Pic(k) of the week 35: Waiting for action

The afternoon today, was spend editing some images of a great aviation event in Belgium, I attended on Saturday August 18. 

The PhotoFlying days at the disused military Zoersel-Oostmall airfield, brought aircraft owners and aviation photographers together with the aim of mainly photographing them where they belong, in the sky!

Unfortunately I was not able to attend the "PhotoFlyings days Academy" which concentrates on the Air to Air photography, but I did manage to fly a single engine Robin into Zoersel. 

This allowed me to photograph some of the vintage and warbird aircraft that were there, including two DC-3 Dakotas, a rare Sikorsky S-38 Flying Boat, a couple of Grumman Avengers, T-28 Trojans, P-51 Mustang, Yak-52's, a Yak-18, a Spitfire and the Hawker Hurricane below.

Hawker Hurricane at the 2012 Zoersel PhotoFlying days

The image of the Hawker Hurricane with its pilot (or crew chief?) resting under the wing, gives me a real World War 2 feel. Most people think of the Spitfire as being the icon of the famous Battle of Britain, but it was the Hurricane that was really crucial to the victory!
The organizers of the event pay a lot of attention to the fact that the aircraft are not photographically obstructed by obstacles like fences and visitors. Something that is often not the case in events like this. Well done, guys!

Image details:
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 70-200 2.8 VR2 lens
ISO 100, f7.1, 180mm, 1/160s
RAW development in Lightroom 4.1
Contrast adjustment in Nik ColorEfex Pro 4

More images made on the day can be found in my "Vintage aircraft" gallery.

Staying with the World War II theme, I would like to finish with a famous Battle of Britain quote made by British Prime minister, Winston Churchill on August 20, 1940:

"Never in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few"

BJORN







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