zoom helped to condense the distance between the two aircraft. I also thought that I needed at least f8 to get both planes in focus. I was lucky, as in one of the five shots I took they were in the right angle.

Copyright © Toni Marimón, 2003 see also Airliners.net for more of Toni's photographs.

C-17A Globemaster III (99-0167) of USAF visiting Alice Springs Airport, Northern Territory, Australia on 29^th April 2003.

The people of Alice Springs are an extremely friendly bunch, and after calling the control tower to note USAF movements, they invited me up. My photos were taken from the outer deck of the control tower, which enabled me to move around freely. The USAF are continually present in Australia given multiple US bases which require supplies. The photo was taken with my Canon EOS 10D and 75-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM lens (f9.5, 1/500, 135mm, ISO 200).

M-28 Bryza-1R (1017/HQ-D) of Polish Navy at RIAT 2003 departures day, RAF Fairford 21^st July 2003.

I was using a Canon EOS 30 with Canon EF L 100-400mm lens. Rocking the wings shortly after getting airborne, you need to be a very good pilot to perform such a manoeuvre. Winner of best fixed wing Concours d'Elegance at RIAT 2003.

Mirage 2000-5 (B01) at the Farnborough Air Show on 11^th September 1992.

The photo was taken with a Cosina CT-7 camera and a Sigma 70-210mm lens using Kodak Gold ISO 100 film. Most of the fast jets at this show make a right turn after take-off, so I positioned myself at the mid-point of the runway.

F/A-18 Hornet (J-5007) of Swiss Air Force at the Axalp Demo, Axalp, Switzerland 2^nd October 2002.

I was using my Canon EOS D30 and Canon 100-400mm L IS lens at 1/500^th, f8 and ISO200. There was some luck involved in this shot, of course. The Hornet was performing an air-air dogfight with an F5 Tiger when it dived down into the valley behind the spectators. Standing towards the back I simply had to follow the plane to get the shot.

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