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