Joits From United States of America, joined Jan 2007, 5 posts, RR: 0 Posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 4076 times:
sorry if this is a question that has been asked before but its hard to search for topics in this forum.
i plan on spending some time at imperial hill to photograph some planes taking off at lax. my preference is to photograph 747s, 777s, etc. anyone know if there is a time that a lot of them are taking off? cos i remember going on saturday early afternoon and there was just nothing taking off that i wanted to photograph. i'm planning on going on a weekday. any help would be appreciated.
AdamWright From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 4048 times:
You're almost guaranteed to have 25 ops when you show up at LAX due to the prevailing wind coming off the ocean. If you want lots of heat distortion and bad lighting, i'd recommend going between the hours of 10am & 3pm.
I took that advice and came home with most spectacular results!
ANITIX87 From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 3233 posts, RR: 14 Reply 2, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 4043 times:
Quoting AdamWright (Reply 1): You're almost guaranteed to have 25 ops when you show up at LAX due to the prevailing wind coming off the ocean. If you want lots of heat distortion and bad lighting, i'd recommend going between the hours of 10am & 3pm.
I took that advice and came home with most spectacular results!
Very confusing post. Are you implying you did or didn't go between 10AM and 3PM???? Heat haze is a bad thing.....
Your shots are very good, and the light is phenomenal, but the OP was asking when he SHOULD go, not when he "should maybe not possibly not ever go". Haha.
Joits, I'd assume you'll get lots of departing wide-body traffic in the morning for the departure rush to Asia, and then again in mid-afternoon for the rush to Europe. Consult a website like FlightAware, or even LAX's official site for that information, as I don't know it off-hand.
TIS
www.stellaryear.com: Canon EOS 50D, Canon EOS 5DMkII, Sigma 50mm 1.4, Canon 24-70 2.8L II, Canon 100mm 2.8L, Canon 100-4
AC888YOW From Canada, joined Jan 2005, 510 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 4032 times:
Flight trackers are your friend ...
For example, you can search FlightStats.com to get an airport's movements for 'yesterday', 'today', and 'tomorrow'. Use that site to do an airport search for LAX, then select departures, and then use the available pull-down menu to filter hour by hour and count the heavies of interest. Don't forget to select the 'hide codeshares' option!
AKE0404AR From United States of America, joined May 2000, 2534 posts, RR: 50 Reply 4, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 4020 times:
Sluger020889 From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 456 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 4003 times:
Adam,
Your sarcasm is way to advanced for every day a.net users. Please tone it down.
Joey
I would love to fly a cargo plane full of rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong!
Maiznblu_757 From United States of America, joined Mar 2002, 5112 posts, RR: 52 Reply 7, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 3977 times:
Your sarcasm is way to advanced for every day a.net users. Please tone it down.
Joey
Quoting N440ER (Reply 6): *applauding* that is great Adam...but those shots are from July...in early November, can I expect good conditions at Imperial by about 2-3 pm?
-Maciek
Yes, 2pm and later in November is fine. Actually, the light is acceptable all day in the winter but of course you have to deal with heat haze from time to time.
You will enjoy nice light during the morning as well during the winter months.
Chuck9941 From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 188 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 3975 times:
The heavies to Asia usually leave around noon. The light is better during the winter at Imperial Hill. Not only is it a great place for heat haze you might get lucky enough to meet some of LA's finer citizens having intellectual arguments with waste receptacles.
Oh, it's a big pretty white plane with red stripes, curtains in the windows and wheels and it looks like a big Tylenol.
Maiznblu_757 From United States of America, joined Mar 2002, 5112 posts, RR: 52 Reply 9, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 3972 times:
Quoting Chuck9941 (Reply 8): meet some of LA's finer citizens having intellectual arguments with waste receptacles.
I saw that guy by the beach at the end of 25's. When he looked inside a trash can and discovered there wasnt any food, he began a very heated discussion (cursing etc) with the receptacle. After about 5 minutes of this he picked up the can and gave it a good toss, kick and walked away.
Chuck9941 From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 188 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 3933 times:
Quoting Chuck9941 (Reply 8):
meet some of LA's finer citizens having intellectual arguments with waste receptacles.
I saw that guy by the beach at the end of 25's. When he looked inside a trash can and discovered there wasnt any food, he began a very heated discussion (cursing etc) with the receptacle. After about 5 minutes of this he picked up the can and gave it a good toss, kick and walked away.
I must have met his wife. She had the shopping cart and was telling the trashcan to the west of the benches on Imperial Hill that she wasnt the ho but the trashcan was. She may have been right but with her there I dont think the trashcan was getting much use. This was the end of June I think it was.
It been pretty quiet there lately.
Oh, it's a big pretty white plane with red stripes, curtains in the windows and wheels and it looks like a big Tylenol.
LAX always has heavy birds flyin around, no matter what time of the day.
Just don't be the doofus that goes there and shoots at midday when the sun is directly overhead... or when its thick overcast and everything is grayed out.
Clickhappy From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 9444 posts, RR: 72 Reply 12, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 3896 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW PHOTO SCREENER
The later in the day you shoot means you (often times) have to deal with the marine layer pushing in.
For me the perfect day at LAX would be during the Santa Ana winds, which happens during the fall.
Maiznblu_757 From United States of America, joined Mar 2002, 5112 posts, RR: 52 Reply 13, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 3881 times:
Quoting AdamWright (Reply 11): Just don't be the doofus that goes there and shoots at midday when the sun is directly overhead
lol, doofus. I like that.
