Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX

After reading your comments on some of my photos, I had to have a look-see at your shots... And now I have a complex :(

Jokes aside, this one struck me right away - I am Spitfirephile from an early age, I am afraid incurible, and I love this shot! I would love bump into you at an airshow and just foolow you around and see how you get these gorgeous images! My hat off to you, sir!

Thanks so much Peter. There are really only two groups of people, (1) those who realize the Spitfire is the most beautiful machine created in the 20th century and (2) the ill-informed. :-) The main thing you'd learn if you followed me around is that you have to get up early. I try to sneak into airshows at dawn, before the gates open, for this type of shot. By 9:00am the good light is gone, so I go back and pay my admission, then pretty much just eat hot dogs until the engines start and it's time to get out the telephotos. When possible I then try to hang out until dusk for a few more pics. By far the best place to do this is Oshkosh, because of the variety of aircraft available, the fact that nobody minds you're on the field that early, and the several-day duration of the event which allows you to sample different weather conditions. You must go if you haven't been. The morning I took this pic felt just like the image looks: unearthly mist, total peace, and these beautiful silhouettes all around. And I had three Spitfires to choose from! (Well, of course I didn't choose; I shot them all.)

 

Thank you for the advice and your kind words, I have truly enjoyed your input on my stuff - and have definitely enjoyed your work!!! Sorry to use this space for such correspondance - this site does not seem to have a private message facility...

There is a MkIX in St. Catherines, Ont. - I saw it at an airshow in Oshawa, I am contemplating contacting the owner somehow to get some lens time with it - perhaps an owner of such a beautiful thing would be inclined to let me take some photos in exchange for prints? I suppose I'll never know if I don't try!

Unfortunately, while the camouflage is pretty well done, the squadron letters and serial number are woefully inaccurate on this fine, flying example... But I suppose its better than no Spitfire at all!

And Oshkosh is the Holy Grail of airshows, isn't it (especially for grass-roots enthusiasts, and not big business - althoug I know that is present as well) - it is definitely on my to do list, but it looks like it may have to wait a while. Oh well, perhaps it will taste all the more sweet!

Peter, I'm not aware of a Spit in St. Kitts. There is a Mk.IX in Niagara Falls with Ed Russell, coded SH-L, and a Mk.XVI in Toronto with Mike Potter, coded AU-J. I believe both paint schemes are pretty accurate. The owners probably have no shortage of photographers wanting to take pictures of their planes (see www.airic.ca for examples of Russell's Spit) but it cannot hurt to ask. You approach the warbirds with a different eye than most aviation photographers and you might just catch the fancy of the owners.

 

Or, try to get CWH to pull their loaned static Spit out on the grass for you. On the ground, it looks just as good as an airworthy one!

 

I guess I just got the wrong infor from the people handling the plane here in Oshawa - it is the SH-L MkIX. The people who own the hangar that the Spit was housed in during the show in Oshawa said it was from St. Catherines, thats why I went on with wrong information:)