Spitfire Take Off!

[Guest]

Around noon today I heard the sound of an unfamiliar aircraft roar overhead.
My place is actually right under the flight path of airplanes landing at the airfield nearby.
I was just in time to see what I could scarcely believe, the unmistakeable wings of a Spitfire - Wowee!
Grabbing my fully charged cameras ready to go, I headed off to Wangaratta Airfield to see it take off after refuelling.
1.
E-3 + SWD 12-60mm * 1/125 @ f/14 @ ISO125 @ 60mm

2.
E-3 + 12-60mm * 1/125 @ f/14 @ ISO125 @ 60mm

3.
E-3 + SWD 50-200mm * 1/125 @ f/13 @ ISO125 @ 200mm

4.
E-3 + SWD 50-200mm * 1/500 @ f/6.3 @ 1/125 @ 200mm

5.
E-3 + SWD 50-200mm * 1/500 @ f/9 @ ISO125 @ 200mm

"Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace, Where never the lark, nor even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod The high, untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand and touched the face of God."

John Gillespie Magee (1922-1941) A Canadian Spitfire pilot in the Battle of Britian

[Floribunda]

Re: Spitfire Take Off!

Aren't they fabulous Mark!
Neil is pretty sure this is one of the spitfires that is based at the Temora Aviation Museum that he loves to visit. A fully operational museum with some outstanding exhibits.
Great shots.

[Chevvyf1]

Re: Spitfire Take Off!

Mark, Oooooh MY ! What a stonkingly STUNNING Beauty of a paint job too

thrilled for you down to the end of my teeny weeny toes

ps images terrific and up to your very high standard too

[Wee man]

Re: Spitfire Take Off!

Great to see these thanks for posting

[Olybirder]

Re: Spitfire Take Off!

A great series of this iconic plane. I especially like number 2. A wonderful sight Mark.

Ron

[StephenL]

Re: Spitfire Take Off!

Great shots, especially the superbly-timed one of the BIF!

[Wally]

Re: Spitfire Take Off!

Superb! What a fantastic sight to see in RL. Jealous doesn't even come close. Seeing these has really made my day. In the markings of the Tiger Squadron - a very famous group of American pilots and quite possibly the most famous squadron ever... the original TOP GUNS.

Alf beat me to it. Most people relate the 'flying tigers' to the AVF (American Volunteer Force) in WWII, a famous group in their own right but the original 'Tiger' Squadron was an RAF unit created around 1917. As Micheal Caine would say, 'not a lot of people know that.' ;-)

[alfbranch]

Re: Spitfire Take Off!

Nice stuff Mark very well shot I notice not with the XZ-1 this time.

Look HERE for some history

[Guest]

Re: Spitfire Take Off!

Aren't they fabulous Mark!
Neil is pretty sure this is one of the spitfires that is based at the Temora Aviation Museum that he loves to visit. A fully operational museum with some outstanding exhibits.
Great shots.

Quite possibly, Lyn. I understand that RG-V flew in from Temora today, actually on its way to a fly-over at Geelong although I've no idea why. It was also mentioned that this Spitfire is owned by a local Wangaratta resident.

Mark, Oooooh MY ! What a stonkingly STUNNING Beauty of a paint job too
thrilled for you down to the end of my teeny weeny toes
ps images terrific and up to your very high standard too

Thanks Chevvy - today, fortune smiled upon me. Had I not just walked outside to my clothes line at that moment, then I would not have seen the 'Spitty' and would not have hastened to the airfield to get a close look.

Great to see these thanks for posting

Thanks for looking, Ed.

A great series of this iconic plane. I especially like number 2. A wonderful sight Mark. Ron

Number 2 is a nice angle, shows the underside of the wing. Thanks Ron.

Great shots, especially the superbly-timed one of the BIF!

Yes Stephen. Fortunately I had the E-3 braced against the aero club veranda post as the Cessna approached, fired off a few shots of which #3 was the best.

Superb! What a fantastic sight to see in RL. Jealous doesn't even come close. Seeing these has really made my day. In the markings of the Tiger Squadron - a very famous group of American pilots and quite possibly the most famous squadron ever... the original TOP GUNS. Alf beat me to it. Most people relate the 'flying tigers' to the AVF (American Volunteer Force) in WWII, a famous group in their own right but the original 'Tiger' Squadron was an RAF unit created around 1917. As Micheal Caine would say, 'not a lot of people know that.' ;-)

The Spitfire also made my day although I had to forgo my housework - but one has to get one's priorities right ... right?

Nice stuff Mark very well shot I notice not with the XZ-1 this time. Look HERE for some history

Thanks Alf. Yes, when I grabbed my cameras I knew I'd need the E-3 + 50-200mm for a take-off which I had predicted. The XZ-1's zoom just isn't long enough, nor its sequential shooting capability good enough for the job.

[DerekC]

Re: Spitfire Take Off!

Always a wonderful sight and sound well captured. E-3 & 50-200SWD delivering good images.

[Internaut]

Re: Spitfire Take Off!

Fast running out of superlatives this afternoon. More great shots of another amazing WWII plane.

[grissley]

Re: Spitfire Take Off!

love the sound of these , one was doing the loop de loop the other afternoon just a couple of miles away I got a pic very quick but oh so small grrrrrrrr.
nice shots.

[crimbo]

Re: Spitfire Take Off!

Very nice...is this a Mk VII ?

[Falk]

Re: Spitfire Take Off!

Usually you need a ticket and a long drive to location and to que for hours, than some elbowing to get a free line of sight etc. Nothing I want to do again in the near future. So, rather nice to get a chance on a Spitfire for free Mark! You managed to dial in the right speeds for a very nice prop blur too. All very nice, but I am fond of your #4, with all the 'Mirage' from the Merlins exhausts. Tell tale signs of full throttle ...

[alfbranch]

Re: Spitfire Take Off!

MKVIII added the link to this thread again.

Very nice...is this a Mk VII ?

Look HERE for some history