During the winter months you really don't have to worry about the sun being "overhead" anytime during the day... but of course, taking a brief look at your portfolio, you have only shot at LAX from June-August...
AdamWright From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 14, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 3854 times:
Quoting Maiznblu_757 (Reply 13): During the winter months you really don't have to worry about the sun being "overhead" anytime during the day... but of course, taking a brief look at your portfolio, you have only shot at LAX from June-August
Chad, If you took the time to read the post that started this thread, you would know that the poster did NOT specify what time of the year he was planning to go to LAX.
Therefore, if he is planning for a trip next year during the late spring/summer months, my remark about midday top lighting holds worthy merit.
Maiznblu_757 From United States of America, joined Mar 2002, 5112 posts, RR: 52 Reply 15, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 3843 times:
Quoting AdamWright (Reply 14): Therefore, if he is planning for a trip next year during the late spring/summer months, my remark about midday top lighting holds worthy merit.
But he asked when the best time to photograph at LAX... which isnt in the middle of the summer.
WakeTurbulence From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 1288 posts, RR: 18 Reply 18, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 3802 times:
This thread is turning retarded. The thread started says he is located in LA, and winter is coming up soon. Imperial Hill will provide good light throughout the day with a variety of heavy and regular traffic in the coming months. LAX can be shot from many different angles in all seasons, which is why it is one of the most popular spotting airports in the world.
-Matt
Maiznblu_757 From United States of America, joined Mar 2002, 5112 posts, RR: 52 Reply 19, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 3784 times:
Joits From United States of America, joined Jan 2007, 5 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 3735 times:
i appreciate all the replies and suggestions. yes, i am from L.A. so getting to LAX really isn't a problem for me. i just remember one saturday early afternoon and really not seeing any heavies taking off from the imperial hill location. most of the heavies were landing and by the time they cleared the buildings, most of them were cargo planes and had already turned back torwards their terminals. it was frustrating cos i had brought a friend there and had told him about the spot and naturally i brought him at a time when there really wasn't any thing to photograph.
i did hear in the news recently that the santa ana winds were making their way through SoCal again so maybe i will pay a visit to LAX soon...
Chuck9941 From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 188 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 3711 times:
Quoting Joits (Reply 20): i did hear in the news recently that the santa ana winds were making their way through SoCal again so maybe i will pay a visit to LAX soon...
Yes they are. I was there yesterday and it was pretty clear out, I've seen it better, but it was pretty good. I think others would say the same since there at least a dozen others there shooting as well.
Cant wait for the winter storms to come through and leave a dusting of snow on the mountains to add to the background.
Oh, it's a big pretty white plane with red stripes, curtains in the windows and wheels and it looks like a big Tylenol.
Brasila684 From United States of America, joined May 2008, 98 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 1 day ago) and read 3654 times:
what i would do is go onto flight aware and look up and write down the aircraft that you would like to picture and what time they leave in the day. The heavies that leave between 10AM-1PM are...
there is nothing until about 11:30AM unless you want to be shooting UA 752's
(these are sceduled dep. times)
11:45AM Delta 764
12:06PM Eva 773
12:20PM Continental 753
12:29PM American 772
12:39PM American 772
12:42PM United 763
1:00PM (I would stay for this one..) A Northwest 774
The rest are mostly crj's,a319's,and 757's. But if your like me you will snap the 752's taking off!!
Brasila684 From United States of America, joined May 2008, 98 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 23 hours ago) and read 3605 times:
and one more thing.... what airlines are you shooting for??
Joits From United States of America, joined Jan 2007, 5 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (4 years 7 months 1 week 12 hours ago) and read 3581 times:
no particular preference as far as airlines, i just like photographing the heavies.
btw, i've read the a380 is scheduled to start flying from lax to sydney on october 20th... that might be the day i go to lax. would love to check out that plane in person.
25 Brasila684: knowing the traffic controlers at LAX and how they do business there, i would say their going to bring the A380 down on 24L because its the longest ru
26 INNflight: Inaugural arrives in the morning of the 20th, which runways we don't know yet. The plane will be deboarded and cleaned, after that media and some VIPs
27 Brasila684: oh ok sorry i meant the 25's. and thats great that their going to have that big cermony for it . But about the heavy jets i'll try to look up some goo
28 FastEddie07: I have an invitation form that was sent to me from the Flight Path Museum. However, its at night so I wont be going to it and only VIPs can actually
29 Brasila684: Hello again, I have posted the times that you could go and spot some of those heavy's. I have also included this time from about 10:50 in the morning
30 ANITIX87: I would too! First picture of a 774 ever! (Or is this a NW 744 mixed with a Delta 772, which really does sort of define a merger!) Qantas. Some Austr
31 Brasila684: That stinks . Do you think they want to keep spotters from shooting the aircraft?? Cause thats kinda wierd to have a brand new aircraft espially the
32 Brasila684: oh yes sorry about that. It is i Northwest 744. Thanks!! Brasila684 SkyWest Baby!!!
33 Brasila684: its kinda hard to spell it when you've never flown on it!! And it is a 744 not a 774.. Thanks!! Brasila684 SkyWest Baby!!
34 Brasila684: and one more thing...Have you ever spotted a Thai A345?? Brasila684
35 INNflight: No they do not want to. They simply can't just open as usual because otherwise there'd be no room left for normal guests. By the way, the A 380 is no
36 Brasila684: oh ok thanks for clearing that up!!! I really wish i could go but im not payin 80 bucks to go see an aircraft when I'll be able to spot them once they