Official Plane Spotting Thread.


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Hi, wld like to share this pic taken on 29 Dec. Taking off from PLAB...

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Moebius, care to inform a newbie like me what aircraft is this? Thanks. :)
 

Moebius, care to inform a newbie like me what aircraft is this? Thanks. :)
As what Beanokim had initially mentioned, it is indeed a C-17 Globemaster III. The tail code of the aircraft will indicate that it is based at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii as abbreviated by the two letter "HH" with the following serial number 05-5153 beneath it (which is also visible by the nose).

A further search at google of the serial number will enable you to gather the following details and information while I'm certain some lao jiaos can memorised and instantly interpret all these from the tail code alone without even searching. :)

  • C-17A Globemaster III Lot XV (S/N. 05-5153 (C/N. P-153)) christened "Spirit of Kamehameha-Imua" and assigned to the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) 15th Airlift Wing (15 AW) and the 154th Wing (154 WG) of the Hawaii Air National Guard.

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From what I understand, the following would be a typical great circle flight profile for most USAF transportation flights into WSAP? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

4234032434_d2232dc460_o.jpg

Karl L. Swartz's Great Circle Mapper.
 

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It's the C-17 Globemaster 3.

As what Beanokim had initially mentioned, it is indeed a C-17 Globemaster III. The tail code of the aircraft will indicate that it is based at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii as abbreviated by the two letter "HH" with the following serial number 05-5153 beneath it (which is also visible by the nose).

A further search at google of the serial number will enable you to gather the following details and information while I'm certain some lao jiaos can memorised and instantly interpret all these from the tail code alone without even searching. :)

  • C-17A Globemaster III Lot XV (S/N. 05-5153 (C/N. P-153)) christened "Spirit of Kamehameha-Imua" and assigned to the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) 15th Airlift Wing (15 AW) and the 154th Wing (154 WG) of the Hawaii Air National Guard.

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From what I understand, the following would be a typical great circle flight profile for most USAF transportation flights into WSAP? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

4234032434_d2232dc460_o.jpg

Karl L. Swartz's Great Circle Mapper.

beanokim, 9V-Orion Images, thanks to the both of you on the informative replies! :thumbsup:
 

From what I understand, the following would be a typical great circle flight profile for most USAF transportation flights into WSAP? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

4234032434_d2232dc460_o.jpg

Karl L. Swartz's Great Circle Mapper.
Just to add, as the following map shows, a great circle route from Elmendorf Air Force Base to Diego Garcia via Yokota Air Base and Paya Lebar Air Base is in fact shorter than one originating from Hickam Air Force Base, though I'm not certain which unit is used more frequently.

4233386367_cc881655b9_o.jpg
 

Coming from Hickam AFB in Hawaii, I think the shortest route would be through Anderson AFB in Guam then to Singapore. Anderson is frequently used as a forward operating base.
 

Coming from Hickam AFB in Hawaii, I think the shortest route would be through Anderson AFB in Guam then to Singapore. Anderson is frequently used as a forward operating base.
Ah, you are right. Though the difference in total distance of 35 miles between a flight originating from Elmendorf Air Force Base and Anderson Air Force Base seems negligible.

How about the strategic bombers at Diego Garcia, do they stop over at Singapore or Malaysia? Would be nice to capture one of those. :)

4236041901_bb59c0ff76_o.jpg
 

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Ah, you are right. Though the difference in total distance of 35 miles between a flight originating from Elmendorf Air Force Base and Anderson Air Force Base seems negligible.

How about the strategic bombers at Diego Garcia, do they stop over at Singapore or Malaysia? Would be nice to capture one of those. :)

4236041901_bb59c0ff76_o.jpg

Yeah you're right. 35nm is one missed approach. I guess the considerations then would be more on divert options and political climate.

I don't think we will see strat bombers in Singapore or Malaysia. Unless they're here for the airshow. Being such high value assets, if it were up to me, I would only stop in US bases. Plus with tanker support you really don't need to stop till you get to your destination.
 

hey, wanna ask pros here, is the 55-250mm better to shoot airplanes or the 75-300mm?;)
 

hey, wanna ask pros here, is the 55-250mm better to shoot airplanes or the 75-300mm?;)

55-200..

unless yr muscle damn big, then use 75-300..
if you use 75-300 in 300mm , its quite heavy..not stable..unless as what i said , big muscle.
 

