Lowflying photography from a disabled persons point of view
Low level photography by Tony Beck
If you go to a rock concert, football match, ride on a bus, park in a car park, airshows, all these places and many more have one thing in common. They all have designated areas for disabled people and sometimes special facilities. Well, you shouldn't expect a disabled person to be able to climb a mountain and photograph an aircraft, maybe not but they might want to do this.
This article is about one aviation enthusiast who cannot walk who has always wanted to capture the best possible images of aircraft in action, this person is Tony Beck. Tony is currently waiting to be medically discharged from the RAF where he has served all over the world for 15 years as a Communication and Information Systems Controller.
Visit Tony's website link
Motorised buggy link
RAFBF link
Below, tony and fellow enthusiasts in Feb 2007.
Tony was hoping to get out into the hills since October 2006 after he joined the lowfly.net forum. Unfortunately due to circumstances such as the weather being awful and family engagements a number of trips had to be scrapped at the last moment, however February 5th Tony eventually made it into the Mach Loop for the first time. This meant and early start, 3am to be exact. The long trip from yorkshire took around 4 hours including a stop at the Little Chef at Dolgellau for the last hot food and respectable toilet facilities we would be seeing for another 8 hours. The day was bright but fairly windy, then we learned the bad news that RAF Valley was experiencing severe cross winds and would have to close, this left us to hope that we may see some of the RAF's front-line aircraft but sadly not one single movement was observed from our excellent vantage point.
April 17th the lowfly.net forums pre arranged meet up for 17 fellow enthusiasts.With the weather for the previous 2 weeks breaking records it was a good sign that the following weeks weather was set to hold, which was almost certain that we would get some aircraft through the valley. So as before it was the same 3am start and we got into position on the hill for 7.40am and ten minutes later we had a hawk inbound and approaching very low and fast, he quickly pulled up slightly and banked sharp to the right and flashed past us with the noise of a dozen shutters all firing away, 2 seconds later he was gone. However around 4 minutes later the same aircraft was again heading towards us again after doing a circuit of the loop and then just as he approached us he pulled up vertically. This was the weather aircraft who was tasked with an early morning sortie to see if the passes were clear of fog.
Below the weather hawk pulls up vertically.
After the first hawk had come through there was a long wait until 09.55 when a pair of hawks were spotted coming towards us from the sea, by this time people had spread out all over the hillside to get different shots to everyone else. these two aircraft flashed past very low and was quickly followed by a single hawk who was slightly higher than the previous pair.
A hawk banking towards the camera.
A couple more hawks had come though by lunchtime and then at 12.30 we got some good news. A tornado f3 had dropped into low level at Lake Bala, which is about 12 miles up the valley to us, then 3 minutes later we saw him at the entrance to our valley but we all cursed when he carried on over and behind the big mountain of Cader Idris. We got a call from the guys at the very top of the hill that he had dropped into the loop at Corris Corner so we waited in anticipation, then 3 minutes later he shot out of the Dinas valley and pointed his nose towards us and proceeded to enter our narrow pass. We had a nice view of him and the two crew also got a good look at the 17 of us on the hillside and waved.
After he passed us he pulled up higher and did a short loop and dropped back at the entrance of our valley and once more he attacked the pass and 2 seconds later it was all over and he was on route, leaving behind 17 happy faces.
The F3 in the pass
It was another hour before any other aircraft came through and at 2.30 we were treated to an Hercules C130 transport banking towards us out of the Dinas Valley . We watched as he slowly made his way up the valley before staying low and banking hard to fit through the narrow entrance.
Banking hard into the pass
The last couple of hours of the afternoon saw the occasional hawk come through and a pair of harriers that didnt.Then some of the guys started packing to leave at 4.30, they were very disappointed as there was 5 hawk movements in the next 10 minutes while they were packing their cameras away in the cars below us. Then to round the day off at 6.10 a single Tornado gr. shot out of Dinas and flashed through the pass below us. Then pure amazement as it pulled up high over Cader Idris and turned and dropped back into the pass and he gave us another run through the pass which was even lower than the first.
The second run
Tony as this to say about lowflying photography.
Being disabled shouldn’t stop you getting out and enjoying something that you love doing. In fact, it wasn’t until I was in a wheelchair that I discovered low flying. You sit at home looking at the photographs being posted on forums and you say to yourself “Wow . . . I wish I could do that . . .” well . . . YOU CAN! All you need is the initial courage to say “I’d love to do that” and you will soon make friends who are willing to help you. You will not be looked upon as a disabled person but as a fellow enthusiast and you will soon become a member of a very enjoyable sociable group. It can be a little frustrating sometimes when you want to get to those locations that you can’t access but there are plenty of other locations that are accessible and the results that can be achieved will keep you coming back for more. So if you are disabled and you’re reading this, what are you waiting for, get out there and experience a thrilling hobby. It will change your life.
Graduation Linton upon Ouse 24.08.06
Nice crisp skys were the order of the day, although a nice fresh westerly breeze was blowing down the strip for this display on the bank holiday friday. A nice suprise was the spitfire , which was night stopping after displaying over York races the day before.
Just as the Tucanos were lining up a 3 sqn Typhoon made a very welcome and surprise visit with 2 passes and a burner vertical climb.
The home based 9 ship of Tucanos displayed well in the clear blue skys, before the RAF Tucano display aircraft piloted by Flt lt Daz Mackenzie , was put through its paces.
Then a superb tight display from the 208 sqn hawk from RAF Valley
A fast pass from a 41 sqn Tornado gr4 from RAF Coningsby, before heading on route to the Lake district on a lowfly mission.
A suprise was this 56 sqn Tornado F3 who did 2 wingback high speed passes before lunch stopping.
