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Thread: A Swing And A Miss! United's Retro A320

  1. #1
    Senior Member megatop412's Avatar
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    A Swing And A Miss! United's Retro A320

    Many of you know of my previous spotting fails. What kind of person would I be if I let this long cold winter pass without recounting my latest episode.

    Last Sunday I noticed the United Retrojet was going through LGA and would be departing about 1pm. Conveniently, I would be leaving back to Philly around that time. A short hop up the Grand Central and I parked next to Planeview Park, getting there early for once. The light was nice, the sun gently diffused by a thin altocumulus. I sat there and watched them line up to depart off Runway 4 for about an hour. I took some test shots and decided I would get a fine shot of it on the ground as it rolled by the fence to line up. Suddenly, way off in the distance, a plane crossed from right to left. Then another. When a third jet crossed over Runway 4, I called ATIS, and sure enough they were switching to 13 takeoffs. The time was about 10 minutes till departure. Not to worry, I had handled this sort of thing @JFK and apparently they must have told the folks at LaGuardia who I was. I hurried myself over to the Marina, plowing through a slush and ice-covered entrance and parking lot. Within two minutes, United appeared just as his mains broke contact with the pavement.

    The limo drivers hanging out in the lot must have thought I was a crazy person, first shouting "Yes! Yes! Yes!" then suddenly "No...Nooo...Nooooooo!" as the wild card factor, the dang pilot, came into play. In a move I have only occasionally seen at that location, he began his right turn right after passing over the breakwater at the end of 13. What would have been a perfect shot became the insult to all aviation shooters, the unflattering belly shot.

    And of course, by this time, the light had now turned to utter crap. This was the best of the bunch.


    We have an awful lot in common with fishermen, don't we. I had done everything right, and yet the one variable at the end, the fish, had its way with me.

    Until we meet again, N475UA...

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    Senior Member gonzalu's Avatar
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    Go to IAH, it's there seemingly every day ... sorry about your failed hunt. It's all part of the fun. Once you get it, it will come in all the time in perfect light! or so says the spotting god!
    Manny Gonzalez
    Thrust Images | General Photography | R.I.P. Matt Molnar 1979-2013
    BRING BACK THE KJFK/KLGA OBSERVATION DECKS

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    Senior Member Aviation.High.Guy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by megatop412 View Post
    Many of you know of my previous spotting fails. What kind of person would I be if I let this long cold winter pass without recounting my latest episode...
    Until we meet again, N475UA...
    William- I feel your pain. I went on the same chase today, except in reverse. I started at the marina and then they switched from 13 departures, to 4. Made a mad dash for Planeview thinkin' I would get that nice taxiing shot. Well I did, sort of. My "belly shot" came in the form of obstructed landing gear. I'm right behind you chasing her, maybe to IAH as Manny suggests...

    -Don B.

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    Senior Member SengaB's Avatar
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    Megatop,
    You story sounds like a 5 star Suspense novel! I was sweating buckets sitting on the edge of my chair when I was done reading! Ohh Yes I tried for this one the first day it arrived at LGA all those years ago...but IT NEVER SHOWED UP....never tried again... How ever the next day when I went to EWR for a plane it flew right over me on its arrival into LGA and that was the only time I ever saw that plane. I still don't have it.

    Senga

  5. #5
    Senior Member megatop412's Avatar
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    Don your shot is exactly what I was going for when they switched runways. I would have been happy to have obscured gear, just so I could get the fuselage titles.

    And Manny yes I know how that works- once I caught the USAir PSA jet after years of trying I saw it twice in one month

    Senga- I also once missed United retro @ EWR by 5 minutes due to NJ Tpke traffic. I am sick of this plane

  6. #6
    Senior Member Aviation.High.Guy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by megatop412 View Post
    Don your shot is exactly what I was going for when they switched runways. I would have been happy to have obscured gear, just so I could get the fuselage titles.
    I'll trade ya- ;)
    -Don B.

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