Once In A Lifetime Photo Opportunity

INNflight · Tue Aug 10, 2004 12:47 am

Hi!

After reading several topics about places where photography is not allowed, no good etc... I would like to talk about once in a lifetime photo opportunities here.
Have you ever been lucky, clever ( whatever... ) enough to be in a situation where you were able to take a once in a lifetime photo? A possibility you will never have again?
Something really unique, and I am not talking about the first 747 over Maho beach or something... I guess you know what my point is?

I was just curious, hope to hear some nice stories here!

Florian

[email protected] · Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:07 am

Yes i know what you mean
https://www.airliners.net/discussions/aviation_photography/read.main/107117
Big grin

[Edited 2004-08-09 18:11:23]

photopilot · Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:21 am

Unfortunately yes. Why unfortunate. Well I was photographing a parachute jump school and had just put a brand new roll of 36 in, and was using a 300mm on a motor drive Nikon (F2).

I have a complete sequence (18 frames) from the hop-n-pop at 2500 feet directly overhead, through a chute malfunction, through a cutaway of the main, through the reserve also not functioning.... and on to IMPACT about 75 meteres away. Definately not a pretty sight, but it's all on film.

I sincerely hope that this once-in-a-life opportunity happens only once in my life.

Steve

INNflight · Tue Aug 10, 2004 2:01 am

Peter, thank you for the link... As I said, I was maybe not talking about rare shots of rare aircraft because you can see them again somewhere.

For example, the DO JET of you is very rare...

Sad to hear that Steve!

mirage · Tue Aug 10, 2004 3:09 am

It's hard to tell Florian, I've seen some situations that might be once in a lifetime but I don't know the future, maybe I''ll see them again, or maybe they're not real "once in a lifetime" opportunities.

Luis

INNflight · Tue Aug 10, 2004 4:13 am

Of course Luis, you're 100% right about this. I was just curious if anybody has experienced something fitting that scheme.

Florian

mirage · Tue Aug 10, 2004 4:18 am

Maybe, I belive so, let's wait for this topic to develop Big grin

Luis

ake0404ar · Tue Aug 10, 2004 4:34 am

Back when this photo was taken....it definitely was not a once in a lifetime opportunity.......Today, a whole different story.....

So afterall, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

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Photo © Vasco Garcia

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Photo © Vasco Garcia

Vasco

tappan · Tue Aug 10, 2004 6:31 am

Vasco,
My eyes star to tear everytime I see your pics of the WTC.........
Great pics buddy.
Mark Garfinkel

Jan Mogren · Tue Aug 10, 2004 6:37 am

I think this was a once in a lifetime opportunity:

but I hope I'm wrong! Wink/being sarcastic

/JM

AndersNilsson · Tue Aug 10, 2004 7:39 am

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Photo © Anders Nilsson

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Photo © Anders Nilsson

Anders

xenon · Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:03 am

Indeed Mark!
Wonderful picture from Vasco....

Daniel

INNflight · Tue Aug 10, 2004 3:17 pm

Ah, it's developing...

Vasco, would loveto fly the river visual approach into LGA once in my life...
Anders, the Caravelle is very nice indeed!

cheers,
Florian

ChrisH · Tue Aug 10, 2004 5:58 pm

Jan: I'd like to congratulate you on that shot but I'm too jealous!

seriously though, brilliant shot.

AndersNilsson · Tue Aug 10, 2004 6:29 pm

Thank you Florian for your kind words. I love your photographs.

Anders

CV747 · Tue Aug 10, 2004 8:31 pm

I have a nice slide of a Transvalair CL44 with two registrations landing in Basel! A Swiss one and a British one at the same time.
The story was that the plane came from Transmeridian and was painted in the new colours at Gattwick. The new HB registration was painted into the cheatline. The old British registration was painted in black below the cheatline.
Since the plane was still on British register the Swiss reg was covered for the flight to Basel. But in flight it fell off. Something you don't see every day.

INNflight · Tue Aug 10, 2004 8:35 pm

A rare sight, no doubt!

Oh, thank you for the kind words Anders Smile/happy/getting dizzy

Another very rare one was the B737-200 with Cubana colors on the one, Alitalia colors on the other side... Was painted for a movie...

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Photo © Eddy Gual - Aviation Photography Of Miami

Jan Mogren · Tue Aug 10, 2004 8:36 pm

ChrisH,
tacksarruha! Wink/being sarcastic

/JM

ckw · Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:03 pm

I guess the thing is to treat every photo-op as a "once in a lifetime" - as someone who shoots a lot of classics and warbirds, its quite scary how many were destroyed shortly after my photographing them (could make a guy superstitious). Even stuff that was once quite common can become rare real fast - anyone seen any BAC 1-11s lately? Smokey Russian airliners? Don't you wish you'd shot more when you had the chance?!

One day (though perhaps not in my lifetime), the sight of an A319 at LHR will be a major event Smile

Cheers,

Colin

vzlet · Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:23 pm

Shots of crashes have unfortunately not been a merely once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. I've been on hand to photograph or video the loss of eight aircraft and far too many lives in four different incidents, all at airshows.

