Not A Bird

While taking a break just outside our warehouse door it occurred to me that I've been ignoring some fine photo-ops:
Due to the prevailing winds, the majority of landings at SA Int'l pass a little to one side of directly overhead.
To take full advantage I'll need to bring a bigger lens for the small planes, but may be okay with the 50mm for the airliners.
When the technical stuff is nailed down, I'll see what I can do when the weather gets interesting, or at night--maybe keep an ear open for special stuff like when the air shows bring in old warbirds.

Could be fun and interesting.

Blast From The Past

Here I am in January 1988 driving my late great Olds Cutlass Supreme:
My brother and I were headed to the Ft. Davis area of West Texas to fly BIG model rockets, having been certified competent and safe by the governing body the previous year in Colorado.


This was the biggest one I flew, at around 5 feet tall and 4" in diameter.
I used an H90 for the main motor, as seen in the photo.
A few seconds later, 4 Estes D12 motors on fuses "air-started" to give it an extra push, plus a lot of white smoke.
(For those of you who flew Estes motors as a kid, 2 x D = E, so an H = 16 D motors, plus the extra 4!)


Post-flight handful of stinky motors.

For rocket meets like this, we had to apply months in advance to the FAA for a waiver that allowed us to penetrate "their" airspace. In return, the air traffic controllers were supposed to keep all aircraft away from the area for the duration of the scheduled launch window.

While big for me at the time, my rocket wasn't anywhere near the size and power of some of the others--I didn't even hit a mile in altitude but other guys probably went over two. And believe me, if something that big and fast hit any kind of aircraft, or God Forbid got sucked into an engine...

Which makes it all the more surprising that on the 2nd afternoon, a couple of Apache helicopters came around and invaded "our" airspace!
After orbiting the valley we were flying in, they made a few low passes right over the launch area.
Guess what color they were painted?
Any markings to be seen?

Maybe all those conspiracy theorists you used to laugh at weren't so crazy after all?
All I know is what I saw with my own eyes.



Tonight I also scanned a photo of my father from 1957:
Climbing into a jet fighter was probably a high point of his time in the service, since he ended up flying (and instructing) in multi-piston-engine stuff not long afterwards.

We were both 26 years old at the time of these pictures.

Walker Ranch Park

One of my very favorite parks, but it has been discovered by everyone else.
Fortunately, the majority use the main entrance on West Ave--even parking on the grass and any other place where they can fit.
Sheep.
I use the "secret" lot at the end of Rhapsody, where there's always a few open parking spaces.

I have to time my photos carefully to keep a half-dozen random strangers out of them.

The zig-zag footbridge over Salado Creek has been the subject of some popular photos of mine, but this is the first time I used it solely as a high vantage point.
Timing is important again because people walking across (make that kids bouncing across) can set up a wicked vibration that'll ruin photos taken at longer shutter speeds like these.

Pure luck here.
Didn't have time to think or compose, and I really like it.


As always, if I post a photo in black & white it was taken with my Sony F828. This camera has a filter on the lens which blocks nearly all visible light, and is set to record only the infrared spectrum.
This is where the bright foliage and dark skies come from.
Now that using the F828 is as close to second-nature as shooting with my dead F717 was, expect to see more IR work from me.
Especially now that spring has arrived and the drought is over.



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