JDW Photos and Life

I don't know why, but I like seeing the altitude perspective in these formations. I'm pretty sure these jets are stacked but when the turn, they look like they are all in the same "plane" (geometry plane!). As they continue the turn shown in the previous photo, they now show their underside formation to the crowd. Stay in touch! Doug White

I'll finish up the Snowbirds with the next three e-mails tonight. I send two photos per e-mail to avoid getting bounced for file size for some people. More precision spacing and formation. These two were performing a slow roll with their canopies facing each other. Stay in touch! Doug White

Another tight formation with perfect spacing. This is the bottom of a large heart smoke trail laid out by these 4 jets. It was perfectly symmetrical and consumed most of the sky. I did not have a wide-angle lens to capture the full photo. Stay in touch! Doug White

This team put on a great show with several opposite approach passes. The skill to line up and time their rolls, etc. is still impressive. It's always fun to try and catch the photo just as they pass because you can't see both planes in the camera until it is too late! They gave us several opportunities to capture the action and you see this photo hit the timing nicely. You can also see that I am tracking the plane in the back moving left to right as it is in clear focus. The combination of me moving the camera with that plane plus the opposing speed of the other jet doubles up its apparent speed and even 1/1600 sec can't freeze the movement of the second plane. Stay in touch! Doug White

I'm doubling up today as I have been busy with grading and other challenges and haven't sent many photos lately. In this first photo, the jets are at the bottom of a loop flying straight at us and you can see the altitude perspective of the formation. As they approach, they continue their loop, we get to see their perfect spacing and alignment once more. Stay in touch! Doug White

  The Snowbirds are the air show team of the Canadian Air Force. Their jets are not the loud supersonic beasts of the Thunderbirds but the pilot skill is still impressive. This is the second time I've seen them perform and I loved them both times. We will get to enjoy their flying formations over the next few days and I think you may agree with me. They took off in groups of three and I just like the vantage point of the Thunderbird jets in the foreground. Pretty close to flawless spacing and form.