IN FLIGHT

  These photographs were all taken during flights of two or three. Formation flying is challenging and enjoyable when the proper preparations have been done, and hopefully I can share this with these photographs. They were taken mainly by my airplane co-owner, Paul Reinman. In most of these shots, I'm flying 'wing'. Click on the thumbnail to get a larger image.

IN FLIGHT

-- Feburary 2000: Beechcraft S-35 Bonanza --

  The Bay Area Aero Club recently got a Bonanza on the line, so I didn't hesitate in getting checked out. The Bonanza is a beautiful aircraft both visually and to fly, so a photo session was needed. Taken after a cold front had passed through the area, we climbed up to 6,500 feet and found some undercast to make a backdrop to the photographs. The photo ship was a Cessna 140, so I got an hour's worth of slow flight practise out of this one! Dropping the flaps allowed me to keep the power enough to prevent the engine from getting overcooled (not to mention a lower deck angle). My C140 partner, Paul Reiman, took these photographs with John Sollinger at the controls of the C140 (scroll down to see pictures of his Nangchang CJ-6)

	Over a hole in the clouds. The clouds were actually a thin stratus layer, but every so often there were some interesting cloudscapes that made a dramatic backdrop to the Bonanza, as the sunlight glanced off the wings.
	The morning sunlight, filtering through a high cirrus layer, softly illuminates the aircraft.
	The Bonanza flies through some shadow cast by a patch cirrus above, leaving it in a sea of brightness as the undercast below remains illuminated by the morning sun.
	...and finally, the situation is reversed, with the clouds below in relative shadow whilst the Bonanza gleams in the sunlight.

-- December 1999: Cessna 170 and Cessna 140 --

We needed to get some photos of our new (to us!) Cessna 140. So we set out with the Cessna 170 and the 140 as mutual photoships. A cold front had just passed, and the sky was extremely clear. The Cessna 140 photos were taken with ISO 400 speed film so they have a tendency to be a little grainier than the pictures of the 170! This was definitely the flight of the classic planes: the 170 was built in 1951, and the 140 was built in 1946.

	The Cessna 140 over the Gulf of Mexico. Notice how you can see a reflection of the horizontal stabilizer in the vertical stabilizer. It takes a lot of polishing for this to happen!
	The city of Galveston makes a backdrop, over four thousand feet below us.
	Breaking right! The vast under the wing NC numbers are clearly visible. The older Cessna rounded-tip Hershey-bar wing is clearly visible as the airplane begins a 60 degree banked steep turn. Note how large the ailerons are compared to later Cessnas.
	Breaking right over the brown, winter landscape over south east Texas. The swamp looks very much like desert this time of year. However, it's still soaking wet.
	The Cessna 170 is in the right echelon slot over rural south east Texas. Once again, the brown landscape looks like desert, but it's really just dead grass!
	The 170 begins a right break from the echelon formation. Note the difference between a 1940's Cessna and a 1950's Cessna: the 170 has the familiar double-taper wing planform and Friese ailerons.
	Over the only bit of greenery for miles around! Taken at an altitude of about 1500 feet with a 200mm lens, the 170 stands out nicely over the greenery below.
	Breaking left from a left echelon formation. Once again, the taper planform of the later model Cessna is obvious. Note how the wheels have an inward camber when the landing gear is unloaded.

-- June 1999: CJ6 and Warrior --

Against the backdrop of a spectacular sunset over the collapsing remnants of the day's convective activity, we set out as a flight of three; a Cessna 150 as the photo ship, a Nangchang CJ-6 and a Piper Warrior.

	In-flight photograph of the Nangchang CJ6-A and a Piper Warrior in formation over the Gulf of Mexico, just off the coast of Galveston.
	The Nangchang CJ6-A silhouetted against the collapsing remnants of the day's convective activity, illuminated by the setting sun.
	The CJ6 flying over the intracoastal waterway between Galveston Island and the mainland. Interstate 45 runs over the lefthand causeway, and a railway runs over the right hand causeway.
	The Warrior flying off into the sunset. The sky after the day's thunderstorms makes for a beautiful cloudscape.
	Closeup of the Warrior in flight just over the Galveston coastline.

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