Missed Opportunity, three jets

jonbeeza

jonbeeza

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I heard an incredible thundering noise 11.50am this morning, 21 April. I ran to the back door to have a look, it was what looked like three fighter jets. They were flying in unison, it was an incredible sight. I only wished I had picked my camera up. A missed opportunity. :( This was the Runcorn area I spotted them. Did anyone else hear, or see them? More importantly, did anyone manage to get a photo?
 
jonbeeza said:
I heard an incredible thundering noise 11.50am this morning, 21 April. I ran to the back door to have a look, it was what looked like three fighter jets. They were flying in unison, it was an incredible sight. I only wished I had picked my camera up. A missed opportunity. :( This was the Runcorn area I spotted them. Did anyone else hear, or see them? More importantly, did anyone manage to get a photo?
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i didnt see them but they where 3 raf tornado gr4 heading to the mach loop the pink one was one of them i tracked tham on radar 360
 
bledyn125 said:
i didnt see them but they where 3 raf tornado gr4 heading to the mach loop the pink one was one of them i tracked tham on radar 360
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Thanks for the info.

It was an incredible sight, only wished I had gotten a photo.
 
Back in the 90's I worked in a high street bank in the South Wales valleys. One day I was having a chat with the boss and stopped mid sentence, then blurted out "They are Merlins!". Left him where he stood and ran out the back of the building in time to catch 6 Merlins in close formation at VERY low altitude! Battle of Britain flight Lanc, Spit and Hurrybird doing a fly past for the local Butcher's birthday - he had been a Wing Commander in WW2. Wish I had a camera with me - a wide angle lens would have been quite long enough!

Unfortunately my father was only a Squadron Leader so he didn't get such treatment.............

To be fair my father did get some nice shots of the Vulcan bombers that used to fly up our valley (at altitudes that are totally banned these days) back in the late 1960s, wish I could find them now!
 
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johnf3f said:
Back in the 90's I worked in a high street bank in the South Wales valleys. One day I was having a chat with the boss and stopped mid sentence, then blurted out "They are Merlins!". Left him where he stood and ran out the back of the building in time to catch 6 Merlins in close formation at VERY low altitude! Battle of Britain flight Lanc, Spit and Hurrybird doing a fly past for the local Butcher's birthday - he had been a Wing Commander in WW2. Wish I had a camera with me - a wide angle lens would have been quite long enough!

Unfortunately my father was only a Squadron Leader so he didn't get such treatment.............

To be fair my father did get some nice shots of the Vulcan bombers that used to fly up our valley (at altitudes that are totally banned these days) back in the late 1960s, wish I could find them now!
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That was a nice read. (y)
 
I know the feeling, I was doing some work up in Appleby-in-Westmorland last week when a Hercules C130 flew over really low over where I was working. I was in awe of seeing it so low that I never even thought to whip my phone out for a shot.

We often hear jets thundering about when working on the same site but rarely see them as they're low and there's lots of trees on site etc. The Hercules was a stroke of luck
 
Just thinking, even if I had thought of grabbing my camera, I had the 35mm lens fitted. Not sure I would have gotten anything meaningful. Trouble is when something unusual happens, we are often dumbstruck or in shock and stare at the event in awe. It is only after the event, we think about what we should have done.
 
John, the same thing happened with me a year ago (20th April)

We get quite a lot of flyovers of various aircraft & I just happened to be outside with my camera when in quick succession 3 flew past, very low overhead.
There was virtually no warning before & I hadn't seen them approaching or anything in the distance .............. :eek:

Eurofighter Typhoon. by Carl B, on Flickr
 
OldCarlos said:
John, the same thing happened with me a year ago (20th April)

We get quite a lot of flyovers of various aircraft & I just happened to be outside with my camera when in quick succession 3 flew past, very low overhead.
There was virtually no warning before & I hadn't seen them approaching or anything in the distance .............. :eek:

Eurofighter Typhoon. by Carl B, on Flickr
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Very impressive photo,:) would love to capture something like that, flying overhead. I am in Runcorn, so we have both Liverpool and Manchester Airport very close by. Get lots of planes flying overhead. I might get a zoom lens at some point.
 
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jonbeeza said:
Just thinking, even if I had thought of grabbing my camera, I had the 35mm lens fitted. Not sure I would have gotten anything meaningful. Trouble is when something unusual happens, we are often dumbstruck or in shock and stare at the event in awe. It is only after the event, we think about what we should have done.
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It's an immutable law of Sod that when an unexpected event happens, the camera shall not be to hand or if it IS, it will not have the suitable lens attached.

Sometimes see the A400M as it does "touch and gos" at Exeter airport but it's almost always when I'm on a course so don't have a camera with me. It's usually in to morning and I'd be shooting straight into the low sun as well.
 
Nod said:
It's an immutable law of Sod that when an unexpected event happens, the camera shall not be to hand or if it IS, it will not have the suitable lens attached.

Sometimes see the A400M as it does "touch and gos" at Exeter airport but it's almost always when I'm on a course so don't have a camera with me. It's usually in to morning and I'd be shooting straight into the low sun as well.
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The DSLR with the 18-55mm kit lens, the X10 and a Panasonic Compact with 20X zoom, have now been placed on a table near the back door. I am now spoilt for choice. Lovely blue sky, but not much happening now. :(
 
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18097-1492870871-88c3851d90a3372aeee39749cb22115e.jpg

Just a quick snap grab with my phone.

Basic choice I have at the moment, I could do with a longer lens really.
 
The Lumix probably has the greatest reach but equally is probably the slowest to achieve focus. Given that the planes were probably over and done with in 5 seconds or less, I'd usually (read "I DO usually!") just let the Mk1 eyeballs have a chance at them - having said that, I've often taken my contact lenses out so can't see them properly anyway!
 
jonbeeza said:
The DSLR with the 18-55mm kit lens, the X10 and a Panasonic Compact with 20X zoom, have now been placed on a table near the back door. I am now spoilt for choice. Lovely blue sky, but not much happening now. :(
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the usaf and raf dont fly on weekends or bank holidays monday to friday first light to last light.get yourself up the mach loop thats the best place to see them low level.

IMG_5894_filtered by martyn williams, on Flickr

IMG_9100_filtered by martyn williams, on Flickr

IMG_5919_filtered by martyn williams, on Flickr
 
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