Mew Gull

[Peashooter]

Wayne: You've done it again! An outstanding shot of a classic aircraft. Peas

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Mew Gull

Wayne: You've done it again! An outstanding shot of a classic aircraft. Peas

Wow... thanks Peas! I'll tell ya.. I'm gettin some STIFF competition these days! There's some pretty savvy shooters out there producing some darn good work lately!

There's sort of a funny story behind this one.. I don't usually make it up early enough to get out for the first bus out (leaves about 7:00AM I think) even when staying on the field for the past few years, I always stayed up so late working the site, just didn't have it in me...

Anyway, trying to keep on point... This year, I did and that's where I managed this shot.

The funny part is, we had to move between inner and outer pylon 8 during the morning session and we had to load up and move quick in order to be off the active course in time for the next event. On this day, we knew we wanted to get from the inner 8 to outer 8 quickly so we could make it for both the events on outer, as well as getting back in time for the Mew Gull flyover on inner 8.. Well, on the way from inner to outer.. (tongue tier here) we were heading to cross the old north south runway, the one Tige and Lyle landed on in '97 or '98 when they both did not like the wind and Lyle had a mayday..

Well, as we come up to it, there's an Air Guard C-130 taxiing out from the guard base.. we slow and then wait so they can cross.. (they are off to our right) they slow and stop so we can cross.. we wait, they wait, we wait longer, they wait longer, we wait some more, they wait some more.. sort of like the four way stop when nobody wants to be the one to go..

Well either the bus driver decided to go or got told to go, so we started across and we also needed to turn to the right a bit to get to our path.. as we went, so did the Herc... NOW we've got a real standoff!!

I'm sure anyone watching from anywhere else on the field got a laugh, I know there was a lot of radio traffic after that one..

Needless to say, we got out and back and all was well but it was one of those.. "unforgettable moments" to be sure..

Glad you liked the shot.. I give MOST of the credit to my "stuff" Without even the "dated" technology of the Nikon D1 digital and the much more modern Nikon 80-400 VR Zoom lens that I'd borrowed from Jeff Lo, I could not have gotten the shot.

The old "trusty" Nikon was/is a great digital SLR.. what is amazing is that there is SO much better, most notably, the Canon 1d mkII, about to release.

Most digital shooters are absolutely salivating over this upcoming camera.. I'm toast, can't afford it.. so I'll keep shooting the "old" Nikon... I know that a few of them will be at Reno this year.. it's going to be interesting to see how well they shoot high speed action!!

Thanks again for the compliment! You made my morning!

Wayne

[Kilo Hotel]

Re: Mew Gull

This is a wonderful shot, Wayne. It was a rare privilege to see the Mew Gull flying at Reno last year, and I'm just sorry I didn't take the time to stop in the pits to talk to the guys who brought her all the way from England.

[First time Juke]

Re: Mew Gull

Yeah that is a beauty.

I saw one here in a scale meeting..she was 1/4 scale. Not quite as perfect as the real thing.