Pics from work...

[Boss_BlueAngels]

Just another day in the office I suppose.

I'll update this tread with new pics I shot at work.

Here is a quick snap of UPS' very first 747 freighter. Just a few days before its maiden flight. This picture really gives the jet some sense of scale:

Here is a Piper PA-28-161 Warrior I recently finished hand-polishing. Look at that shine. Over the next few weeks I'll polish all 14 of their airplanes and then start to wax them as well.

And here is the tail of the twin they use for training, a Beech 76 Duchess. Beautiful little plane. I also finished polishing this one two weeks ago.

It doesn't get much newer than this... a brand spanking new Cessna 172 SP with the G-1000 glass cockpit! Fresh from the Cessna factory in Kansas!

And here is another shot of that Beech 76 just so you kind of know what it looks like.

Enjoy!

 

[Boss_BlueAngels]

Another perk of my new job... the chance to meet legends in aviation!

This Fouga Magister is owned/flown by Bud Granley who is a very well known airshow and air-racing pilot. In 2005 he won the Art Scholl Showmanship award from the ICAS (International Council of Air Shows). I've been watching him fly every year since my first airshow 16 years ago! I've always wanted to meet him and now I work 20 feet from 3 of his airplanes every single day and finally got to meet him this last week before I shot this picture. Very nice man and great to talk with.

Fresh out of the paint shop- Boeing 767-300ER. On its way over the BF Goodrich maintenance facility to runup and test its engines.

Oh yeah, it's a monster!

Southwest Airlines 737 meets Hawaiian Airlines 767... Busy place over at Goodrich! It also provides a good sense of scale between the two jets.

In front of one of the BFG hangars. They had about 3 other 737's in there that day.

 

[MarkEvan]

allthough I like all of them, the last one of the first set is awesome, you do really well with these planes.

Mark

 

[Boss_BlueAngels]

allthough I like all of them, the last one of the first set is awesome, you do really well with these planes.

Mark

Thanks, Mark! That last one really puts things in perspective


OK, now back to business, a few more shots from last week. I finally got some time off in the morning to get some shots of three 777's a 767 and a 737 takeoff/land. From about 10:30 to noon is when the action really takes place here. I was sitting there watching the test pilots cycle all the control surfaces on an Air Canada 777 for probably a good hour. They cycled everything on that bird one at a time and very slowly. Even watched the entire horizontal stab move from it's full nose down trim setting to full nose up a couple of times! It's fascinating to me, but pretty boring for 99.9% of the world. lol

Air France coming in to land. Man that's a big airplane!!

JAL Air Cargo 767-300ER departing. Man did this jet have a BEAUTIFUL polished aluminum finish!
(fried it with photo shop becaused I used a different monitor. lol )

Air Canada right on touchdown! That's a lot of smoke! Also, check out the turbine aux. power generator just behind the flap.

Short Final

This end of Paine Field really makes that 737 look TINY!

 

[Boss_BlueAngels]

Now, for a quick step back in time... say, to the 1940's.
This week we had the Colling's Foundation B-17, B-24, and B-25 visit. So, I obviously felt the need to go do some more shooting after work.

B-17

B-24

B-25

Inside the B-24

The glass nose of the B-17.

 

[Boss_BlueAngels]

B-17 in flight

B-24 in flight

B-25 in flight

B-25 in color... gorgeous airplane!

This was long before the days of "ergonomics." This TINY walkway is what you had to go through to get from the front of the B-24 to the back. Yes, this is the bomb bay. And this is the B-24 which is the largest bomber of the three. The B-17's walkway is even narrower!

 

[~Mrs. A2J~]

I love your plane photos!

 

[rdale]

I always enjoy the clean crisp clarity of your pics Boss_BlueAngels. You ought to do this for a living.

 

[the_Abbot]

Now, for a quick step back in time... say, to the 1940's.
This week we had the Colling's Foundation B-17, B-24, and B-25 visit. So, I obviously felt the need to go do some more shooting after work.

B-17

B-24

B-25

Inside the B-24

The glass nose of the B-17.

These photos are absolutely amazing. I love the black & white photos of these old planes.

 

[cristianna]

I'm certainly no airplane guru and can barely find my way around one if the doors aren't opened, but I'm about ready to fly over to be your sidekick!

