A Helicopter Just Flew By My Window....Again

JCL · #1 03-12-2010, 03:37 AM

And it was loud. It came back for a few more passes, so I snapped some shots from the balcony. It was just below, level with, and just above our 20th story apartment. The next building is visible in one of the shots. It was pretty close in.

Nikon D70, Nikon 80-200 ED F2.8 handheld. It was a very grey day, not much light. It came down over the water, made several more passes, and then did some banked turns. Interesting to watch.

I looked it up to confirm, and as suspected it was a CH124 Sea King, originally an amphibious Sikorsky S61. 48 years old, and starting to look it. Many are equipped for ASW, and this one was making low passes over a stretch of the Vancouver harbour next to the Olympic Athlete's Village, presumably a training drill (unless someone suspects that terrorist submarines are coming to get the Paralympians who are just now arriving on site)

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ekvals · #2 03-12-2010, 05:00 AM

Cool..

The Big Easy · #3 03-12-2010, 06:45 AM

Great series of photos!

chefwong · #4 03-12-2010, 08:23 AM

GREAT PICS. It's amazing what good glass can do ;-)

I started with a D70 and am now on a 3DX.

wallyx5 · #5 03-12-2010, 09:13 AM

Nice shot, does your camera take pictures in HD? I was at costco yesterday looking at cameras and saw some claimed HD.

motordavid · #6 03-12-2010, 11:01 AM

Excellent pics, J!
That was probably the CDA Air Sea Rescue wing doing a fly-by to make certain
you had all regained your senses and composure, post-Olympic celebrations.

BR, mD

JCL · #7 03-12-2010, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallyx5

Nice shot, does your camera take pictures in HD? I was at costco yesterday looking at cameras and saw some claimed HD.

Thanks. Assume you mean HDR, as opposed to HD output to monitors. HDR isn't built in as it is apparently is with some of the newer cameras. It does do automatic exposure bracketing, up to 2 stops per shot, up to 3 shots, so that gives a range of 4 stops automatically. I would then use Photomatix to do the processing (I have a plan, haven't bought it yet). These would have been good shots to experiment on, since they are very high contrast between the aircraft and the background. I will have to experiment and see if the D70 is fast enough with a moving target; the newer cameras have higher burst rates. I need an excuse to buy a D90, and that may be it.

JCL · #8 03-12-2010, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chefwong

GREAT PICS. It's amazing what good glass can do ;-)

I started with a D70 and am now on a 3DX.

Thanks chef. It is all about the glass. It is just that new glass isn't always as much fun as a new camera with lots of dials and settings ;-)

I have the 18-70 lens from the D70, bought a very heavy telephoto which is nice and fast, and now want a good wide angle. I am thinking of a 10-24 Nikkor. Trouble is, I also want a D90. This will be a test of my stated belief that glass is more important than the camera.

I held a D300 and decided it was too heavy. Is yours a D3X? Very nice camera. Want to suggest a wide angle zoom for me?

X-cellent · #9 03-12-2010, 01:48 PM

JCL - I bought a D90 last year from my wife...love it...It's great cause she'sa "point and shoot" kinda gal, where as I like to play..takes a little while to work around all the program modes, but it takes GREAT pictures..not too heavy..almost as good as my old FM2.

JCL · #10 03-12-2010, 08:24 PM

So today we figured out what the helicopters were doing yesterday; namely scouting locations and practicing security for today.

This afternoon a different CF124 Sea King helicopter was back, zipping up and down the water doing low level passes. They stayed on station in about three or four locations, and convinced some kayakers to get out of the main channel, purely through the effects of downdraft.

Then various official boats appeared, from the Vancouver Police, to an RCMP catamaran, to the Coast Guard cutter Osprey, then four or so Canadian Forces Zodiacs and Hurricane type rescue boats, and finally, the first Canadian Forces Orca class Patrol Craft, with an honour guard and a torch burning on the foredeck. There was also an athlete with a hand-held torch on deck, presumably the back up flame. This was the final leg of the Paralympic Torch relay, heading to BC Place stadium at the head of the inlet where the games are starting today.

I stood out on the deck with my camera, and seemed to catch the attention of the helicopter pilot. He made several close passes at me, which I guess happens when you point long cylindrical objects at military vessels. They did two straight runs right at my deck, turning right before they got there, and then moved on. Lots of fun.

All with the trusty D70, Nikkor 80-200 ED, and slightly better light than yesterday.

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