My blog
July update.
02/07/2023
I’ve done it again! I’ve spent to much time behind the camera and neglected the website! To all of you that follow me my sincerest apologies and please allow me to bring you up to date on what’s been going on.
We are now into July and the summer season of events is well and truly up and running. At the time of writing this I have already attended the Midland Air Festival and had my first visit to Bicester’s Flywheel event.
I have been a firm fan of the Midland Air Festival ever since it moved to Ragley Hall and it never disappoints. The weather on the Saturday of my visit was hot and sunny with excellent visibility. A fantastic days flying was assured and I think it fair to say the crowds went home hot but happy. Always a crowd pleaser, the Red Arrows put on an awesome display of high precision flying. Rolls-Royce displayed their Spitfire and Mustang beautifully. The sound of these classic warbirds stirs the soul of any aviation fanatic! The pace was brought up to date with the routine from the RAF’s Typhoon. In stark contrast to the classic warbirds of WW2 the Typhoon delivers a high tempo and very noisy assault on the senses. Rotary wing excitement was provided by the Gazelle Squadron with their four ship display. The airframes are ex British military but are all now operated by the civilian team. Taking us back to the dark days of WW2 the RAF’s BBMF displayed their iconic Lancaster to the legion of adoring fans. Roy Chadwick’s classic 4 engined heavy bomber took the fight to the very heart of Germany night after night but sadly a great many of them and their crews never returned. Today she flies in memory of the brave men of bomber command and to inform and inspire the next generation. Lest we forget. In between the above were many other aircraft each bringing their own unique display that made the event the resounding success that it is. Long may it continue. Here’s a tip on going to the event, book premier parking! If, like me you or anyone in your group has limited mobility or you like to carry the kitchen sink with you the alternative can be a VERY long walk to/from your vehicle. Midland Air Festival
And so to Bicester Flywheel. Though not my first visit to Bicester Heritage it is still quite a new venue for me and I can honestly say it is an amazing place to explore. All the old buildings including the hangars that make up this former RAF airfield are now used by aviation and automotive companies and all had their doors open for visitors. The whole event was a feast of sights and sounds and it was hard to know which way to look. On the airfield there was a demonstration track laid out with a constant stream of classic, vintage and modern cars and motorcycles doing their best to entertain the appreciative crowds. There were far to many different vehicles for me to list them all but my highlights were the Bentley’s both old and new, the racing Jaguar, Allen Millard with his Flying Millyard self built motorcycle and the Beautiful Bristol Blenheim light bomber of WW2.
I was able to take my late father’s folding Coronet camera with me, it was my first chance to try a film in it and see if it still works. I can honestly say it does and I was blown away by the results. I will add them to my shot on film page Shot on film. Overall an excellent event and one I would not hesitate to recommend. Bicester Heritage
So, what’s next?
It’s the beginning of July and that means RIAT!! Just a few days now until the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. (LINK) Once again I’m getting ready for six days of non stop aviation photography (I must be mad!) Whilst we always hope for great weather I personally hope it’s not as hot as last year. I managed to get heatstroke on the Saturday and have no wish to do that again! There is lots to look forward to this year, Italian and Spanish Harriers, Greek Phantoms and American B52’s to name just a few. For the Wednesday fly in this year I’m going to try something a little different. I’ve been using a GoPro on top of my camera for a few years now but annoyingly the microphone picks up the click click of my camera shutter. So I’m going to mount my M50 on a DJI gimbal slaved to my camera so it tracks where my DSLR points. Early tests look good so fingers crossed it will work. If it does I’m hoping it will allow me to create a good video as well as some shorts for my social media. The gimbal actually slaves to my iPhone which I will be mounting on top of the DSLR. If it proves successful I might do a post about it later.
That’s about it for the moment, lots to be doing in the weeks ahead as well as the never ending editing of images that goes with the territory.
We are now into July and the summer season of events is well and truly up and running. At the time of writing this I have already attended the Midland Air Festival and had my first visit to Bicester’s Flywheel event.
I have been a firm fan of the Midland Air Festival ever since it moved to Ragley Hall and it never disappoints. The weather on the Saturday of my visit was hot and sunny with excellent visibility. A fantastic days flying was assured and I think it fair to say the crowds went home hot but happy. Always a crowd pleaser, the Red Arrows put on an awesome display of high precision flying. Rolls-Royce displayed their Spitfire and Mustang beautifully. The sound of these classic warbirds stirs the soul of any aviation fanatic! The pace was brought up to date with the routine from the RAF’s Typhoon. In stark contrast to the classic warbirds of WW2 the Typhoon delivers a high tempo and very noisy assault on the senses. Rotary wing excitement was provided by the Gazelle Squadron with their four ship display. The airframes are ex British military but are all now operated by the civilian team. Taking us back to the dark days of WW2 the RAF’s BBMF displayed their iconic Lancaster to the legion of adoring fans. Roy Chadwick’s classic 4 engined heavy bomber took the fight to the very heart of Germany night after night but sadly a great many of them and their crews never returned. Today she flies in memory of the brave men of bomber command and to inform and inspire the next generation. Lest we forget. In between the above were many other aircraft each bringing their own unique display that made the event the resounding success that it is. Long may it continue. Here’s a tip on going to the event, book premier parking! If, like me you or anyone in your group has limited mobility or you like to carry the kitchen sink with you the alternative can be a VERY long walk to/from your vehicle. Midland Air Festival
And so to Bicester Flywheel. Though not my first visit to Bicester Heritage it is still quite a new venue for me and I can honestly say it is an amazing place to explore. All the old buildings including the hangars that make up this former RAF airfield are now used by aviation and automotive companies and all had their doors open for visitors. The whole event was a feast of sights and sounds and it was hard to know which way to look. On the airfield there was a demonstration track laid out with a constant stream of classic, vintage and modern cars and motorcycles doing their best to entertain the appreciative crowds. There were far to many different vehicles for me to list them all but my highlights were the Bentley’s both old and new, the racing Jaguar, Allen Millard with his Flying Millyard self built motorcycle and the Beautiful Bristol Blenheim light bomber of WW2.
I was able to take my late father’s folding Coronet camera with me, it was my first chance to try a film in it and see if it still works. I can honestly say it does and I was blown away by the results. I will add them to my shot on film page Shot on film. Overall an excellent event and one I would not hesitate to recommend. Bicester Heritage
So, what’s next?
It’s the beginning of July and that means RIAT!! Just a few days now until the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. (LINK) Once again I’m getting ready for six days of non stop aviation photography (I must be mad!) Whilst we always hope for great weather I personally hope it’s not as hot as last year. I managed to get heatstroke on the Saturday and have no wish to do that again! There is lots to look forward to this year, Italian and Spanish Harriers, Greek Phantoms and American B52’s to name just a few. For the Wednesday fly in this year I’m going to try something a little different. I’ve been using a GoPro on top of my camera for a few years now but annoyingly the microphone picks up the click click of my camera shutter. So I’m going to mount my M50 on a DJI gimbal slaved to my camera so it tracks where my DSLR points. Early tests look good so fingers crossed it will work. If it does I’m hoping it will allow me to create a good video as well as some shorts for my social media. The gimbal actually slaves to my iPhone which I will be mounting on top of the DSLR. If it proves successful I might do a post about it later.
That’s about it for the moment, lots to be doing in the weeks ahead as well as the never ending editing of images that goes with the territory.
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