On the road with Sagar

blueangel_78 · 12-10-2007, 12:31 AM

Hey Guys,
I know you were just asking yourselves, what's Sagar been up to?

Well, I've been away all of November shooting some really cool stuff, and I just thought I'd share some of those images with you.
After months of phone calls, emails, and background checks, I was ready to begin an adventure of a lifetime.
First I spent a week in Las Vegas to attend the US Air Force's 60th Anniversary at Nellis AFB. A showcase of the finest aviation aircraft from rare vintage planes to modern military hardware was on display.
Horizontal Rain, Imagery by Sagar N. Pathak
Then I flew to North Carolina to go aboard a KC-135 Refueler from the 916th ARW based at Seymour Johnson AFB as we met up with a pair of F-16's from Shaw AFB. As usual, the Backy boys were rock solid and got me the shots I needed!
Horizontal Rain, Imagery by Sagar N. Pathak
After that flight, the 4th FW at SJ AFB hosted me for a base visit to photograph their F-15E Strike Eagles. Thanks for the hospitality guys!
Horizontal Rain, Imagery by Sagar N. Pathak
The following day, thanks to the PAO and Wing Commander of the 916th ARW, I was able to go out to Pope AFB and shoot the reserve C-130's and A-10's. Once we got that flight line photo pass all squared away, it was smooth sailing.
Horizontal Rain, Imagery by Sagar N. Pathak
And that wasn't the end of it. From North Carolina, I jetted down to San Diego to fly out to an aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan to shoot Carrier Air Wing 14 carrier qualifications. Yup! I actually got to land and take off from an aircraft carrier!!!

"PASSWORD 22, 3/4 of a mile, call the ball."
Horizontal Rain, Imagery by Sagar N. Pathak
Hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I did taking them! And a very extra special thanks to all the PAO folks who helped me get these images. You know who you are!!!!

Without you incredible guys and gals, none of this would be possible. Thank you very much for the opportunity to show off the fine organizations you represent.
And keep any eye out in the next couple of month on the aviation mags, and you'll see some of these shots in them.

Or if you can't wait that long, head down to your favorite Bay Area aviation museum.

Cheers!
~Sagar

D-AIHC · 12-10-2007, 09:21 AM

Wow, amazing! No words can described the priceless shots you've just shared with us except a big huge "Thank You"!

BTW, were the F-15Es still grounded when you took the shots?

champpitbull2 · 12-10-2007, 10:26 AM

Those pictures are very immpressive to say the least. The pics of the F-22 are the best pictures I've seen of that plane so far. Which magazines will your pictures be in?

blueangel_78 · 12-10-2007, 09:22 PM

Hey Guys! Thanks for the kind words and check out my stuff. Always think of you guys as I'm finishing up my projects since I know you enjoy the planes.

Yeah, the F-15's were all grounded. A sore subject w/ me cuz I was originally supposed to photograph a flight of 6. I 'owned' them for 10 minutes and could pose them as I wanted to. It was all briefed and set. Echelon Left, transition to echelon right and shoot them in trail during the transiton. Line abreast formation. Then move off the wing in a stacked ecehelon formation. Then one my one, peel off and show me the belly. Ahhhhhh what could have been.

D-AIHC · 12-10-2007, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueangel_78

Ahhhhhh what could have been.

No worries, Sagar! I can only hope you will have another opportunity like that but with the F-22As, instead of F-15Es.

blueangel_78 · 12-11-2007, 02:09 AM

Hey Solis! Well, it's a very frustrating experience. I'm shouting orders to the Boomer (the one who flys the refueling boom on the KC-135) who then relays the order to the -135 Pilot, who then relays it to the F-16 pilot. "Dash Two (the guy in back) is a bit too far in, tell him to drop back about 10m and go up about 3m"...."Ok, move aft of the plane"...."let's do single ship shots"..."Give me a 10 degree AOA (Angle of attack) and bank slightly up and to the right"..."bring it back in and try and show me the top side"....."you came in too low and the KC-135's #4 engine's jet thrust was in the shot and blurred you out. Let's try it again, but this time, stay a bit higher."...."Dash Two, you're in my frame, move in trail and stay out of my shot"...

Well, you get the idea. The key is to brief this all on the ground and go from there. With the F-15E's, it was a 4 month process. The first one to get me on the -135, the next 3 getting the 6 F-15E's into the air and all coordinated and on the same page. Once the 4th FW was on board, then I was working with a Major who was my liaison with the pilots on the mission. He and I worked out the 10 minutes that I owned them and decided what we could and couldn't do with safety in mind. It was just like any other mission, we had each maneuver planned out, diagrammed out, samples of the images I wanted to get, altitudes, angles, where Dash 2 needs to focus on his lead to make sure he's in the correct position, emergency maneuvers in case a jet has an emergency, alternate formations if you have a 5 ship or a 4 ship, etc.

Well, I'm sure it would have been a great shoot....if the damm F-15's weren't grounded. The worst part was that the F-15E's were cleared to fly only a couple of hours after my flight landed.

Hope I didn't bore you guys too much.

Cheers!
~Sagar