O'Hare Airport

I was able to find a great vantage point for photographing approaching aircraft yesterday. Just west of the airport are a lot of distribution centers that are virtually deserted on Sundays. It's unbelievable just how low these aircraft come in over these roads.

I got a couple of shots I felt were worth sharing.

As always, comments and/or suggestions are welcome.

Thanks.

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Wow, very close. What lens were you using? I like the first shot the best.

The first shot is cool, and exposed better than the second. But something funky happened to the sky.

Posterization from pushing curves?

Thanks for the comments.

I was using my Canon 70-200 f/4 zoomed in to 200.

Curtis and Titus,

I was trying to bring back some of the detail in the sky since it was nearly washed out. I agree; I'm not all that happy with what happened to the sky. I think I need to fix that.

I think I'd have thrown my back out getting those shots! Good ones!

I was based at ORD for 3 years and flew hubbed out of there for 6. I would suggest the Target parking lot as a good place to shoot when ORD is landing 22R. We used to come over it all the time fairly low. Its kinda comical to come over a building with a giant bullseye painted on top of it while you are trying to land.

Pilots making jokes about a bullseye on a building while landing...
Don't tell me that...

Worse than that, he keeps missing the bullseye.

LOL. We actually tried there first, but they were taking off instead of landing. I'm glad you posted here, though, because I have a question about that. Is there any process to how they decide on which runway you're landing or is it based on weather?

I remember hanging out in that parking lot when I was there for CRJ school (UEX). If I only had a camera on that trip.

Great shots !! I really like the first one, good detail of the ERJ belly.

Well, there's an angle you don't see very often. I work in a control tower and never even see that view. Got anymore like this?? I like 'em

Hey, I think I know right about where you were!

I really like that first pic, you get the feeling of it going overhead.

Planes always try to take off and land into the wind. When you are taking off the wind gives you extra airspeed so you get more lift. When you are landing it slows you down because it is blowing against you. Plus if all the planes are going the same direction it flows better.

Same as the first, "you extra airspeed so you get more lift." at a slower ground speed.

Plus if all the planes are going the same direction it flows better.