JFK / LGA Week in Review - Image Heavy

[gonzalu]

Have had zero time to edit or post pics :-( I can't wait to retire LOL. So, an assortment form this week's spots... Finally caught the Emirates A380 on 13L, but... Also some interesting craft at LGA and one at JFK (small guys)

[gonzalu]

at one point, I could not see the runway at all... rain was that bad. And compressing that much rain really makes for BAD images ... but I got the rain and the splashing thrust reversers which is what I wanted ;-) Very Cool!!

[gonzalu]

sooo small, even at 400mm, stupid cropped, still no joy

[gonzalu]

[Zee71]

Excellent............evening without the post processing. The Emirates, Caribbean and Transaero in the rain with their thrust reverses is awesome (one of these day I too want to capture images like that). NCA cargo is awesome too.

[adscram14]

Fantastic shots, Manny. Great catch with the purple zig zag plane at LGA!

[sammers4247]

Nice batch, Manny! I know it's a common spot but it's funny to see those US Airways Express Dash 8's from this angle, they fly over my house practically every day en route to LGA but I've never seen one up close. That should be changing soon... I'll let go of my love for JFK for just one day and we'll go spotting at La Guardia...

[seahawks7757]

Great Set! Loving the rain shots.

[heeshung]

Wow, great set! Nice catch on the Transavia/Caribbean hybrid.

I've always wanted to get the rain spray shots, but never got a chance. Transaero, AND the A380 in spray!

[gonzalu]

Thanks all... yeah, the luck of 13L with rain was hard to pass up... except I never imagined it that bad. At one point every aircraft except an emergency ILS 13L by JetBlue (seizure) diverted to Atlantic City or Stewart or even EWR in one case... others just circled around out over the ocean at a clearing (as per ATC)

Sam, I have the same problem with LGA... they get no respect but the magnetism of JFK is too hard to pass up. I am slowly catching everything I can at JFK (regulars) and will be able to spend more time at LGA. It is all beginners anxiety I am sure. I feel like there are so many airlines / aircraft at JFK I have yet to properly capture, I keep coming back.

I don't think I have either Transavia hybrid or Transaero any other time and of course they both come in while POURING RAIN and HIGH WINDS!! LOL...

Mark, I took your advise today and "never looked back" (I left waaaay early and just turned off the radio and put away the cam) It was hard when passing LGA on the way home not having the camera ready just in case something interesting was happening LOL.

Brandon, the best thing about that day was that being 13L, you can stay in your car, even shoot from your car and on top of that, the wind was sooo fierce from the SSE that the rai would go right over my car and not come in through the window at all. Just too bad it NEVER let up even for a second to have wet ground, dry sky ... would kill for a day like that and then have the sun POP right after the strong storm!

Cheers!

[sporky]

Great set! My jaw dropped a bit when the AA 737 underbelly shot came up. Awesome point of view!

-Tad

[gonzalu]

Thanks Tad :-) To be honest, it was pure luck... I also almost dropped because it is sooo rare from this spot to be able to get the sand from the beach to reflect on the belly... there is but a SLIVER of sand between the deep blue water below and the asphalt of the parking lot. Vegas and Cali are lucky to have sooo much sand or hay to reflect light back up. I also hear Manchester has a lot of concrete taxiways and runways making for excellent natural fill light.

Cheers

[jerslice]

Excellent rain shots and great set overall! That biz jet, as others have mentioned, sure is a nice catchl

[gonzalu]

Thanks Jeremy... I tell you, and you all probably feel the same way, seeing a plane like that seals the deal for me on a great spot! I mean, it is so exciting to see something so off beat and uncommon, it is what makes me keep coming back!

As for the rain, it was actually much more exciting listening to ATC and Approach DURING the storm while watching the operations live. I almost didn't need to take any pictures. It was fascinating. The JetBlue emergency landing was really interesting as the pilot changed his mind and the runways about 20 times before finally coming in. He wanted to know what the company were doing, he wanted wind conditions and altimeter readings every 10 to 20 seconds, he tried shooting for ILS on 22L, then 4R, then figured maybe visual on 13R because of extra length, then finally settled on an ILS 13L approach.

The most uneventful was the Emirates A380 who didn't even flinch. He and the Transaero just came right in, no questions, they got vectored and landed. Also British Air 747... who's pilot said after touchdown, "Fun Ride". Everyone else was ditching JFK completely LOL.

Cheers!