Tuesday, October 21, 2014

My Air Show

First T-6 pass was offset about a quarter mile to the west from Chez Sarge
Those of you who keep track of such things may remember my second Sunday post, it was a simply glorious day weather-wise. Sunday night was very cool, as a matter of fact one of the vehicles in the Sarge's motor pool actually had what I call proto-frost on the windshield. (Sort of "almost but not quite frost", it feels frozen but you can't decide if it really is. Too thick to be dew, too thin to be ice.)

Just realized that I digressed due to a brief discussion of the weather. Sort of a blog version of a weather divert, but we're back on track now. You are free to move about the cabin. But when you're in your seat, keep your seatbelt on. Our flight attendants will be serving drinks shortly.


What?

Oh yeah. Sunday, cutting the grass which also sometimes turns into a beer post as Buck (and others) have noted. This past Sunday was different though. Here at Chez Sarge at "lawn mowing halftime" (wherein I take a break between doing the front yard and then the back, in olden times I would have a smoke, as this is the New Age I don't do that anymore. What? Oh yeah, digressed again, didn't I?)

Okay, "lawn mowing halftime," Sunday, we're taking a break and what do my finely tuned ears acquire in the distance? Why, it's the drone of a military piston engine. There's nothing like it to those who know what to listen for.

Shortly, yup there it is, our local T-6 Texan, off to the west. Well let me tell you, the cell phone camera was out and deployed in right quick fashion. Locked on and ready to capture aerial goodness. The first and next three photos are of that first pass.

Texan in the sun.
Circling around for another pass...
What's that? Can't see him?
He's in that circle. Which is NOT a gunsight pipper.
I kind of felt like an anti-aircraft emplacement, tracking this guy around the sky. But I think he was on to me, his second pass was nearly directly overhead. Had I been a AAA site (pronounced triple-A, acronym for Anti-Aircraft Artillery) and had the Texan been "carrying," I would have been toast.

T-6 Texan, rolling in "hot"
Again the T-6 is circled as my tracking software re-acquires the "target"
This is gonna be close!
Tracking... tracking... tracking...
TAKE COVER! He's right on top of my position...
Definitely a T-6 as you can see in this zoomed in picture.
(If you look carefully, you can see the star on the underside of the right wing.)
Headed south, RTB.
(RTB = Return to Base...)
Another zoomed in view.
Headed home no doubt.
Still tracking...
Now he's too far for good cell phone pics.
(Not an oxymoron anymore, I like my cell phone's camera.)
After the airshow and after finishing the lawn, it's time for a brew.
Or two.
Had the Honey Crisp Apple Wheat first (to cut the dust) and then indulged myself with a Pumpkinhead Ale.
Hi-Yo Shipyard, Away!
Later on in the afternoon, I saw a pair of hawks circling nearby. Tried to get them on video, they kept circling away, keeping the house between my camera and themselves.

Hhmm, perhaps they had RHAW* gear on board. Who knows?





*RHAW = Radar Homing and Warning

6 comments:

  1. RHAW gear, huh? Don't suppose the beers had anything to do with that? Heh!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe, maybe not.

      Only the seagulls know for sure. ;-)

      Delete
  2. Pretty good pictures, what kind of camera? I've got a guy with a Pitt's who comes and torments me by doing acro over my property every Sunday Evening. The cheeky bastidge forces me to watch, can you believe that? I'd like to get photo and video proof as well as be able to debrief his techniques, but my camera doesn't have enough zoom.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I actually used my Samsung Galaxy S III. Yes, a cellphone. Surprised me as well.

      No special tools, no tweaking other than to open the photo in Google Images and then zoom in using that. Then I do a screen capture (shift Print Screen on a standard keyboard), paste it into Microsoft Paint and then trim to desired size. Nothing fancy.

      I really like the camera in my cellphone.

      Hhmm, methinks you need to capture that chap in the Pitt's on camera. Nice post I'm thinking. (A whole new series, the private air show thing.)

      Delete
  3. You would probably have a field day here at La petite maison dans la configuration d'atterrissage.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Actually we're not far from the pattern for T.F. Green. We see a lot of aircraft every day. It's only the military birds that excite me.

      Perhaps "excite me" is an overstatement.

      Um no, it's not. (Understatement is more likely.)

      Delete

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