The only other item to display was the RAF Tutor, the next graduation is sheduled for November , look out on the ops board for the exact date from the end of October. Please be aware that many graduations are put back if bad weather interferes with the training shedule.
RAF Marham Families Day
Despite not having the Red Arrows for display this year, it still turned out a very good afternoons entertainment. This will be remembered sadly as the Last display from the Canberra, which was to be withdrawn from service the following day.
These pictures are courtesy of Lowflying photographer Dave Allen
The BBMF Canberra pr9
Very impressive 4 tornado airfield attack
Graduation Linton upon Ouse 16.06.06
The day before the Queens official birthday, it was a welcome surprise to see a good turn out from the fast jet units of the Royal Air Force.
Participation from 6 Jaguars 2X Tornado gr4, 2x Tornado F3, Harrier. Full displays were flown from Tucano, Tutor, Hawk (100sqn) plus the resident 9 ship display. Real star items werre 2 x Tucano from the French Air Force who departed for home mid morning.
Graduation Linton upon Ouse 03.03.06
Probably the busiest graduation in recent years ,with plenty of fast jet action. Displays from the Hawk from RAF Valley, Tucano. 5 jaguars made their way through Linton with 1 pair making 3 circuits .
A nice addition was the flypast with the Coningsby duo of gr4 and F3 from the FJOEU who shortly rebadged to 41sqn.
A 206 sqn Tristar, was a very rare visitor and the usual Tucano 9 ship was as ever precise and looked fantastic in the deep blue sky
2sqn Tornado gr4 from RAF Marham.
Graduation Linton Upon Ouse 28.04.06
Strong cold winds and blue skys were the order of the day for the second Graduation of the year. Despite a large gathering of enthusiasts blocking the road the powers that be decided not to open the crashgate and to allow the masses to park in safety .
Displays from the Tutor, 100sqn hawk, and the resident Tucano plus customary 9 ship.
Visiting aircraft included a C130k hercules, Harrier T10 20sqn, 32 sqn Augusta 109 and 3 typhoons.
A 100 sqn Hawk being put through its paces
On deployment were 2 Pumas plus 4 hawks from 100 sqn who relocated to Linton while leemings runway was being worked on
The graduation was due to finish at 12 noon local time , but running slightly late at 10 minutes past an unmarked Typhoon f2 made 2 approaches on its delivery flight from Warton to Coningsby. 5 minutes later a pair of 3 sqn machines performed another 2 approaches before a zoom climb out.
Augusta 109 power
3 sqn Typhoons
20 sqn Harrier t10 makes a fast pass
The final days of 801 sqn
Pictures from Martin Cole & Richard Blencowe
The 31st March will see the retirment of the British sea bourne fighter the Sea Harrier or commonly known as SHar. Lowfly.net was lucky enough to be invited to a special event to watch the squadron prepare for flight almost for the very last time.
Click on the pictures for a larger image
801 received its first Sea Harrier FRS Mk 1 on the 28th January 1981 and one year later they were operating in the south atlantic with eleven aircraft during operation Corporate, the operation to recover the Falkland islands from the Argentine military. The SHars primary role was fleet defence, during the campaign the tiny fighters often often outnumbered by mixed force of Mirages, Skyhawks, Delta Daggers and Super Etendards. It didn't take long for the SHar to build up a fearsome reputation and earned the nickname the Black Death from the Argentine pilots who often elected to dump their weapons upon first sight of the Shar and turn for home rather than face almost certain death. The SHar operated alongside its land based equivalent the Harrier Gr Mk3 operated by the Royal Air Force, the Gr3 was tasked for close air support while the sHar swept the sky for enemy intruders. The SHar did operate in a dual role when called upon, during the campaign 801 sqn dropped 56 x 1000lb bombs . The Sea Harrier was undefeated in air to air combat during the campaign, a record it still proudly holds today in the last weeks of its service life in the Royal Navy.
In 1986, 801 sailed on the newly commissioned Ark Royal to New York where an estimated 400 million people watched on television 2 Sea Harriers bow in formation in front of the Statue of Liberty during its unveiling. In 1994 operating in the Adriatic as part of operation Deny flight a Shar flown by Lt Nick Richardson was shot down by ground fire as he made is second bomb run whilst trying to bomb some tanks which were shelling Gorazde. He was uninjured and was quickly picked up by some members of the SAS who were trapped in the town centre of Gorazde, after a gruelling trek behind enemy lines the group where eventually picked up by an RAF Puma helicopter to safety. In 1995, 801 received it first upgraded Sea Harriers the FA Mk 2 .
The days sortie was for a planned flypast at RAF Wyton near Cambridge, due to heavy snow showers the flypast was cancelled and changed for a later date. So the Shars returned to Yeovilton for some four ship flybys and hover and ski jump practise.
The Fleet Air Arm use a Harrier T.8 for training purposes, it is easily recognisable with its large canopy which houses a student and instructor and the aircraft is finished in black gloss.
The Sea Harrier only has 1 engine,it as 4 exhaust ports which are split with 2 on each side of the aircraft located near the front and rear surface of the wings. These rotate in the direction the pilot wishes the aircraft to manoeuvre in, up ,down,left or right, and even backwards.
We would like to thank all the team at 801 sqn who made this day possible with special thanks to Flt Lt J Edmondson who is off to the USA with her family on a tour with the US marines where her Husband will fly the Cobra. Special thanks to Cdr H Mitchell who gave a very intresting talk and hosted an open forum, we also would like to send our wishes to all the personell at 801 for a prosperous future .
Please note: 801 sqn will reform 0n 1st Oct 2006(TBC) equipped on the RAF Harrier gr7/9 at RAF Cottesmore.
" ON LES AURA" We will have them
You can find more pictures and a report on the SHar at Air displays UK
AIRSHOW PICTURES 2005
Click image to view larger picture
