Under the flight path...

Anna: We seem to be under the flight path of any airshow-type demonstrations! We got buzzed a few times during the Capitol Ex. Yesterday, I have no idea what was going on - practise sessions, perhaps? - when we suddenly heard the roar of plane engines. I got onto our balcony in time to see several Snowbirds disappearing over our roof. I grabbed my camera, but by then I only saw 3 planes turning in the distance.

Noticing my lens was covered with dust again (it's like a dust magnet!!), I sat on our patio swing and started brushing the dust. That's when I heard them coming. I looked up in time to snap 4 photos of the formation coming in over the valley, then disappearing over our roof.

As far as I can tell, most of these planes are Snowbirds escorting an F18, but there's one plane at the rear, right, that I can't identify.

FlyBy

Apparently, two military jets were working out at the downtown airport.. :)

98:365 At the Aviation Museum - updated

Anna: Today, we decided to check out the local aviation museum. We didn't have time to check out the outdoor displays, but got plenty of photos - I took over 240 myself, but then, I was taking pictures of the signs and plaques, too. Otherwise, I'd never remember what they all were! *L* I'm just posting a couple of pictures for now and will add more to my flicker account later.


(Philippe) Most of the shots I took today were hand-held, 1/8 to 1/3 second, no flash.. The flash *did* light things up, but gave it that ugly, bright look so I gave up on it and did it the hard way.. Much happier with the results :D


Philippe: Doesn't this just *look* intimidating?




























Philippe: They had a few engines in various states of assembly so we could see the workings.












Philippe: They were restoring this bomber while we were touring.














Philippe: The most practical arrangements sometime look really good :D

























Philippe: This thing looks light enough to pick up.



























Anna: I've now uploaded more shots at my flicker account, here.



This was taken from under the tail of a DeHavilland Vampire MK 35. The first prototype flew in 1943, and entered RCAF service in 1946. The shell is all metal, with a section of sandwiched balsa wood in the cockpit, making it a highly maneuverable, well armed fighter.












These are the under-cockpit guns of a Mosquito FB MK VI, a high performance night fighter. There's another set of 4 guns sticking right out of the nose. The Mosquito was used by the 418 (City of Edmonton) Squadron RCAF. They were a night intruder squadron, first flying the Douglas Boston light bomber before being re-equipped with the Mosquito. The squadron was activated in Dedben, England in 1941 and adopted by the City of Edmonton in 1944.