kmpankopf Loc: Mid-Michigan; SW Pennsylvania

When contemplating what I was going to work on this year, my subject to improve on was helicopters.
I find that photographing helicopters in action is not easy. You have the relatively low speed of the main rotor and the much higher speed of the tail rotor that are part of the image. If your shutter speed is too slow for the main rotor blur, the tail rotor will completely disappear. On the other side, if you shoot too fast, the main rotor will freeze. Oh, yea, and the subject is usually moving. Good luck with all that.
Most airshows I go to do not have helicopter events, unless there are rides given. Practice is not abundant. This year, two shows that were on my schedule had helicopter events scheduled.
Earlier this year, I attended the MCAS Beaufort Air Show. One of the events is the MAGTF (Marine Air-Ground Task Force) demonstration. For this demo, three helicopters were in the air, relatively close proximity to each other. There were no collisions. The scenario is that there is a downed Marine and this is a rescue. The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion provides the transport of the ground and rescue force, while the Bell UH-1 Iroquois and Bell AH-1 Cobra provided the air cover. Great show.















Information on the photo can be seen on my FLICKR page - click on the photo.

DeanS Loc: Capital City area of North Carolina

Nice shots.

longmg Loc: South Shore, MA

Very well done! The Marines always put on a great demonstration, but then I might be a little prejudice.

S/F - Mike

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Bad ass machine Kurt!

Don

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Beautiful bird nicely shot

Gitchigumi Loc: Wake Forest, NC

Oorah! Very nice captures!👍

photophly Loc: Old Bridge NJ

Great shots

tshift Loc: Overland Park, KS.

I love these photos. I love helicopters, hard to catch flying over and like you said hard to photograph. Thanks post more when you can. BE SAFE!!

Tom

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Great series, Kurt.

skip_m Loc: Phoenix AZ

Great shots Damm good

marine73 Loc: Modesto California

Always good to see photos of Marine Corps equipment. Oorah Semper Fi

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

You have obviously had some practice taking this type of image. Great set.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

GregS Loc: Central Illinois, USA

I was extremely lucky as a Naval Aviator in the '60's and '70's to fly many aircraft. Single engine props, multi engine props, single engine jets, twin engine jets...but my favorite was flying helos. Jet Rangers, Huey's, Sikorsky VH-34's, Sikorsky SH-3's, and CH-46's. Would take a helo over a jet any day! Jets go fast, but a Huey flying at 20 feet at 120kts; (138 mph) is FUN flying. You come up on a tree, you go around or over it! Ah...the good 'ol days!