Civilian Aviation

I know 2016 seems a long way off but I'm already starting to think about SPOTM topics for 2016 so that I can put the calendar on here around October to give you all time to plan for the early months' subjects.
I've got a bit of a list which I'm discussing with the other moderators (when Mike doesn't drift off to discussions on St Maarten ) plus some good ideas from Mark (Mighty Oz) from a PM discussion with him which got onto potential SPOTM subjects. If you have any good ideas please post them here and then in a month or so (I shall be away for first half of September) I am thinking of doing a poll of the submitted ideas and doing one or two 'members' choice subjects using the best one or two. So think away and also post any comments or questions that you have please.

now the special comp with a prize!!! In a few weeks time the Vulcan will make it's last ever flight and I've supported it for years and will miss it on the airshow circuit. I'm sure I won't be alone in that. I know it was originally military and still wears it's military markings (Lottery heritage fund requirement) but it's actually civilian registered G-VLCN so I can get away with this competition on here - the other mods thought it was a good idea.
To mark the end of it's flying life I will shortly open a special photo competition for photos of the Vulcan taken since the return to flight in 2007 to run until the end of October, after the final flight has taken place. The winners will then be decided by a poll as per our other competitions (if there are more than 50 entries then I will have to work out how to do a larger poll !).
I am donating a prize for the winner of a canvas print of the winning photo, the size will be up to 600mm x 400mm. I may have to restrict the prize to UK, Northern Ireland and Ireland unless the company I use will deliver further than that , they are based in Germany so I hope they will at least do mainland europe if we have a winning entry from outside the British Isles, I have asked them about this so will hopefully know the answer soon.
If this is a successful special competition I may even do another in the future

Great idea on the XH558 (sorry, I should call it G-VLCN on here) competition. I've already got my entry picked out, unless I manage to get to Little Gransden and take anything better.

Two ideas from me
Grass aerodromes -aircraft operating on grass

In the Hangar - must be parked or undergoing maintenance in a hangar, you get some interesting shots in the varying light conditions and colours in hangars.

thanks for those 2, both very good

any more from anybody please?

I quite like "night shots".

Trevor

How about 'viewed from above' or 'wheels up'?

Rugbyref wrote:'wheels up'?

Would that be for departure shots only, or could it include landings as well?

I intended wheels up as opposed to wheels down, so in flight rather than on the ground.

It was a joke about forgetting to lower the gear before landing

Shots of a wheels up landing would be interesting and different!

any more ideas please, already some good one - thanks to everybody who has made suggestions.


also , don't forget the Vulcan photo competition, chance of pics today at Church Fenton (whatever it's called now) then Gaydon and Old Warden next sunday and the tours on the 10th and 11th plus any other flights which are announced - sadly not long to go for the last flights now.

What about airportvehicles + an aircraft ( ex : pushback, firetrucks welcoming new company.... )

Hi Andy hope this is not to late ???? I just stumbled across a photo of an A380 and an E170 taxying side by side ! So how about 'Size Matters' we often see photos with some extreme size differences in one shot ??

Keith

thanks to all of you who have sent in suggestions, I already had quite a selection of my own (and other moderators' ideas) and from those we had come up with these seven:
Gulf states registered (A6- A7- A9- & A40- registrations)
soviet airliners
T Tailed airliners
RV Vans
Gulfstreams
civil registered in military colours (for the warbird fans!)
radial engines - that was on a list the Mighty Oz sent me a while ago and we liked it a lot

and we have at least 2 scenic type ones and will probably take one of those and then another airliner subject at least. That will leave 2 or 3 for the membership to pick via a poll (at least 2) we will probably look at the strength of voting to decide whether to go for a 3rd choice as well).

these are the other topics suggested so far
Grass aerodromes -aircraft operating on grass
In the Hangar - must be parked or undergoing maintenance in a hangar, you get some interesting shots in the varying light conditions and colours in hangars.
night shots
viewed from above
wheels up as opposed to wheels down, so in flight rather than on the ground
airport vehicles + an aircraft ( ex : pushback, firetrucks welcoming new company.... ) - We had already thought of one similar to this which we like - an aircraft with any other form of transport also in the photo EXCLUDING airport vehicles so two opposite but similar.
'Size Matters' photos with some extreme size differences in one shot ?? e.g. an A380 and an E170 taxying side by side
Radials - anything with a radial engine
Piston singles - Anything with a single piston engine
Mufti - Any former military aircraft, or aircraft originally designed as a military type, wearing a civilian scheme.
Less is more - Shots where the aircraft only takes up a small percentage of the picture, and we get to see some scenery, maybe including famous landmarks
Rainy days - Anything taken where it's visibly wet
Taildraggers - Any taildragger / tailwheel aircraft.
Widebodies - Any widebody airliner

so now's your last chance because I would like to set the voting poll going in a week or so after this months voting is complete so thinking caps on please.
We may (only may) make slight adaptions to ideas if we think that would clarify the topic or improve it further but will broadly follow the votes.

so over to you.....

not voting for the ones I suggested but I also like - size matters

acw367 wrote:not voting for the ones I suggested but I also like - size matters

I'm not sure that voting for your own ideas in this one would be against the spirit of it, it's not a competition after all. Just offering the chance for the members to give opinions and a bit of participation in the decision making and we always welcome member participation )please everybody )

Andy

What about really broad categories (but perhaps specifying it must be a plane in flight/on the ground)

"Blue" So perhaps you'll get blue liveries, Stunning blue skies, or maybe something else a bit different. Different colours available obviously!

"Sun" - maybe sunrise or sunset shots, silhouettes etc

"Snow"

And then something a little less broad, let folk interpret it themselves;

"Special liveries" Ok, so I don't know the technical name for these, but you know the ones I mean!

"Must include a contrail"

"Touch down"

"That looked close!"

Cooper1812 wrote:What about really broad categories (but perhaps specifying it must be a plane in flight/on the ground)

"Blue" So perhaps you'll get blue liveries, Stunning blue skies, or maybe something else a bit different. Different colours available obviously!

"Sun" - maybe sunrise or sunset shots, silhouettes etc

"Snow"

And then something a little less broad, let folk interpret it themselves;

"Special liveries" Ok, so I don't know the technical name for these, but you know the ones I mean!

"Must include a contrail"

"Touch down"

"That looked close!"

thanks for those some good ones again

we are doing sun and moon in December this year so another great mind thought the same as you

also we did the specials and retros a couple of months back
andy

If we take every month one of the suggested topics, we almost have two years of fun.....

Wallie wrote:If we take every month one of the suggested topics, we almost have two years of fun.....

yes! would save me repeating this in October 2016

I've got lots more ideas on my own list - probably enough for 2 more years but thought I should give everybody a chance to propose ideas.- far more democratic!