http://www.football-povoljie.narod.ru/aircraft.html http://www.football-povoljie.narod.ru/aircraft1.html

Helicopter with a tele-photo lens?

There was a whole thread recently here or on another site, someone with better recollection will soon advise, on spectacular images similar to this.
All taken legally as I recall from the north -south low level VFR route just west of Los Angeles International. Good telephoto equipment and fortuitous timing are required.

1st one doesn't look like any part of LAX I ve flown over.. also shadow doesn't look right and are those white lines part of a runway closed X?

PW

This should answer your question.

Not persuasively. The same type of the photo.http://www.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/open.file/713366/M/

I am new to this site so maybe all this has been discussed before - apologies if this is all old ground.

My first reaction to these types of photos is that they must be fakes, for the reason that there is no visible approach lighting to the runway nor ILS fence (though granted it may have ILS in one direction only & therefore be at the other end)

Then I seemed to uncover overwhelming evidence that these photos are all real, so it leaves the question in my mind: Are commercial flights into this field limited to daytime VFR? Or can a daytime ILS approach be flown without approach lighting (I guess so?)

I am not too clued up on Instrument flying but I thought all the heavy metal had to file IFR, though I understand they can elect to change to VFR with the agreement of the destination tower(?) which I assume would happen with each incoming commercial flight? Or do they stay on IFR & use the ILS that I cannot see?

I am sure there are easy answers to all this. Thanks

great site

James Ozzie,

There are other instrument approaches that can be used, for example a VOR/DME approach, which is used at this airport.

I have operated to St Maarten, and it is as exciting as the photographs show. The departures are even more spectacular with each airline designing it's own procedure to avoid the mountains in the straight-out path.

If you do a search for the airport online, you will find many photographs and some movies of aircraft landing at St. Maarten, including shots whis show the hotel from which this particular photo was taken.

For info, the white markings on the runway are to indicate a displaced threshold.

H

More probably only day ILS/visual approach in this aerodrome.

Thank you all for reply

Good luck!!!

oops never mind I saw what I thought was not there.

Supposedly an AF 747-200 Approached a little low to SXM and took part of the fence/wall with it onto the runway. Dont know if this is quite true or not?

GrahamK, I have heard of that story as well, however, I have no idea if it is true. I have operated in and out of St. Marrten (TNCM) quite a bit, as a matter of fact I’ll be back there January 4 through the 11.

There was a picture of Air France 74 that was extremely low passing the beach that has now disappeared. There are a lot of pictures taken at the end of that runway showing very low aircraft landing, but none as low as the Air France 74 that supposedly took out the fence.

Most of the pictures are taken from the outdoor bar at the end of the runway. It is called the ‘Sunset Beach Bar’ and it has a website, www.sunsetbeachbar.com. When I’m there you can usually find me there enjoying the sights and a few adult beverages.

Happy New Year!!!

I can't comment on the realism of the photos but I can certainly rule out the info about Los Angeles Intermational. I frequented LAX for many years as both a passenger and a spotter and can confirm that there is no low level flight near the shoreline. In fact, anyone with doubts can look up the actual LAX departure procedures at airnav.com. Note that the Takeoff Minimums for rwys 24L/R and 25L/R are Standard.

It means a VFR route for the photographic aircraft, not for the departing or arriving aircraft into LAX.

Furthermore the painting on the tarmac are not closed runway Xs, but displaced threshold arrows due to the approach path.

I took almost an identical picture in SXM Princess Juliana of an AA aircraft some years ago, from the hotel on the beach nearby. Only the beach was a little wider where there are now rocks. Not a bad idea to put there those rocks since people were standing there all the time getting sand scrubs whenever a 747 would take off.

It is great!!!

Maybe this doesn't quite answer the question but I had an interesting observation a few years ago.
It was a clear, crisp, mid-winter Saturday morning in Toronto and I was out walking the dog. I heard aircraft overhead and looked up to see 2 aircraft in formation at about 800 ft. One was a King Air, probably a 200, the other was a Lear 55. The King Air was closely following just behind and above the 55. They continued on over the city and eventually disappeared. Both had "N" registration as opposed to "CF" or "CG". I can only guess that the King Air was photographing the Lear. Bombardier has a large plant in Toronto.