MusKidd, IMHO

it depends how far you are from the planes itself
i personally use 70-200 and most of the time i not using the 200mm end cos of my 1.6x
beside IQ (cos i didn't know which is better), the focal length did not have much of a difference.
so the question is where you stand to take the planes.

hope this helps :)
 

hey, wanna ask pros here, is the 55-250mm better to shoot airplanes or the 75-300mm?;)
normally, i'll be using 70-300...

but sometimes i'll use 12-60... depending on where you are standing and the type of pic you want to frame.
 

Anyone knows when the T1 viewing gallery will re-open to public? (And when it does, would they make it like T3's)

Meanwhile......
According to the London office of Air Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwean flag carrier has suspended scheduled flights to Singapore since late August 2009 in favour of Kuala Lumpur. It now flies a once-weekly scheduled flight to Kuala Lumpur every Friday night from Harare and takes off for Beijing on every Saturday morning.

The destination move of Air Zimbabwe has indeed caught Sunseekers Travel, GSA of Air Zimbabwe, and Carnival Travel's Singapore subsidiary, unaware for at least three months. Local staff were noticed quoting Singapore - Beijing fares of Air Zimbabwe tickets to walk-in customers through late August to November and Air Zimbabwe's Boeing B767 aircraft could be seen taxiing in Changi Airport during these months, possibly on a chartered basis.

Changi Airport has not been notified of Air Zimbabwe's complete withdrawal of flight services to Singapore. The web-site of Changi Airport still lists it as an active flight operator. Air Zimbabwe has plans to restart flights to Guangzhou via Singapore in 2010




Hope when they do, their flight would still be on Saturday morning, when I (in army by then) can have the time to spot them.
 

55-200..

unless yr muscle damn big, then use 75-300..
if you use 75-300 in 300mm , its quite heavy..not stable..unless as what i said , big muscle.

thanks, yea i do quite have a big muscle, HAHAHA, jk yea,
think tht 75-300mm is quite heavy, not stable uh,
and very troublesome if use tripod, which doesn't make anysense at all.
 

thanks for all your help you guys, and if i use the kit lens 18-55mm would it still be the same?
if in the 55mm.
 

Nice pics you have there. Can I know which spot were you standing at to capture these pictures?
Generally it would be at Changi Business Park with multiple locations available.

hey, wanna ask pros here, is the 55-250mm better to shoot airplanes or the 75-300mm? ;)
Are you referring to the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS and EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM?

Image quality of the EF-S 55-250mm is said to be better and sharper as compared to the EF 75-300mm. Additional benefits of the EF-S 55-250mm will be the presence of an Ultra-Low (UD) dispersion lens element and IS which is essential at the telephoto end of the lens.

thanks for all your help you guys, and if i use the kit lens 18-55mm would it still be the same?
if in the 55mm.
Yes, though you would have to position yourself as close as possible to the approaching aircraft at around Carpark 3 & 4, Changi Beach or at the canal along Changi South Street 1 for RWY 20R and RWY 02L arrivals respectively. ;)
 

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Generally it would be at Changi Business Park with multiple locations available.


Are you referring to the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS and EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM?

Image quality of the EF-S 55-250mm is said to be better and sharper as compared to the EF 75-300mm. Additional benefits of the EF-S 55-250mm will be the presence of an Ultra-Low (UD) dispersion lens element and IS which is essential at the telephoto end of the lens.


Yes, though you would have to position yourself as close as possible to the approaching aircraft at around Carpark 3 & 4, Changi Beach or at the canal along Changi South Street 1 for RWY 20R and RWY 02L arrivals respectively. ;)

9V-Orion Images, thanks for you location and advice!
damn, i bought the 75-300mm alr, should have gotten th 55-250mm.
and the 75-300mm is heavy to after the 250mm mark, haha.
 

happy belated new year everyone. may 2010 bring you "Rest".
heads up. one month away to Singapore Airshow!
 

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