It was simply an amazing flight! The best part was it wasn’t planned, not even hinted at. It just unfolded. What you’re looking at is a piece of living history, a Spitfire mkIX built in 1944 that flew over Normandy D Day +9. But is actually is much more than that because the reason I’m able to be photographing it in the United States is a story of passion. It starts with the person who restored it then continues with the person who wanted to own it but missed it when it was available seven years ago but didn’t make the same mistake last week. It goes further with the pilot flying the plane who, since he was a teenager and painted one on his bedroom wall wanted to fly one and me who only for the moment, continues the circle.
I received a couple of days notice that the Spit (a gorgeous plane!) would be at Wings Over Houston. Acquired by the Texas Flying Legends Museum, its chief pilot Warren Pietsch knew I would want to photograph it air to air especially after our April trip to England. When we hit the ground on Friday, we started planning which meant getting a photo platform. And like all things planes, on Saturday, the photo platform we found developed a mechanical and the shoot was off. I sent off a text to our dear friend Flydaddy and asked if the A36 Bonanza was available and a couple of hours later, it was landing at Ellington Field. When Flydaddy heard the photo mission was a Spit, he couldn’t get their soon enough (the passion continues). So Sunday night, with the brief done for a longer than normal photo mission, props turned at 18:00. With GoPros mounted, Jake sitting next to me in the back (great bonus!) and Spit owner SIC, the D4s / 80-400VR3 locked and loaded, off we want!
Now the photo you see here was taken near the end of the mission. What makes the Spitfire is that wing, it’s one of a kind. To get that wing, I either had to have the Spit high overhead or way underneath. Since I wanted water, under Warren went. To get the shot, I leaned out of the plane with have my torso hanging half out of the plane. As in, the wind is pounding my back as we do 140kt indicated with lens pointed straight down. Shooting at 1/80, the odds of getting a tack sharp image are nill. The answer was simple, suck it in and hold tight, hit the hammer and let ‘er rip! After 223 frames in a few seconds, I could take no more and came back inside. As you can see, I did get one sharp image. When Ansel Adams was asked, “How many images does it take to get a good one,” he answered, “One.” What he didn’t mention was the passion that MUST go into that one. I have a LOT of folks to thank for making this ONE photo come true. I hope telling this story serves for now as a good enough thanks.