Thunderbirds Practice Times? Air show content?

Michael_Hill · Post by **Michael_Hill** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 1:47 pm

First of all.....clicked accross your site and am just thoroughly amazed. Definitely one of the coolest gems I have found on the interweb in a long time! Please forgive me if you think I might be imposing....but ya'll are talented, dedicated, and knowlegeable....perfect people to seek out info!

Anybody got a timeframe for when the Thunderbirds do their practice show the day before a full show? I'm flying down to Phoenix for the show at Luke AFB in March and I figure for $120 in travel I should get as many runs in as possible. I am a racing photographer by trade who has just gotten into the air demonstration shows because it's about the only thing that touches the dynamics of dirt track racing for me.

Also....can somebody throw me some good links for air show websites? Photos? Message Boards? I really only dig the Thunderbirds/Blue Angels because of the pure size/power/speed of the planes. The french can have their little jets.

I have a new camera and big lens to shake down.....but you can see some weak goods from a bad light Thunderbirds show and some Blue Angels shots from Phoenix last year.

www.pbase.com/Michael_Hill

Rhino · Post by **Rhino** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:18 pm

I would think a good practice time would be roughly the same time they are scheduled during the show weekend to perform, usually about 3-4 local time, depending on sunlight.

As for websites and forums, the best photo site out there is
www.fencecheck.com
If you go to the forums part and start looking through the Airshow Reviews sections you can find a lot of pictures. Also, look through previews and I believe there is a preview for Luke Days as well. I thought I took good pictures with my Rebel EOS 2000, then I looked on there and wow, some amazing shots to say the least! Prompted me to buy a Rebel XTi with a 75-300!

As far as videos-
www.airshowstuff.com

www.stevesairshow.com

BTW, I was just looking at your site Michael and there are some great shots there, as well as some great "scenery"

. Why does the song "Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo" come to my mind!? The Goodyear show, you must have been sitting at the edge of the runway?! Heard there was a dust problem there, I hope you got all your glass clean!

RFDGuy · Post by **RFDGuy** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:20 pm

Two of the best sites for that stuff is www.fencecheck.com (aviation photography) and a new one www.airshowbuzz.com (lots of performers on there).
You should be able to find all the info you could ever want and more there.

RFDGuy

RFDGuy · Post by **RFDGuy** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:22 pm

Dang I type too slow...

..lol

Tailhook · Post by **Tailhook** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:00 pm

come to NAS Oceana (sept. 8-10) for the Blue Angels! best show there I have ever seen.

Post by **Lawndart** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:04 pm

Michael,

Welcome to the forums! Rhino (and others) pretty much summed it up already. The first site that came to my mind for aviation photography was www.fencecheck.com and to learn the airshow content for the Blues or Thunderbirds, some of Steve's videos from 2006 are uninterrupted, continuous footage found at www.stevesairshow.com You can memorize the show sequences quite well from those videos. I believe there's one from Langley, one from Atlantic City and one from Dover that are pretty much non-stop videos of the Thunderbirds from 2006. If you need a maneuver list for the various type of shows that can be arranged too. As far as time of day for their performance, it's usually the same as the show days during the practice day. Check the local schedule and plan for the same time frame even the day before the weekend.

Before you head out to Luke, check back if you want to run into a few of our guys out there. I believe Bon, Convertible and Gunner will attend that show.

Convertible · Post by **Convertible** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:35 pm

LD is correct in the time slots for practices. Two years ago Bon and I went to the Friday practice at Luke and they flew pretty much the same time. There was some weather that day that did not allow a high show practice, but it did clear up enough at the very end of their practice to at least try a bomb burst.

As for this year, I plan on going on Saturday, not Sunday as it is a great distance from my home out in East Mesa. I will be there on Saturday though. I am not sure about Bon or Gunner. Maybe we'll see you there. Great pictures too by the way.

Convertible

Michael_Hill · Post by **Michael_Hill** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:21 pm

Thanks for the help guys....

Luckily I grew up in Phoenix and know that side of town well. I will have to stake out a spot on the NW side of the base on that Friday afternoon. Unfortunately I remember Luke having a 15 foot brick wall around the base so I won't see the flightline. Anybody know how much they open the base up during Luke Days? Is it just a free, drive right in kinda deal for the show? Us photographer types have to keep the sun in mind when shooting....NW side will likely be best.

One thing I have learned with air show photos is that you have to often find a way to include topography and landscapes to give motion perspective otherwise every photo just looks the same....a plane hanging in air. Hopefully 3 days with the Thunderbirds on the lens will do the trick!

I'll post fotos when I get the goods.

Post by **Panther** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 12:13 am

I wish I was home for this show. I always enjoy the Thunderbirds.

Post by **Gunner** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 12:09 pm

Michael -
The Luke show is free to the public Saturday and Sunday, just come a little early to get a closer parking spot & reduce your hike a little.

I believe Friday you will need a military ID to get on the base, so that might be the day to get your shots from an angle other than the flight line. I will be out there both Saturday & Sunday, and may try find someone to get me in as a guest on Friday.

RFDGuy · Post by **RFDGuy** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 12:48 pm

Another option for you is if you happen to be part of the media somehow (magazine, newspaper, book....etc..) you can write (or email) people at the airshow ahead of time and ask for media credentials (sp?). At many shows this can get you in on Fri. with a much smaller crowd and easier shooting. I'm not sure if this works with military bases though.

RFDGuy.

FALCON56 · Post by **FALCON56** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:02 pm

Ive taken that Thursday through that Monday off just so I can see them fly in.. Do there practice show and go to the show both days plus having my military ID helps NOT fight those crowds on getting in I remember they were a pain the last time the thunderbirds were there. Plus getting there earlier you get a better chance of taking photos without people in the way... Its a good deal all the way around...

Falcon56

Rhino · Post by **Rhino** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 2:59 pm

Didnt want to start a new thread, but LD did you end up getting your XTi?

Just for a little sneak peak of what you can do with it, here are some shots from a fire today here in Macomb.

Decided not to post them as they are way too big!

http://www.wiu.edu/users/nkt102/FirePic ... Copyright/

Post by **Lawndart** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 3:17 pm

Rhino wrote:Didnt want to start a new thread, but LD did you end up getting your XTi?

Nope! Between one damaged car, another one totalled within the same month, a crashed laptop and other medical expenses and illness that followed as well as moving expenses... (Man, this post sounds so tragic all of a sudden)... I have not been able to splurge on any SLRs recently!

Btw, those pics are HUGE... and take forever to download, but look sharp!