Buck Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Aloha gents! Just back from a great air-refueling weekend and want to share a few shots I hope you all enjoy… I sure enjoyed taking them. This was very much a learning experience for my student and yours truly. For my new boomer it was he first time seeing the Raptor… For me, the first time I shot in full manual!!! The lighting proved to be quite a challenge so I hope some of the images are at least to an acceptable standard (fingers crossed). Anyway enough of my chatter, here are the images… A hui hou The flight-deck of our old girl… This was taken after our boom checks & 1st AR. It was an early morning (early enough to upset some residents apparently)… Sun finally breaks the horizon… Off to the wing… Sunlight & hopefully better pictures! Somewhat static but still a beautiful bird… Closing in… Getting kinda close… Don’t scratch it! Back out to observation… For some reason this is my favorite shot. Post AR and high over Yosemite… Off to the lead tanker (Gucci boys of course, that's a KC-10 in tanker speak )… Thanks again for letting me post and any photographic pointers always welcome!!! Mahalo!!! Link to post Share on other sites
GreyGhost Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Wow Mark, Stunning Shots ! THANK YOU for sharing them ! Gregg Link to post Share on other sites
Rapier01 Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Acceptable?!! Those are freakin awesome! Link to post Share on other sites
Rapier01 Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 (edited) Got any more? Edited May 16, 2007 by Rapier01 Link to post Share on other sites
Moose135 Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 (edited) Stunning shots, Mark! I love them. Are you a -135 boomer? It looks like there are 4 sets of engine instruments in that first shot, but where did all those fancy digital instruments come from? Back when I flew them, we had "real" gages :) Edited May 16, 2007 by Moose135 Link to post Share on other sites
Buck Posted May 16, 2007 Author Share Posted May 16, 2007 (edited) Stunning shots, Mark! I love them. Are you a -135 boomer? It looks like there are 4 sets of engine instruments in that first shot, but where did all those fancy digital instruments come from? Back when I flew them, we had "real" gages :) Yes sir, a 135 Boomer... When I first started it was all round dial as well, even the fuel panel (man I hated those!!!). Thankfully I missed the "When man thought he could burn water" phase and have always been a big engine "R Model" guy :) I must admit longing to see a MITO take off again though!!! Anyhow, we went to a partial glass config about 5 or 6 years ago, what you see is the latest incarnation: a KC-135R Blk 40.2 "Pacer CRAG" bird. That pretty much got us "certified" to fly RVSM, RNP10 (CPDLC, Data Link, SATCOM, HF, GPS, etc.)… So now were legal to fly the tracks (and more importantly altitudes) all the airliners use… We also lost the Nav so most Booms ...UNOFFICIALLY… maintain a better understanding of some of those systems to back up the pilots :) Again thanks for all the kind words guys, always appreciate the comps!!! Keeps me motivated as I try to learn the ropes of aviation photography!!! Mahalo :) Mark Edited May 16, 2007 by Buck Link to post Share on other sites
hatchet Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 :) Wow, fabulous pictures man :) More? :) Link to post Share on other sites
Buck Posted May 16, 2007 Author Share Posted May 16, 2007 Wow....those are aewsome shots! I dunno......the Raptor looks pretty cool with the drop tanks......even if it is only a ferry config.........still looks cool. You know I was thinking the same thing... The tanks don't look bad at all. I remember seeing them being tested at Edwards a few years back and didn't care for them but now they sure seem to work :) Big Mahalo again guys!!! I'll post a few more soon... Wife's home! :) Thanks should go to the 2 Raptor drivers as well, they were more than happy to pose for the shots during the drag & and were extremely stable receivers... Even with the sun right in their eyes! :) Link to post Share on other sites
TomcatFanatic123 Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Raptors with drop tanks. COOL :)! Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Quite a series of photos! Link to post Share on other sites
raptor22 Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 (edited) I like that shot the best... Hey Buck, would it be ok if I use that as a new avatar please? pretty please??? with a lump of sugar????? :) :) Edited May 16, 2007 by raptor22 Link to post Share on other sites
