Hungarian Air Force Saab Gripen

[nickw]

Hi All

Got very wet at RAF Fairford's Royal International Air Tattoo last Sunday. Just wanted to share some pictures of a Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter displayed by the Hungarian Air Force, an aircraft I quite like!

#1

http://www.photozo.com/album/data/4638/IMG_71731.jpg (http://www.photozo.com/album/showphoto.php?photo=160021)


#2

http://www.photozo.com/album/data/4638/IMG_7140_cr2.jpg (http://www.photozo.com/album/showphoto.php?photo=160020)


#3 Gripen performing a "dump and burn" - fuel is dumped and lit up by the engine

http://www.photozo.com/album/data/4638/IMG_7077_cr.jpg (http://www.photozo.com/album/showphoto.php?photo=160017)


Thanks for looking!

Cheers,

[neilp]

Great pics Nick. Looks like it was a good show. #2 is especially strong, good detail, colour, lighting and contrast and I like the way the plane is flying into the frame. How close was it? And how did you get such a top down view?

#3 is unique, I've not see that before. I see it's inverted too, cool.

Neil.

[nickw]

Hi Neil, thanks for your comments. #2 the pilot rolled in down the front of the crowd line (I was standing three back from the fence next to the VIP enclosure) and lifted, a moment of blue sky in between heavy rain allowed this shot.

#3 is awesome, the first time I have seen this - its a favourite of the Australian Air Force crews in F-111's at airshows. The pilot dumps fuel into the air and the hot gases from the engine or afterburner light it up. He rolled out top of a loop and dumped fuel.

Thanks for looking.

[nevets2001uk]

Good shooting Nick. I was there along with Bazza, Pete and a few others but shooting over at Totterdown farm. Weather was really difficult for decent airshow photography but it was a good weekend none the less.

Good catch on the dump and burn. I missed that one myself which was a real shame.

[explora56]

Good going there Nick great capture with the dump and burn shame the weather was difficult again this year but at least you weren't washed out completely like last year.

Cheers
Bill

[nickw]

Thanks for your comments Steve and Bill!

It was a day and half at RIAT! Up at 4am, picked my Dad up and got to Fairford just before 7am to stand in the gate queue in the rain - the start of getting wet and then the on / off heavy rain that followed! My kit got a lot more water on it than I wanted, but the flying more than made up for it. I was happy to catch the fuel burn!

Hopefully summer skies will return for RIAT 2010!

[xjblue]

Great shots Nick, Love #2 as well.

[nickw]

Thanks Jared!

[wtlwdwgn]

Excellent images! I love SAABs. I've owned 7 of them. None as fast as that one though!

[nickw]

Thanks for commenting Steve!

[Bazza]

Hi Nick......it was a real test of endurance on Sunday!........hope you enjoyed it despite the conditions...........really like the second shot of the 'Grippen' good angle and a bit of light when you captured it........you will have to give Totterdown a try next year its a good place to shoot the action.......Cheers Bazza

[nickw]

Hi Bazza, you're right it was a real test of endurance on Sunday, the fast jets made it all worthwhile in the end. My kit suffered though as the rain managed to penetrate my kit bag and I couldn't use my 100-400 lens for 50 minutes as condensation/moisture had formed on an internal glass element so I missed a bit of the Royal Navy flypast and other bits and pieces. Were you at Totterdown last year as I was impressed with some of the moody rainy shots you got.

Cheers,

[mraquinn]

All great but I love the second one - fantastic angle.

[nickw]

Thanks for your comment Alex!