Views from the North Atlantic Tracks

A couple of shots of aircraft flying +1000 feet above, the standard vertical separation on the NAT tracks. Shot with Canon 5DmkII & 100-400mm lens. CAL B-777-200ER, N77015, CO 35 LHR-IAH. B-757-200W G-BPEJ British Airways "Open Skies" flying CDG-JFK. Enjoy!!!

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Nice captures.

Chris

that's a heck of gear setup while flying, i'm impressed!!!

great pics, very sharp and clear for shooting through 2-3" of plexiglass. just came across the pond yesterday, but on a random route (not as much traffic). keep clicking and sharing!

Those are cools shots. Better yet, you have one of the coolest jobs in the world! I look forward to seeing more of your photography.

WaFp wrote in post #9639472
that's a heck of gear setup while flying, i'm impressed!!!

great pics, very sharp and clear for shooting through 2-3" of plexiglass. just came across the pond yesterday, but on a random route (not as much traffic). keep clicking and sharing!

Thanks! I do not carry all of my gear with me on trips. That would be impractical. I've got the 5D2 with the 100-400 mm lens 'at the ready' while flying across the Pond. I watch the TCAS for possible photo opportunities that might be overtaking us. The best shots are acheived through the flat glass of the L-1/R-1 windows. The L-2/L-3 and R-2/R-3 windows are curved and it gives the autofocusing a devil of a time trying to get the other a/c in focus. A clean window is also a big plus! Any dead bugs or smudges on the windows can ruin an otherwise great picture. I've gotten my best results shooting with the lens perpendicular to the flat forward glass and shooting subjects that are above us. Best if they're only 1000 to 2000 feet above. If it is very sunny and the chance of having some sun flares on the lens is possible then I use the lens hood.

It is a great job and the scenery is constantly changing. The opportunities for incredible photos is out there as long as you carry the gear with you and use it.

I'm still waiting to see the A-380 out there on the NAT tracks. I've heard them on the radio but have yet to see one in person. Since the bigger a/c like the B-747-400, B-777, A-340-600,etc are usually assigned a higher Mach Number in cruise, they will eventually overtake us and leave us in the dust. I've got a short amount of time to snap off a few good shots as they pass us by!

Fly safe!

What's your excuse gonna be when you fly 100 miles too far? Nice photos.