KMIA 10-21-2011 - Amazing Spotting [Image Heavy]

The weather at MIA, when it is right it is perfect. Yesterday was such a day. I arrived in Miami at around 9:00pm on Thursday from Orlando. Found a cheap hotel nearby so I could start early. Got to The Holes around 7:00am and just watched the ops. The winds were from the North North West for most of the morning to a more Northerly direction until around 7:00pm so MIA was on 26/27/30 ops all day which kind of sucks for photography. Approaches are only really possible from a non official spot and even then the heat haze and the fence are ever present.

All in all, the departures from the Furniture Store spot are amazing for the heavies if they are truly heavy as you will see. Ended up taking about 40Gigs worth of pictures and had an overall great experience. Like with LAX and LAS, been to MIA a thousand times, NEVER spotted :tongue:

Here is a quick set I just randomly put together. Many many planes are missing. I wish I had taken a later flight as the KLM MD-11 was early enough to catch (usually after sundown) and the sunset was simply magnificent. For the departure, they switched ops to the correct photography-friendly side! My luck...

Great c/s
http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G0266.jpg

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G0341.jpg

Smoky engines...

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G0367.jpg

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G0588.jpg

This one was almost lined up to take off, but then called tower to return to the gate. It sat for a few hours and finally departed. Very light, was off the ground like a C-17 :mad:

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G0646.jpg

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G0494.jpg

If you like LAN, you better come to MIA... at least once per hour an LAN or LAN cargo is landing or departing

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G0667.jpg

Never seen one of these in NY, NOT!

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G0672.jpg

They don't look like this in SXM

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G1497.jpg

Even standing on top of my truck, I could not get over that darn fence... it is almost like they added that last barbed wire on top to bug us photographers. Like in Jaws, I would say: "I am gonna need a bigger truck"

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G1513.jpg

Great lift on those wings ... off the ground quick

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G1527.jpg

When this beast took off, they had to sweep the RWY before Alitalia Trip7 took off. I was told they do this everyday.

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G1547.jpg

HDR image. It looked beautiful in real life but the dynamic range of digital cameras just could not do it justice. The grass was not that green but, well, you get the idea

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G8925.jpg

I was told she left early by a bunch of guys who came out to see her depart and miss her.

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G9251.jpg

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G9140.jpg

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G9397.jpg

KMIA = Cargo Heaven. Too bad FedEx and UPS use the other side. At one point I counted 10 UPS and FedEx one after the other in the morning!

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G9423.jpg

For Brandon

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G9505.jpg

Clipped the horizontal stabilizer :frown:

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G9717.jpg

Hey Mark, what's with these birds? At one point about 10 of them were right next to my car and not really afraid of me when I came out. Started to feel like "The Birds"

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G9782.jpg

One of two AF A320's this side of the Atlantic serving the Caribbean.

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl.../O/D3G9807.jpg

What a treat seeing one of the two LAN Cargo B777 Freighters! What a beaut!

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl...O/D3G-1378.jpg

http://pictures.mannyphoto.com/Airpl...O/D3G-1408.jpg

Fantastic set Sir Manny!!! That triple 7 LAN Cargo is sweet and not to mention the variety............wow!

Thanks a lot Manny.......you just made my day of spotting at JFK feel like nothing. Hahaha..J/K Great set, you really rocked it down there. Any more to share?

WOW !!!!!!! What a set ... Just fantastic stuff, Manny !

Good stuff. It confirms why MIA is on my short list of airports to spot at!

Nice Manny!

Nice pics! I hope to make it to MIA in a year or two.

Doug

Great coverage of cargo operations at KMIA Manny.

Great shots Manny, the MD11 rotation is SWEET! Was that at 400mm?

And about the fence...it's not that they made it too tall to shoot over, the spotting gods just frowned on you and made you shorter. Muahaha I kid, I kid. Seriously though, great shots...can't wait to see the rest!!!

Thanks everyone... Mike, the Sky Lease Cargo was at 340mm on FF because I was using the 70-200mm + TC to get more flexibility as they passed in front of me. I did have the 200-400mm f/4 + TC on for a few shots earlier ... that maxes at 650mm but not great results. Remember I hate magnifying distant subjects :tongue:

Supremo set Manny, the Florida West is a beauty

Thanks Gene... I just wish they were using RWY 9 :frown: as the distance is just primo!

Holy Jeebus! Since when do the French fly 320's around Florida?
I know Iberia used to have one here.

Some of the little islands can;t fit an A340 so they use two of these to hop them around (or so I am told) :tongue:

Manny must be fun standing by the tracks spotting around runway 9... Ive been there 10 years ago when AA was still flying many 727s there and many great old ladies there. Ryan, Air France use the A320s for Haiti and Martinique from MIA for along time.. MIA was a mini hub for Iberia along time ago. When i was in MIA back in 2001, I did get shots of IB A319s there and i did recall that they used to operate DC-9-30s and MD-87 there before then..