Aircraft

[Gravdigr]

So...There I was...

Standing in the backyard, with my di--er--my camera in my hand, when I looked up and saw a passenger plane going over.

I yelled "Boss!! De plane! De Plane!!!" Well, I didn't really, but, I thought it. And then I thought "There's a camera in your hand with the long lens on, take a picture dumbass."

So I did.

Full size crop:



Manual focus, full 300mm tele, handheld, on a moving target. Through the tree, no less. I was kinda impressed with the outcome. Not a great pic, certainly not a keeper, but, it was soooo much better than I was expecting.

A couple minutes later I looked up again, and waaaaay out there was another plane. I mean it was waaaaaay out there, a mere white speck, floating silently through the sky. I remembered the camera in my hand, so I took a pic. And another, because electrons are free, well almost.

Then I reviewed these most recent pics on the back of my camera. My first thought was "Wtf?" and my very next thought was "No. Fucking. Way."

Now, my camera's screen is a pretty good display, so good in fact, that it regularly lies to me concerning the quality of pics I've just taken, so I wasn't 100% sure I was seeing exactly what I was seeing.

I immediately went to the computer, shoved the card in the slot, and clicked the thing.

"No. Fucking. Way."

I'd just taken two pictures of an AWACS plane!

Both untouched full size crops:




Auto focus, full 300mm tele, handheld, on a moving target.

I was totally stoked for a while. I'm not real sure why.

Do those airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) regularly patrol the skies over civilian Murka? Did I do something rare and cool by snapping one in flight (from the ground?)? Should I expect a visit from men in dark suits driving black SUVs?