Great photos as always! You know they're good when airplanes become appealing and interesting to females.

 

[fieldmouse3]

I love those old-fashioned planes!

 

[Boss_BlueAngels]

I love your plane photos!

Thank you, I'm glad you like the pics!

I always enjoy the clean crisp clarity of your pics Boss_BlueAngels. You ought to do this for a living.

Thank you! I'm actually trying to do that. I have a website, store, and all kinds of things all setup.

These photos are absolutely amazing. I love the black & white photos of these old planes.

Thank you, I love seeing these beautiful giants in black and white also. Seems to bring them back to life.

I'm certainly no airplane guru and can barely find my way around one if the doors aren't opened, but I'm about ready to fly over to be your sidekick!

Great photos as always! You know they're good when airplanes become appealing and interesting to females.

Thanks! That's such a nice comment! I'd love to have a sidekick.

I love those old-fashioned planes!

Oh boy, if you like how they look, you'll LOVE how they sound.

 

[gwithoutr]

Realy nice pics

What do you do for a job? And what a/port?

 

[Boss_BlueAngels]

Thank you. All I do is sell a few pictures and wash airplanes for a flight school on Paine Field. (Officially called Snohomish County Airport)

 

[gwithoutr]

You are very gifted - thanks for sharing...I love a/c and photography!!

 

[GrinningDwarf]

Hey, boss_blue_angel...

Any advice on how to get access to an airport? I live outside Redding, CA, and there is a Forest Service air tanker base here. I'd love to get pics of the P-3s and S-2s taking off clean and landing with their bottoms covered in the red slurry...but I can't really find any great vantage points that aren't fenced off. Who would I have to convince that I'm not a terrorist?

 

[MarkEvan]

Youve posted a few more since I last looked, that set of B+W images is outstanding and IMO really gives a kind of 1940`s feel to them kind of like what you get in the old war films..............sweet.

Mark

 

[Boss_BlueAngels]

You are very gifted - thanks for sharing...I love a/c and photography!!

Oh thank you! It's only a matter of practice and patience.

Hey, boss_blue_angel...

Any advice on how to get access to an airport? I live outside Redding, CA, and there is a Forest Service air tanker base here. I'd love to get pics of the P-3s and S-2s taking off clean and landing with their bottoms covered in the red slurry...but I can't really find any great vantage points that aren't fenced off. Who would I have to convince that I'm not a terrorist?

Good question. What I would do is try to figure out who is in charge of the field... see if there is an office building someplace to ask around. If they're like other folks I've spoken with in simular situations they will will be more than glad to help and give you some good access. Just understand you'll still have to stay pretty far away from the action. Half the fun of aviation photography, at least from the ground, is learning how to spot good locations! lol

Youve posted a few more since I last looked, that set of B+W images is outstanding and IMO really gives a kind of 1940`s feel to them kind of like what you get in the old war films..............sweet.

Mark

Thank you, Mark, that's just what I was trying to go for.

 

[Boss_BlueAngels]

Here are some from this last weekend. As I'm sure you have become aware, Boeing unveiled it's newest member of the "7" family, the 787 Dreamliner. I was at a somewhat nearby area to photograph the event. I wasn't expecting to get any good shots of it as it was really warm (heat distortion) and had an incredibly busy background... but it was just for fun and to show that I saw it. haha

So here is the new BEAUTIFUL airplane!

There is actually a freeway that goes between Boeings main assembly plant (left) and the rest of Paine Field and thus requires a nice little bridge to allow the airplanes to go back and forth. It's an amazing airplane that's changing the face of aviation forever.

 

[Boss_BlueAngels]

Taken on the same day, here are some shots from Boeings "Future of Flight" museum and tour center...

You think a Boeing 747 is a big jet? Here is the massive vertical stabalizer taken with my Sigma 10-20mm... at the 10 mm end.

And here is the tail section connected to Rolls Royce's 747 flying testbed with people standing directly underneath.

And a closeup of the tailcone which I'd estimate is a good 5 feet thick. From a distance this airplane looks all beautiful and shiny... up close it certainly is not the case!

Check out the engines... notice something odd? #2 (third from left with dude standing in front of it) is a test engine for the new 787... the RR Trent 1000. They mount the engine in that spot so they can actually fly the engine in real conditions.