The S1Rii does gliders

[pdk42]

So I turned the camera onto some gliders - don't worry, not as many images as I posted of the trains. Loving this camera and the images from it. AF is works very well for this sort of subject.

• Panasonic DC-S1RM2
• LUMIX S 70-200/F4
• ƒ/4
• 200mm
• 1/2000s
• ISO 125

• Panasonic DC-S1RM2
• LUMIX S 70-200/F4
• ƒ/4
• 200mm
• 1/2000s
• ISO 200

• Panasonic DC-S1RM2
• LUMIX S 70-200/F4
• ƒ/4
• 200mm
• 1/2000s
• ISO 125

• Panasonic DC-S1RM2
• LUMIX S 70-200/F4
• ƒ/4
• 200mm
• 1/2000s
• ISO 250

 

[CharlesH]

What is the white trailing smoke/vapor on G-SBVT?

 

[pdk42]

What is the white trailing smoke/vapor on G-SBVT?

It’s water ballast Charles. To get maximum performance over a wide range of soaring conditions you need to vary the wing loading (weight per unit area of wing). In strong conditions you want to be heavy. In weak conditions you want to be light. Modern gliders will allow 100kg or so of water ballast to be added before flight. When the pilot wants to lighten up, it gets dumped.

You always dump it before landing, so if you get back and haven't dropped it earlier it gets dumped as you are positioning ready for landing - that's the streaming you see. Back in the good old days before safety had the importance it does today, the finish line was usually the airfield boundary and you could cross it at speed (150kts or so) at zero altitude, streaming water as you did so! I took this pic on my old Canon 350d + the crappy Sigma 70-300:

• Canon Canon EOS 350D DIGITAL
• ƒ/10
• 168mm
• 1/1000s
• ISO 800

This practice came to an end when a guy called Neil Stuart Lawson was killed when a glider hit him as he was taking photographs. Neil did a lot of gliding and aviation photography and had arranged with the pilot concerned to take some shots of him (and others) doing this fast and low finishing during a competition. Neil decided to stand on the roof of his car to get a better view and tragedy followed. You can still see Neil's work here:

the white planes picture co - aviation image library. Photographs and videos of aviation and airsports

Professional aviation image library - all kinds of airsports and airplanes in flight. Photographs and video of gliders, sailplanes, fighters, bombers, light aircraft, airliners, helicopters, microlights, balloons, paramotors, clouds, skies, weather, pilots.

www.whiteplanes.com

 

[Travis Butler]

That’s very cool! I love plane photos about as much as Pete loves trains.

Also, I’m very glad to see how much you’re enjoying the S1RII given the amount of consideration the buying decision put you through.

 

[RichardC]

Super pictures Paul. Haven't been near a glider since I got winched up in a Sedburgh (like a rocket!) when I was in the ATC.

Were you using the Aircraft photo mode? Was wondering if you tried setting it to airframe or nose priority?

 

[Nomad Nate]

These are really cool, and I learned something too

 

[pdk42]

Super pictures Paul. Haven't been near a glider since I got winched up in a Sedburgh (like a rocket!) when I was in the ATC.

Ah, the ATC. A post-war rite of passage for many!

Were you using the Aircraft photo mode? Was wondering if you tried setting it to airframe or nose priority?

Yes, I was. I think it was on airframe only mode, but would need to check.

 

[pdk42]

I just added some more info to my post above about water ballast ^^^