La Ferte Allais historical air show

[Franglais]

First try at my favourite air show with the D800. I used the 70-300VR lens in DX mode, effectively giving me a 450mm with a 16Mpix image which I often had to crop afterwards as well. Unfortunately it was an overcast day so the sky is mostly boring white but I liked the results.

The Ferte Allais show is almost exclusively for historical aircraft which fly slowly so you are really close to the action.

The D800+70-300 is a much better combination than the D300+18-200 that I used two years ago. It very rarely loses focus (unlike the D300) and the focussing points are flickering away in the viewfinder giving me a good idea of what I'm focussing on (in continous focussing mode letting the camera find the subject).

In the photos we have a parachutist (yes it is the right way up), a Morane-Saulnier, Zero, a host of P6's and Zeros and a P38 Lightning

[wfooshee]

I have never seen a Lightning in flight, and I want to so bad! (so badly, getting the adverb correct if you're anal about English...)

There was one here many years ago at a show, but I was unable to be there, having something out of town that weekend.

Your DX-mode with the 70-300 is about the same as my D7000 and 70-300 from last fall's Blue Angels show. 1400 frames shot and not a single focus error! I studied the manual carefully for a couple of days before the event to learn about focus-tracking, and then tried it on some things around and about, so I was ready when I got to the show.

Thanks for posting. This year is going to be rough on American air show meets, as neither the Blue Angels nor the Thunderbirds are flying due to budget moronicness in D.C, so I don't expect to get my 2 or 3 shows that I usually get during the year.

[Franglais]

This is the Red Bull Lightning, which I believe is based in Germany. I first saw it over Budapest on 1st May. Quite a big aircraft..

Some jet planes were allowed. The Navy is recruiting. A Rafale Marine flies very prettily at low speed when simulating a carrier landing.

Two Junkers, a Spitfire Mark 19..