engineman Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Aloha gents!Just back from a great air-refueling weekend and want to share a few shots I hope you all enjoy… I sure enjoyed taking them. This was very much a learning experience for my student and yours truly. For my new boomer it was he first time seeing the Raptor… For me, the first time I shot in full manual!!! The lighting proved to be quite a challenge so I hope some of the images are at least to an acceptable standard (fingers crossed). Anyway enough of my chatter, here are the images… A hui hou :) The flight-deck of our old girl… This was taken after our boom checks & 1st AR. It was an early morning (early enough to upset some residents apparently)… Sun finally breaks the horizon… Off to the wing… Sunlight & hopefully better pictures! Somewhat static but still a beautiful bird… Closing in… Getting kinda close… Don’t scratch it! Back out to observation… For some reason this is my favorite shot. Post AR and high over Yosemite… Off to the lead tanker (Gucci boys of course, that's a KC-10 in tanker speak :) )… Thanks again for letting me post and any photographic pointers always welcome!!! Mahalo!!! And that would have been my squadron(Gucci KC-10) Doing a little force extension action on the cornet . Great shots! Scott Link to post Share on other sites
Will7813 Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 AEWSOME PICS MAN!! Do you have more and is that the highest res available?? Thankyou!! Will Link to post Share on other sites
Buck Posted May 16, 2007 Author Share Posted May 16, 2007 And that would have been my squadron(Gucci KC-10) Doing a little force extension action on the cornet .Great shots! Scott LOL, what a small world :)... Did you fly outta Hickam as well? Next time you're intown drop me a pm, will show you to a couple of decent hobby shops here in Honolulu. Ahui hou! :) Link to post Share on other sites
Buck Posted May 16, 2007 Author Share Posted May 16, 2007 I like that shot the best... Hey Buck, would it be ok if I use that as a new avatar please? pretty please??? with a lump of sugar????? :) :) No problem feel free to; in fact I'm flattered... Thanks for the comp :) Link to post Share on other sites
Buck Posted May 16, 2007 Author Share Posted May 16, 2007 AEWSOME PICS MAN!! Do you have more and is that the highest res available??Thankyou!! Will I had to dumb them down a bit, actually the res is much higher & shot in both JPG & RAW format. I'm working on posting some others (individually) in a larger format. Thanks again :) Link to post Share on other sites
GreyGhost Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Well, I know our resident F-22 driver may not agree about the drop tanks looking cool....but yeah, they seem to work. Maybe I am just to used to aircraft with stuff hanging from them........... :) Yeah, Waco gets a bit wacko :) about droptanks on Raptors doesn't he ? :) Gregg Link to post Share on other sites
Tiger27 Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Awsome shots dude, the lighting colors are spectacular aswell as the jets :) Link to post Share on other sites
General Grievous Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Yeah... AWESOME PICS! Some of the best F-22 shots I've ever seen! :) GG Link to post Share on other sites
migf4 Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Wow Mark, these are stunning shots ! :) THANK YOU so much for sharing them with us..... ! Hope we will see in the future as well a Raptor in Germany too Cheers from a cold and rainy Germany, Mick Link to post Share on other sites
VOODOO73 Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Off to the wing… Sunlight & hopefully better pictures! Thanks for these pics Buck :) Link to post Share on other sites
Reyes Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Great photos Buck! Words are useless!!! :) Link to post Share on other sites
modelsntoys Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Absolutely FANTASTIC! Thanks!!! Link to post Share on other sites
Almansur Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 (edited) Oh, Man!....... incredible shots!!! Any way I can beg, borrow or steal a higher-rez of sunrise.jpg for my wallpaper? THAT is one CLASSIC Raptor shot! Congrats! Edited May 16, 2007 by Almansur Link to post Share on other sites
chopperpilot71 Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Dude, You got one of the best jobs in the world! Thanks for sharing the pics....Awesome! Link to post Share on other sites
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