[Photo] Virgin Atlantic 747-400

oscarBravo

Ever since I got my new DSLR I've been waiting for an opportunity to use it for airplane pics. Finally got my chance while on holiday in Grenada:



Click on the picture for the full-size original. I'm rather pleased with it; it was worth the sunburn while hanging around waiting for it.

Interesting to see the thrust reversers already deployed when the centre main gear has only just touched down. The runway must have been scorchingly hot - shade temperature was 31°C - hence all the tyre smoke.

pclancy

Awesome picture mate Well done! You got a great position there.

I think its pretty standard to deploy the thrust reversors as soon as the main gear touch down and bleed off speed before lowering the nose. Even the 737s that land here in Wellington do it so its not a size or runway length thing. When I land a small Cesna or Piper we're taught to keep the nose wheel off the ground for as long as possible and gently lower it down.

Foggy43

No matter what airport you go too there will always be smoke from the tires. Going from 0 to over 100 knots in a split second and how hard initial contact with the runway are the main factors behind he smoke.

oscarBravo

Sure, but this was really smokey. You could smell burning rubber quite some distance away, over a hill and down by the beach.

Deacon Blues

Beautiful strobe on the wingtip. Nice timing.

*Kol*

Air ground sensing for the T/R's is from the main gear so they wil start to deploy on touch down. Same for the ground spoilers.

bandit197

Great pic. Perfect timing. What does the IP stand for on the top of the tail and on the nose gear door?

pclancy

Its the last two digits of the aircraft's reg number, they put them on nose gear doors and sometimes the tail to allow for easy identification of which aircraft is which by airline and tech staff. Its just handier call an aircraft "India Papa" instead of G-VLIP or whatever the reg is...

bandit197

pclancy wrote: »

Its the last two digits of the aircraft's reg number, they put them on nose gear doors and sometimes the tail to allow for easy identification of which aircraft is which by airline and tech staff. Its just handier call an aircraft "India Papa" instead of G-VLIP or whatever the reg is...

Ah I see, cheers.

*Kol*

pclancy wrote: »

Its the last two digits of the aircraft's reg number, they put them on nose gear doors and sometimes the tail to allow for easy identification of which aircraft is which by airline and tech staff. Its just handier call an aircraft "India Papa" instead of G-VLIP or whatever the reg is...

Depends on the airline though. Some airlines have the same last two digits or letters asigned to them so it wont work in that case.

Silenceisbliss

oops....

I just opened the thread and a guy here in my office (at lufthansa in germany) was looking at the photo...for a rather long time standing behind me....

turns out he was looking at the baby dressed up in your avatar...oopsie...:pac:

oscarBravo

Been meaning to change that...