Up early to catch the long-hauls as they arrive from their destinations. First out was a Swiss MD-11.

HB-IWC Swiss MD-11

It was calm winds and the sky was clear, this would turn out to be a great day!
The heavies continued to arrive…

HB-IQH Swiss A-330

HB-IQJ Swiss A330

Runway 28 was used as they all arrived on a shoestring…

All the way from Johannesburg came this A340…

ZS-SLA South African A340-200

9V-SMQ Singapore Airlines B747-400

HB-IQF Swiss A330

The sun rose higher and higher and I tried a few other places to shoot from. Found this spot under the 28 finals…

A330 on approach with runwaylights

Thai Airways B747-400

Thai Airways B747-400

Thai Airways B747-400 about to touchdown runway 28

Russian arrival – TU-154

Swiss A330 only seconds away..

No season for strawberries

Again I moved to get some new angles. Tried the photoholes in the intersection. Lovely place.

Z3-AAA MAT B737

HB-IOJ Swiss A320 rotates

JA8901 Japan Airlines B747-400

ZRH is a great place and I realise I have to plan for a return soon as I looked through these photos.

We were driving around looking for a hotel to spend the night, and during our search we found a spot on the approach and watched the arrivals for a few minutes.

United

N362SW Southwest B737

N682SW Southwest B737

N324AW America West B737

N331SW Southwest B737

N331SW Southwest B737

And finally a beautiful Alaska MD before we had to leave again.

Alaska MD

Only a few minutes of spotting this time, but still some nice shots to bring home!

During a visit in 2002 I spent a lot of time airside shooting. The variety in traffic is fantastic. From the big widebodies to the regional Embrairs.

Line at JNB

While standing on the northern end of the apron I looked at the line of aircraft. Normally widebodies waiting for their evening departures, I heard a lovely sound…

DC-4 at JNB

It was the beautiful Phoebus Apollo DC-4 ZS-PAI, the same aircraft I saw in Lusaka  a few years earlier.

Phoebus Apollo DC-4 ZS-PAI

Phoebus Apollo DC-4 ZS-PAI

The sound of the 4 piston powered engines as she came close just got better and better. Fantastic! Slowly taxing past me with all 4 engines on almost idle power…

I just loved every second of it. Never thought I’d see this in 2002. I thought it was too late.

Imagine my surprise when only 2 hours later in the morning I heard that fantastic sound again!

Suid Afrikaanse Lugdienst DC-4 ZS-BMH

I couldn’t ask for a better day!

This beautiful DC-4 stopped just beside me, waiting in line for take off. I was in heaven!

Suid Afrikaanse Lugdienst DC-4 ZS-BMH

Now that was a great contrast to all A340′s and B747′s parked around me….

Based in Johannesburg, Nationwide flew to many destinations in the region. Their office was just across the runway and that’s where I did the interview with the company.

Nationwide_Tails

I spent some time in October 2002 flying and photographing the Nationwide fleet. Lovely weather! Spring in Johannesburg was great and extended my summer, coming from an autumn grey Sweden.

Nationwide B1-11 ZS-OAH

Finally getting to fly the Bac 1-11 again was a treat. I thought I had flewn them for the last time.  Now I was about to fly from JNB to ELS (East London, South Africa) on Flight CE552.

I loved flying this classic airlines once again. I now only wish that I had taken more (or any!) shots from the cockpit.

Nationwide BAC 1-11 ZS-OAH airborne from JNB

Anyhow, it was a fantastic opportunity to fly a classic aircraft once again.

Nationwide BAC 1-11 ZS-OAH during pushback.

What I didn’t realise then was that flying the B737-200 was almost as rare. They disappear faster than I had hoped from our skies.
The B737-200 is really a favourite of mine.

Nationwide B737-200 ZS-OOC

I did 8 flights on the B737-200 during my visits and we flew to destinations like Port Elisabeth, Lusaka (Zambia), Livingstone (Zambia), Capetown and Durban.
Fantastic flying! No glass cockpits as far as the eye can see. Just pure classic cockpits.

Nationwide B737-200 ZS-OIV (note the African Intl DC-8 in the background)

As if flying the BAC 1-11 and the B737-200 wasn’t enough, this trip also offered the luxury of flying the B727. Another classic!

