Vancouver 30/4 1815hrs

[radar information]

Hi,
I am on holiday in Vancouver, and today (Monday) at about 1815hrs I was waiting to get the Seabus and saw a large two engined jet, with no insignia and a small jet, engines at the back, like a biz jet, flying parallel at the same level, to the large jet, no more than 200 metres apart, and I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me what was going on? Was it some kind of exercise?? Both a/c were pretty low, maybe 1000ft or just slightly higher.
Cheers
RI

[dabeuk]

hey there.

im comming over to vancouver from sunny new zealand. whats the weather like?? not cold and miserable i hope????

:E

[oncemorealoft]

Given the proximity to Seattle, may be it was a Boeing aircraft with a Lear jet equipped with camera equipment doing a photoshoot. Boeing used to contract a specially equipped Lear from Clay Lacy down at Van Nuys. Photography was done around the Seattle/Cascades region and an old SAC/USAF base up near the Canadian border.

Just seen one of Air Canada's new 777s here at LHR - it's very difficult to see any insignia. may be what you saw was a new AC B777 having its piccy taken?

[rotornut]

I saw the same thing over Toronto, a few years ago. However, it appeared that it was a King Air shooting a Lear 35. The King Air was slightly ahead of the Lear and they were very close - maybe 50 metres apart.

[Rollingthunder]

It was an AC 777 having it's pic taken for advertising purposes.

You can't find a better backdrop than the north shore mountains and the skyline of Vancouver.

Weather, last couple of days has been perfect.....next two days at least.....rainy.

[Slapshot]

I wasn't there, but from the info given I would guess Photo shoot. Air Canada took delivery of their new 777 and Clay Lacy out of Van Nuys California does a lot of Air to Air Photography with his Lear. As Rollingthunder states you can't get a better back drop than the North Shore Mountains...

Check out the tab marked "Astrovision".


http://www.claylacy.com/

[J.O.]

I saw the same thing over Toronto, a few years ago. However, it appeared that it was a King Air shooting a Lear 35. The King Air was slightly ahead of the Lear and they were very close - maybe 50 metres apart.

Then there was this photo shoot over YYZ, most fun I ever had in an Airbus! :ok:

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/cyberjet/SS-7.jpg

[radar information]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all the info. The last photo looks just like what I saw, but I couldn't make out any insignia, but they were real close.

The weather here has been great....until today, some rain, though looks like it may be brightening up.

Cheers again

RI

[Number2]

There were also a couple of brand new 777s making their way to EBBR last night! Busy factory!

[Slapshot]

From a local radio Station in Vancouver:

New aircraft creates stir
May, 01 2007 - 2:30 AM



RICHMOND/CKNW(AM980) - Dozens of you called the CKNW Newsroom and our Traffic Centre, AM 730, to report a large plane being escorted by what looked like a fighter jet around Greater Vancouver Monday afternoon.

Well, no need to worry. It was a photo op.

Air Canada has been showing off it's new Boeing 777 passenger plane around Greater Vancouver and a small Lear jet has been flying in formation taking photographs.

When asked why they didn't alert the public, Angela Mah with Air Canada says they've done such photo shoots before without sending out a notice, "I can understand that people are very interested in it and I can assure you that what they are seeing is our brand new triple-7 out there and it's looking pretty good because I actually heard it go by where I am right now."
The new plane flew into the Lower Mainland from Seattle.

[Dockjock]

Thanks for the link to Clay Lacy. Watching his video 'Lucky Me' is incredible; that guy has done just about every single thing in flying you could think of.
I never realized he ran his FBO/charter/photography/training business as a side venture! Not only that, but he test flies every brand new airplance to come out for FLYING magazine. And then there's his career at United. He retired in 1994 as #1 seniority after 40+ years of service. Amazing, amazing person!

[Slapshot]

Here is the resulting video from that Air to Air.

Cheers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kbh-gns06k

[Bamse01]

Clay Lacy. Watching his video 'Lucky Me' is incredible; that guy has done just about every single thing in flying you could think of.
I never realized he ran his FBO/charter/photography/training business as a side venture! Not only that, but he test flies every brand new airplance to come out for FLYING magazine. And then there's his career at United. He retired in 1994 as #1 seniority after 40+ years of service. Amazing, amazing person!



Anyone know what his status was during the 1985 United pilot strike?