Aerial Photography?
 

Hi All

Just joined as I wanted to ask a couple of questions. There is a Great Britain Tour coming north on Monday 28th and I was thinking of taking some photos of the excursion from the air.

What is the forums view on this? You can take it as read that I am an experienced pilot and will obey the 500 foot minimum but would having an aircraft following the train for half an hour annoy customers and spotters?

I know enough to know that some like to record the noise of the train and not sure the background buzz of a Lycoming Flat 6 would add much to their soundtracks.

Equally some stills and video taken from a Dornier 27 posted on Utube and flicker a handy bonus.

Regards Dornier

Hello Dornier and welcome to the forum.
Your plan is reminisent of the old days when black and white footage was shown of an light aircraft following an express from London to Edinburgh.Something enjoyed by many.
I for one would be more than happy to view this type of photography and look forward to your posts.
As for noise from the flat 6.........an added bonus.
Only wish I could join you.
Stuart

Well, I hope to be out and about with the camera for this one and I certainly wouldn't be annoyed by your presence, and I shouldn't think anybody else would be either to be honest.

Go for it, and the best of luck, I hope the results are worthy of the effort

Thanks
 

Thank you for responding, subject weather we will give it a go on Monday. Hoping to pick the train up north of Shrewsbury and follow it towards Wrexham.

Plan might change depending on the trains schedule and weather. Put a picture on the Gallery of Festiniog line but had to remain hight to avoid hills and nuisance factors. On Monday I hope to sit a little closer to the train.

Look forward to seeing the results - I liked your Ffestiniog pic in the Gallery.
Good Luck!

Tony

Just back...

A few learning points, timing and positioning! Head office said train on time but when got down to Shrewsbury I could see fellow enthusiasts on bridges and vantage points but no train. We then flew down to Church Stretton still no train. Turned about and tracked north thinking we might have missed it but got to just south of Wrexham and no train.

By now wasted an hours fuel so decided to pack it in and landed at Sleap for fuel feeling annoyed. On a chance rang head office who got the train manager to see where they were and she fortunately called back but by now the train was passing Gobowen and we were on the ground at Sleap.

We finally caught up with the train at Chirk but difficult to film from the air as we have to maintain separation from built up areas of which there are many in this vicinity.

Dornier has two unique features, it can fly safely and slowly and it has a photographic door in the floor for overhead shots.

Cameraman in the back Jason Bulley who will put something on utube in due course.

Hope we did not spoil anyone else's enjoyment of the train.

A very warm welcome to the forum.

Your filming idea sounds like a good idea. Will make for a very interesting piece of railway & social history in years to come.

Hello Dornier and welcome to the Railway Forum. Looking forward to seeing the footage taken by you and Jason.

Hi Dornier, any chance you can give a heads up when said footage goes on Youtube.

Certainly, takes Jason a few days to edit but we hope to put some footage up on utube for all to enjoy. The aeroplane probably a better platform for still photography than video as the aircraft vibrates and bumps about.

Early days, something of a learning process.

Hi Dronier and a warm welcome from me too. Great idea to film from the sky’s. I see in my copy of Steam Railway a chap has built a drone with a camera attached and takes some great shots from locations never seen before. It makes for interesting and varied photos and films.
Good look with your project, and hope you don’t find it too difficult trying so sync the train with the plane!!
All the best
phil

Landing Pics
 

http://youtu.be/WG6vlseo5Os

Hi just a snippet from the return to base post Great Britain VII filming at Chirk. If the link does not work slipperywhenwetfilms Landing on utube.

Hoping Jason will edit some shots of the train but he has a busy day job so we will have to be patient.

Regards Dornier

It opened for me, very effective footage of the shadow. Looking forward to some quality steam action now

No problem opening that snippet Dornier, thanks.

Looking forward to your aerial video! What aircraft are you flying?

Hi Dornier 27 G-BMFG built 1958 for the Luftwaffe but sold on to the Portuguese who flew it in Angola where it received some battle damage from ground fire.

Jason showed us preview of film this morning, it lasts about 5 minutes has some interesting shots but needs a little more editing. Would have been better if we had caught the train earlier in open countryside. Should have something on utube next week.

Like this ?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/56270329@N08/8057073983/

Thanks for that Pre! Nice looking plane mate. Well restored.

Yes that is the one, the only D27 flying on the G register, a couple of dozen in Europe.

http://youtu.be/FNtmSADyV8Q

Hi all, please let me know if the link works. The film something of a first go and pitched between plane and train enthusiasts. Some technical issues in filming from an aircraft without gyro stabilised kit and a £50k camera but thought Jason did a great job.

We were also hindered by catching the train late and not being able to get as low and slow as might have done in open countryside. Hope to do some more filming later in the month weather permitting.

Link worked ok for me, and I enjoyed the clip. Thanks for posting.

Worked for me as well Dornier, also enjoyed the film. Not bad for a first time.

Looked good and a terrific first go! Any chance you could zoom in to the engine? I imagine it can not be easy to get all the parts to come together at the right time. I enjoyed it though, so thanks for sharing that with us.
Cheers
Phil

The answer I think is to ensure we take a good quality stills camera with us next time so the end product is a montage of movie and still shots with a suitable audio background.

I was flying at 500 feet, the legal minimum, but the combination of lens and film speed makes it look more distant and less sharp. Anyway, it was a safe and entertaining experience which we are happy to share and something to build on etc.

Tomorrow

Hoping to film a steam excursion en route for Llandudno between Crewe and Chester Saturday am around 0930-1000 will post if we get anything of interest.

Llandduno Excursion
 

Posted a couple of quick shots taken with phone camera on the gallery, better things to follow from Jason in due course.

Sadly weather looks pants for airshow at Llandudno.

Regards Dornier

Aerial Photos
 

Some better quality stuff on the gallery of Earl of Mount Edgecumbe enroute to Llandudno Air Show on 24th May.

Great set here Dornier.
Keep clicking that Canon.
Stuart

Anyone on the Carol Concert run to Chester on 19 December? Might be able to film the train between Crewe and Chester if we can get accurate timings.