Nationwide B727 ZS-NYY Cockpit

Unfortunately (?) I spent so much time flying the B727 that I barely got any photos of it from the outside.

I guess I could blame the crews for that. Really great people to fly with and we had fun!

Nationwide Crew CE2216

Nationwide B727 ZS-NYY

Note the crew member sitting on the aft stairs resting in the shadow above.
This particular Boeing 727-095 had serial 19251/315 and is scrapped today.

At one time there was 3 aircraft flying to LVI at the same time. Livingstone airport (LVI) is very close to the Victoria falls and attracts a lot of tourists.
There were 2 B737-200′s and one B727 at the same time. Fantastic!

Nationwide B737-200 ZS-OVF makes a one gear touch down at LVI

Nationwide B737-200 ZS-OVF at LVI

Capetown – scenic approach

Nationwide B737-200 ZS-OEZ at CPT

The aircraft above, ZS-OEZ serial 22118/704 a Boeing 737-230 started it’s carrer with Lufthansa back in 1981. Left for Croatia Airlines in 1992 as RC-CTC and got re-registered to C9-CTC and the bought by Nationwide Airlines in 1999.

She got the registration ZS-OEZ and flew for 8 years before she lost her number 1 engine on take off from this airport. (CPT – Capetown) on 7 November 2007. And by loosing an engine, I really mean loosing it! It separated from the wing on takeoff! Luckily the crew managed to turn around and come back to CPT for a sucessful landing.
According to Airfleets.net she was scrapped in February 2011.

Nationwide B737-200 ZS-OMG rotates at JNB

We were heading back to Billund (BLL) from a charter flight to Frankfurt. It had been a long day with a quite long stopover in Frankfurt Airport.
Now we were cruising in the ATP OY-SVI in basic British Airways livery.

As we approach Danish airspace the sun started setting. I went back into the cabin to have a look at the props.

Wing View

Absolutely beautiful!

The sky was lovely as we descended into BLL.

Sky

We turned on final for runway 27 at BLL.

Approach BLL

I am currently setting things up here. I hope to be posting shortly….

I have started to add new entries and will continue to do so whenever I feel for it.

I have started adding  added some older entries I made on SpottersBlog.com while it existed.
If you haven’t read them, it might be of interest to start with…

Stay tuned!  Cool that you found me

My company, Viking Aviation Photo,  will now produce cockpit DVD’s from the planning to filming and now producing them too. This is something that will give me free hands to sculpture the DVD to my own liking.

This new series is called Flight Deck Action and is filmed in High Definition using multiple widescreen cameras.
This means I will show the pilots in views you are not used to.

First release is Air Austral B777-200ER

Profile View – Approach SYD

B777 cockpit

Air Austral B777-200ER Cover

Enjoy the first short trailer I have uploaded.

This spot is stunning if they are using runway 19R for landings and it”s sunny. While I was there it was cloudy and they used 01L for takeoffs and 01R for the landings.

Spot by runway 01L/19R

LN-KKS | B737-33A | Norwegian – Unicef LiveryLN-KKS | B737-33A | Norwegian – taking off from runway 01L

One of many SAS B737''s that took off

I drove off after a while to try the other runway.

Line of aircraft at OSL

LN-RRL | B737 | SAS – Star Alliance livery with additional 10 Years 1997-2007 sticker

TS-INC | A320 | Nouvelair – just vacating runway 01R

I would never have guessed that they would be gone before the end of the year…

LN-KKY | B737-33A | Norwegian – Acta Livery

Decided to try departures again for a while…

LN-KKY | B737-33A | Norwegian – Acta Livery

Just as the Acta B737 took off again.

The weather became worse and worse so I decided to shoot the last departures lined up and leave..

SAS | B737

TF-FIU | B757 | Icelandair

I didn’t get much useful on this trip, but I got to check the various spots available for us spotters.
Valuable information for me next time I decide to go up, next time in sunny weather!

Took a taxi to my hotel and…They had no reservation for me.

I made it myself over the internet and I had a printout in my hand, still they found nothing in their computers. No problem, they had rooms available so they entered all my information manually and all was well.

Now, it’s past midnight and I have a very early date in the morning, and then it’s time for a 757 all day!

Excellent!