As far as rare pictures, this one-of-a-kind Gulfstream Peregrine prototype is hardly spectacular, but there are very few shots of it available:
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Photo © Mark Carlisle

The chance to stand on the runway while something this large made low approaches was a unique chance for me (and quite a rush!):
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Photo © Mark Carlisle

gkirk · Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:27 pm

Jeez that other thread turned into a right self plugging thread Wow!

Have a picture of a Sunways MD-83 at BHX somewhere but dont have a scanner to scan it, not very good anyway, taken through glass.
Think I also have a pic of an RAF Hercules at CAX and All Leisure A320 at NCL as well as an Oasis International A310 at NCL

Would those be classified as rare?

N178UA · Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:34 pm

Soon I will find out my once in a life time photo Opportunity. Can't reveal (don't want to be jinxed)....fingers crossed
Smile

Sam

mirage · Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:36 pm

I just remember now this photo:

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Photo © Luis Rosa

Mid air collision between a british Hawk and a portuguese F-16, the Hawk crashed, the pilot made a good bail out with no injuries, the F-16 made an emergency landing with a broken tail stabiliser. At NATO Tiger Meet 96 in Beja, Portugal.

Luis

twr75 · Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:43 pm

VH-OEJ with a hail damaged nosecone.

mirage · Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:58 pm

This might be, I don't think it will be easy to make something like this again.

MyAviation.net photo:

Photo © Luis Rosa

Luis

[email protected] · Wed Aug 11, 2004 12:02 am

Hehe nice to see that Mr. Rosa has joined the plugging crew. Smile/happy/getting dizzy

Please note the smiley

mirage · Wed Aug 11, 2004 12:27 am

I've no problem with plugging when it's support to make some point or to illustrate something.

What I don't like it's unfounded plugging, plugging just for plugging Big grin

Luis

INNflight · Wed Aug 11, 2004 1:35 am

Luis, the man on the moon is stunning, indeed!

cheers, Florian

derekf · Wed Aug 11, 2004 3:33 am

This will never happen again.
When these were taken the project had been all but cancelled but the flying continued until it was decided what to do. All flying stopped a week or so after these were taken. The two aircraft in the shots never flew again.
The aircraft they were taken from is now in the viewing park at MAN.

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Photo © Derek Ferguson

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Photo © Derek Ferguson

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Photo © Derek Ferguson

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Photo © Derek Ferguson

Derek

brian_ga · Sun Aug 22, 2004 12:07 pm

This was my once in a lifetime shot. Taken at TPA back in Jan 1989. The Northwest aircraft had lost it's engine somewhere over Valdosta Georgia. No one else was out there shotting that day, lucky for me. It's not everyday you see a 727 land minus 1 engine.

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Photo © Brian Harrison

Brian_ga Smile/happy/getting dizzy

DB777 · Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:24 pm

Here's one of my once in a lifetime shots.

Aeca Cargo's CL-44 HC-BHS scraping down runway 9-R (now 9) at MIA after the main gear collapsed upon touchdown, January 19, 1982. It never flew again after this landing.

http://www.pbase.com/image/32849960

Guest · Mon Aug 23, 2004 1:05 am

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Also I consider myself extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to have gotten out on the ramp at JFK for the AN 225:

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Photo © Brian Stevenson - SPOT THIS!

This was a complete accident. We were just standing there looking at the beast, when we all heard the loud engine thrust of the Concorde. I was the only one within reach of my camera, and threw it up and hit the shutter at the last second. Fortunately I didn't cut anything off, and this was the result. With the retirement of the SST, it's a sure thing this shot will never come together again.

Other shots from that day:

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Photo © Brian Stevenson - SPOT THIS!

Considering the circumstances, I don't think I'll ever have that chance again. It's a plane I always wanted to see in person, and I was lucky enough to be at the right place and right time. The best part is I was able to share it with good friends, one of whom actually did get a chance to get out on the ramp for it again...Bastard. Big grin

Brian - SPOT THIS

hisham · Mon Aug 23, 2004 1:53 am

I doubt I'll ever see anything closer to a tailstrike than this. God bless the 10D's 4 fps!

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CcrlR · Mon Aug 23, 2004 3:25 am

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Photo © AirNikon

I took a picture of this A319 two years ago. About a year later, this aircraft was involved in a taxiing accident at LGA. The plane was written off.

and this one too with jonathan and Kevin Cook

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KLGAviation · Mon Aug 23, 2004 3:42 am

Well.... I have.

MyAviation.net photo:

leviticus · Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:42 am

Once in a lifetime ?

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ExitRow · Mon Aug 23, 2004 9:22 am

- Historic flight.
- First time seeing an SST.
- Excellent shooting vantage point.
- Capt. Bannister mugging for the camera. Big grin

Once in a lifetime opportunity.

clickhappy · Mon Aug 23, 2004 9:39 am

whats that weird flag the guy on the right is waving?

ExitRow · Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:00 am

It's the

of course.

clickhappy · Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:02 am

lol sounds like a sandwich at Jack In The Box.

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