Harriers at Cottesmore

[Tweek]

I tend to refrain from posting many photos here due to there not really being a dedicated section for it, but as I've seen a few being posted around these parts before I decided I'd share my latest set from RAF Cottesmore last week.

May get you in the mood for the upcoming AV-8B/Harrier GR9 release!

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[Matt Wynn]

for me Tweek that last image is tops, the Harrier is in its twilight years, and it's replacement looms ever closer, i like silhouetted it's a nice look (but thats because of me and Aircraft Recce competitions all them years ago....) :icon_lol:

[peter12213]

Amazing shots, I just love the harrier!

[JorisVandenBerghe]

Magnificent; I really need to come over to the UK again and photograph them while they're still flying around. Do you need many millimeters to get adequate pictures ? Too bad it's so far from here. Duxford was already 400+ kilometers, this is more than 500 kilometers.

[Daube]

Fantastic pictures !

[Matt Wynn]

i have no problems getting the photos i need (Sony A-100 & Sigma 50/500) but usually the boundary fence can be a bit of trouble...

http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/spotting/cottesmore.html

should help for gauging rough distances, and gauging what lens would be best...

[Tweek]

Cottesmore is fantastic for viewing. Low fences and you're extremely close to the taxiway and runway, so you don't really need much when it comes to focal length. From one point I was standing I couldn't fit a whole Harrier in with 70mm, and that was airborne. Shots 2, 6 and 8 were taken with my Canon 70-200mm F/4L, and the rest were taken with my 400mm F/5.6L.

[JorisVandenBerghe]

That's great news. Perhaps, if I can convince my parents to endure even more 'noise' after two days of Flying Legends, who knows :icon_lol:. I haven't seen any Harriers ever in my life, but I'm very keen to see such a machine landing.

They are doing STOVL-ops only, I assume ? Or do they perform rolling landings ? I noticed the nozzles in a 45° angle, so I suppose the latter...

[Tweek]

They are doing STOVL-ops only, I assume ? Or do they perform rolling landings ? I noticed the nozzles in a 45° angle, so I suppose the latter...

Both, although the hover pads are over the other side of the base, so, whilst you can see them, they're not very close when they're hovering. They do sometimes hover over the threshold though, and usually make their final approach quite slowly.

Activity can be quite hit and miss, depending on a whole host of factors, but it just so happens you might get lucky if you get to go. If you've never seen Harriers before then I suppose any movements would be worth going along for!

Here's a video from what looks to be a good day in terms of movements, especially for Cottesmore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y64GQzO2J9A

[Mr.Mugel]

Indeed downright stunning photos! I especially like #3 and #7!

[JamesChams]

Very Nice Photos, Mr. Adam Noonan "Tweek" :applause:
I, too, am looking forward to MilViz's AV-8B/GR? Harriers.:jump:

PS: With your permission, I'd like to make FSX Splash Screen out of them for FREE distribution?

[Tweek]

I'm fine with that, James. Let me know if you'd like any higher resolution images.

[JamesChams]

Thank you, Mr. Adam Noonan "Tweek"!
... and, Yes, please PM a link or zip file with the HIGH RES originals and, of course, I'll give credit to you for the Photos in the README.txt file. I'll put them together as a package and post a download when their all done.

Thanks again. :wavey:

[JamesChams]

Here's a video that excited me, thinking about flying this bird in FSX....

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Enjoy! :wavey:

[jimjones]

Super close photos. You must have lost your hearing after taking them. Can't take pics and hold your ears at the same time. Earplugs maybe?

[Tweek]

Half of the experience is the noise of a jet engine, so I don't really like using earplugs. Of course, if it was noisy for a sustained amount of time (for example, if it was hovering right next to us), then yes, I'd probably have to stick my hands over my ears and forget about the photos!

This, on the other hand, was a little too much for any set of human ears to take, so I'm glad I had a remote shutter release and a tripod!
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[ColoKent]

....said "hi" to the Station CO while you were there. He and I were in the desert together in early 2004 at the Combined Air Ops Center...GREAT guy...he is Scottish, so I would always call him "The Gr-r-r-r-r-r-oup Captain" with an exaggerated brogue.

Great experience and great memories during OIF/OEF...(notice I didn't say "Overseas Contingency"?)

Kent

[Headwind]

Fantastic Shots!!!

I wish here in the States that we were able to get that close. Here anywhere around a military base if you have a camera you will be visited within about 12 seconds flat so to speak. Even though it's not illegal to photograph the planes according to the FFA regulations they don't care most of the time. Then if you are on a public airfield you have to worry about the same types of jerks as well. Heck you actually aren't allowed to take a photo of a private plane without the permission of the owner of the aircraft.

I had a photoshoot for for a flightschool a while back and during the shoot the owner told me that if there is a second place or plane in the shot with ours DO NOT take the photo unless the tail number is owned by us.


Anyway, I love your photos they are great!

[Matt Wynn]

oh the frightning..... i love that aircraft, it can be done to take a photo like that minus earplugs... on a side note anyone happen to know when it fast taxi's next at Brunty?:kilroy: i say photo like that can be done... it can just at the cost of temporary near-deafness....been there done that, was fun, gonna do it again :icon_lol: