Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

The Blue Angels will be flying over a local hospital tomorrow, and I would like to try to shoot it. I've never shot planes, but I'm guessing a 70-200 would be a good choice, or a 70-300. Is that correct, or do I need a shorter lens?

Thanks!

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

70-200 should be perfect, not longer. You want to show the contrails.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Great; thank you.

alx Loc: NJ

Your 70-200 should be fine. Based on yesterday's joint Blue Angels/Thunderbirds flyover in the NY area, all they do is fly over in diamond formation trailing smoke. There was no maneuvering or performance. It is not an airshow, if that's what you are thinking. If you happen to get a blue sky, a polarizer is the only thing you might want to enhance your shots.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

That’s what I was expecting.

TBPJr Loc: South Carolina

For a flyover, the longer and the faster the lens you have, the better. You should have an adequate time to frame and focus (at least if you have some warning about approach direction and timing), and the more nearly you can fill your frame, the more you will like the pictures. Think of it this way: a 500mm lens is roughly the same as having a 10-power set of binoculars for the field of view.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

You don't say what camera you're using, but generally, a 70-200 should be fine if you are using a full frame camera. It is not possible to make a better recommendation without knowing how high they will be.

The first was @185mm, 1/2000, F4. The second was @300mm F4. The last was @600mmF4. You don't need a particularly fast lens if your panning skills are good.

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WessoJPEG Loc: Cincinnati, Ohio

Last one is great in the download.👍

billt1970 Loc: Gambrills, Maryland

I shot the Blue Angels spectacular demonstration in Baltimore, MD back in June 2012 at the beginning of the Fort McHenry Bicentennial Celebration. I was using the spectacular Sigma 70-300mm f2.8 lens borrowed from one of my sons. The extra 100mm of zooming was definitely worth it. Check it out at:

https://pbase.com/billtaylor/blue_angels_at_fort_mchenry_bicentennial_kickoff

I was shooting from a rooftop deck with a sturdy ball-head tripod at least a half-mile from the ship you see in many of the photos.

Later in September 2014 at the closing of the bicentennial celebration, the Blue Angels performed again. This time I only had my 70-200mm lens with a 2x teleconverter. The results, with or without the teleconverter weren't even close to the results earlier with the 70-300mm lens.

NOTE: I heard yesterday that the Navy Blue Angels AND Air Force Thunderbirds are going to reprise their spectacular air show earlier this week over NYC, thanking doctors, nurses and first-responders, at some time this weekend. I'm going to try and get positioned for that once-in-a-lifetime show again. This time I'll be shooting with a Tamron 28-300mm f3.5-6.3 lens. We'll see how that compares with the Sigma from 2012.

Happy Shooting, and

Best Regards,

BT

ft Loc: New York, USA

The Thunderbirds and Blue Angels flew over and around NYC on Tuesday. Even though you know the formation flight is coming, you have really no warning of its arrival, so you have to little time to react -- it's suddenly there. It's a matter of location, location, location. The flyover may be in front of you, above you, or behind you. You can't really tell based on the thick line drawn on a map published in advance. For me, it was a spray and pray when the aircraft arrived. They flew at an altitude of 1500 feet.

It's a tribute to hospital workers and the flight was routed to pass over many hospitals. Not like watching an airshow at a beach or airport.

I shot the NYC event with a 100-400 lens on a full frame camera and I wished for a greater reach.

My images are heavily cropped but I was happy to get them.

In the first image the Blue Angels are leading. The Thunderbirds then accelerated to overtake the Blue Angels and then led the way for (I think) the duration of the flyover. The second mage captured the passing. Trying to get a good shot of the aircraft AND a notable feature, e.g. a hospital or landmark, was (for me) next to impossible. The planes were just too high or too far. The best I got was the third shot, where the flight was near the Brooklyn Veterans Administration hospital.

Good luck! Enjoy the experience!

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billt1970 Loc: Gambrills, Maryland

Nice work!!

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

Used a 17-70 on Tuesday, could have used more than 70, they are far and fast, too long will be hard to find them , sound comes first, we got 2 passes where we were once overhead @ 17mm not bad, one fly by during exit off shore, overhead I never would have framed at 70mm, YMMV, Bob.

pdscott353

Nice shots.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Either one would be an excellent choice.
Before I got my 100-400L I used a 100-300mm at the Reno air shows and it seemed just about right except there I could have used the extra 100mm at the long end when the planes were on the far side of the loop but no big deal.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

Should be good with either. Shutter speed needs to be fast.