The only problem we had was finding a pilot to fly the chase plane, but someone knew someone in the local flight club so we headed over there. We found one guy who said he could fly the plane as we wanted.
Réunion is a French island and everybody speaks French. Luckily this guy also spoke some English so we could communicate really well. My French is enough to survive, but I trust my English for important planning issues like this.

We spent some time in the clubhouse discussing how I wanted to perform the photo shoot, and loads of drawings were done on the big whiteboard on the wall.
The pilot wanted a girl to fly with us and it was determined that I should give all commands to her in English, and she would tell the pilot what I wanted.

Despite my efforts to change it so I could talk directly to the pilot that’s how it was agreed.

We, Myself, the pilot of the chase plane and company management, had a meeting with the Control Tower of Réunion Airport.
As we stood up in the tower we discussed the distance from the Boeing 777 we were about to shoot, and I pointed out to some 747′s on the apron below us and we made comparisons.

We all agreed about a safe distance from the Boeing 777 that would ensure great photos and still be safe from vortex’es.

We met up with the captain of the B777 and went through it all again.  The 777 was departing for a short flight to Mauritius and as it came back we would meet it on it’s approach and follow it until touchdown.

So, the directions to the B777 Captain was basically, fly as you normally would do, and we will come up on your starboard side for a couple of shots during your approach. Captain agreed and we started to prepare.

F-OPAR | B777 | Air Austral – Pushing back for the flight to Mauritius

I positioned myself just by the runway for the takeoff and shot some nice ones as it rotated just in front of me.

F-OPAR Rotates

I watched it climb out and head for MRE.
We drove off to the flight club again to prepare our aircraft, it was a Cessna with the wings on top and a window I could open up. Perfect. I have always shot from aircraft with wings under us, so this would be a first try.

With plenty of time left we took off and headed out for our rendez-vous point next to the approach path.  It gave me a nice view of the airport.

Réunion Airport Overview

We heard the 777 call up on the frequenzy and we knew he was closing in. I made sure all my camera gear was ready and waited. At last the mighty 777 showed up on the approach next to us.

F-OPAR | B777 | Air Austral – Gear out and established.

Ok, it was showtime!
The pilot of our chase plane started to throttle up and approach the 777. We were still ahead of him, closing in from the side. We were struggling big time with the turbulence caused by the island itself as the winds swept over it from the south.

I pushed the pilot to continue closer as we still were much too far away from the aircraft, not even close to what we had agreed on during planning.
He seemed excited and not really focused on the job.

At last we were alongside with the 777 and I started shooting some from the distance, urging him to go closer so I would get the shots.

F-OPAR | B777 | Air Austral – Passing the highway on approach.

We were now keeping up nicely with the Boeing 777, but too far away. I made this clear to the pilot and the girl assisting us but he never got any closer.

F-OPAR | B777 | Air Austral – Beautiful view as the city passed behind the approaching 777.

Frustrated over the ignorant pilot,  I took all the shots I could, still urging him to move closer.
CLOSER, CLOSER!

He never did…

This being his first time he did some really rookie mistakes that cost me a lot of good shots.

With the wing on top, he dipped it right in front of me when having the 777 on some of the best spots.
Giving me a beautiful view of the wings and the ocean, not the Boeing 777 I wanted.
Level wings mate, level wings!

F-OPAR | B777 | Air Austral – Reversing on the runway after a smooth landing

Frustrated as **** I kept shooting as we circled the airport following the 777 taxying to stand.

F-OPAR | B777 | Air Austral – Leaving the runway and taxying to the apron.

We landed our chase plane and parked it at the club again. I packed my gear quickly as I couldn”t hide my anger. I never got a good explanation of why he didn”t follow the plan, and stayed too far away.

Luckily he had to respond to the company as of why the shots were so distant. I did what I could, but blaming someone else has never looked good so we were all in the same boat.

Having done many Air2Air shoots in the past with an excellent pilot, my brother, always delivering the object in the right spot. I might be spoiled… But that’s how it should be.

I will show some of those shoots later on, as a contrast to this failure.

I will forever remember the view as the 777 flew alongside of us as the positive thing.

Lessen learned: never trust a pilot who says he can do it without blinking.  Unless he has something to show for it.

This was the second time I missed an opportunity because of a bad pilot….
Don’t ask about the other time…