Pond Boss Forums PHOTO GALLERY Image Gallery Sunrise at 370

There are days when you get a real treat, today was one of them. Beak to Beak with a 747 at 370 waiting for sunrise!

Nice picture! What altitude?

Esshup,
We were at 37,000 and he was at 38,000. Our closure rate was over 1000 Nautical miles per hour (or Mach 1.67 for the propeller heads (geeks)) so the picture timing was very hard to get right with a cel-phone camera. We "saw" him on TCAS about 30 miles out and the skyglow was very pretty already, the sun would be up in 10 or 15 minutes and there was not a cloud in the sky. When we were about a mile apart, I pushed the button twice and caught that picture and the next one had his contrails over our head, that is how fast things happen beak to beak.

The picture does not do it complete justice, it was one of those rare moments you get once every ten or so years, Everything was just right for it to be awe inspiring, needless to say we all reached for our cameras, I had to use my phone because my travel camera got broken out at the farm a few weeks ago and I had not gotten around to getting a new one. The picture in my mind is crystal clear though, and it is beautiful! His contrails went from purple to pure white as he passed over our heads and we could hear the roar of his engines as he passed, needless to say, it put a real big smile on our faces! Though not quite as big as the one I was sporting when my son caught that +2Lber a month or so ago!

One could get whiplash watching that !

Throw the contrails up too if you can. Those must have been something!

The picture of the contrail of that 747 did not come out well ( way to out of focus) but I did get a picture of a A330 also a thousand feet above later that morning: Here it is.

Contrails from the A330

That's one thing that I thought about doing when I was in my 20's and never did it (learn how to fly). If I had a "do over"...........

When I win millions in the lottery my dream of being a pilot will come true... HAHA Awesome photos!

Esshup, it is never too late to heed the calling! Big or small, fast or slow, high or low, its all good, and its all fun.

Do you self a favor, go take a introductory flight, it doesn't cost much. I also recommend doing it on a really clear day, early in the morning. You won't soon forget it if you do!

CJBS, I did it the other way, I had Uncle Sam pay, it was an interesting ride, and I got to see an awful lot of the world.

highflyer:

I've been up in small planes before, a 2 seater Cessina and a twin engined, 8 seater I believe. I was in the co-pilot seat in the 8 seater. I hear ya on the view. I was up in an eggbeater a few times too - that's even more interesting than a plane especially when there's no door.......

I bet the smile on your face was not easily wiped off for quite a while!

My first ride in an airplane was in a B-17 ....
Shake, Rattle & Roll!!!

8th Air Force veteran pilots training for B-29s at Smokey Hills Army Air Corps base in Kansas and me buggin' to hitch a ride - one day, "hey kid - go check out a chute and climb on board"....
Never forget that day as long as I live - me sitting in the bombadier seat with panaramic view of half of Kansas!

Flown in all generations of fixed wing and helicopters since - but nothing compared to that first ride!!!!

George, I salute you and your generation. Our country owes you a remarkable debt. I only wish more american remembered your collective sacrifices.

I too have a great set of firsts in my aviation career, but that is for another day over a cold one. If you have time I would love to hear a few of yours as well. I don't go to plano much, but I would to hoist a toast, or go fishing!

I am humbled that my simple picture could bring back such a great memory, thanks for sharing it.

Brian, the coffee pot is always on - my respect goes to your generation and those that continue to this day - I was only a "grunt"..
Your photo brought back fond memories - thanks!

George I really envy you for that ride in the B-17, but I don't envy the flight crews who had to fly low level daylight bombing missions over Europe.

I've also enjoyed flights in many fixed and rotary wing aircraft, but the most memorable was in a Helio Courier zipping into postage stamp sized fields in Nam, that aircraft is amazing.

Great photo Brian.

Brian, if you do make it to Plano, be sure to take your fly rod along for lessons. If you don't have one, buy one before you go!

Guys, y'all will have to forgive my punching the fast forward button to get to the fond memory stuff. AP, our Saipan B-29 crews were 8th Air Force B-17 veterans that "fly low level daylight bombing missions over Europe."

Those veteran Nam helicopter pilots could land on a dime on an offshore O&G platform or a Canadian High Arctic chunk of ice - that was fun .... back to fish ... fun!!! - landing on a Alaskan wilderness river to fly fish - yeah, it was work - somebody had to do it!!!!

Back to Brian's photo adventures.....

So you are telling me I am about to get schooled? I'm okay with that!!

The hard part is telling the wife I am buying yet another toy for the pond!!!

Boy that was tough, survive a tour over Europe then get sent to fly B-29's over the Pacific. Back then you were in it till it was over.

Yea, but they got to smoke in their aircraft and paint awesome nose art on the front, and they did not care who got in a twist over it!!

God I love the good old days!!

With respect

Make sure George shows you how to cast behind a tree....

Is that through, or using his Kung Fu mastery of the fly-rod and making the fly "FLY" around the tree .

The latter.

George can do just about anything with a fly rod.