Living under the flight path of a small, local airport, we have our share of interesting plane moments. The most awesome and thundering is when a touring B-17 makes its’ annual appearance. Those four propeller engines sure get our attention!

But nothing compares to this once in a lifetime opportunity to capture the space shuttle on the back of a 747 for its last time in flight and as it lands at LAX where it will be prepared for its’ journey to its’ new home, the California Science Center. I spent this morning looking skyward with a few hundred people on the bluff in Santa Monica waiting to spot the piggyback spectacle as it toured over the Santa Monica Bay and pier.

I caught it again as it circled around. It was a thrilling sight and I am glad I got to experience it.

Another photo opportunity of the aviation variety takes place on Saturday September 22 at 3:30 in the LA Harbor. Three World War II era planes will fly over the USS Iowa, a WWII battleship and the SS Lane Victory, a WWII merchant vessel, for more details click here. To photograph these planes I recommend at least a 200mm lens. If it’s a sunny day set your ISO to 100 or 200 and your shutter speed to at least 250, it can be higher, to freeze the action and then adjust the aperture for a proper exposure according to your meter.

If you would like to make this weekend an all airplane themed one, you may enjoy a performance at the TreePeople’s Coldwater Canyon Park. Their Once Upon a Canyon Night performance program is staging a “free-wheeling re-imagination of the first table-reading of the original screenplay of the classic comedy movie!” Airplane!

Off we go into the wild blue yonder.

~ Sue