A view from the air

I watched a programme last night that I had recorded at the weekend – it was Top Gear’s James May’s documentary on man’s trips to the moon, and it built up to him taking a flight in a U2 spy plane which can take its two occupants to the upper reaches of the atmosphere, where above you can see the blackness of space and below you can see the curvature of the earth.  As they flew at a height of 70,000 feet, the presenter was almost lost for words realising that the only people higher than them were the crew of the International Space Station

Most of us will only ever get to about 35,000 feet or so, which is about the highest altitude that commercial airplanes cruise at.  I’ve done that on occasion of course, but there’s usually not a whole lot to see apart from expanses of cloud.  It’s often only when you get much much lower in an aircraft that there is something to look at out the window, and I always love that part of the flight after take off or before landing when you’re flying over the city you have just left, or are about to visit.

Coming back from Meribel last January, after a successful skiing trip, I had remembered to have my camera to hand before the seat belt sign illuminated, and as we flew over the coast of Wales and in towards Dublin, I was happily snapping through the window, and indeed in the cabin.

There was a bit of a haze outside until we got right down over Dublin, and just before we landed I took this photograph of Corballis golf course, just to the east of the airport.

I was actually surprised to get this shot in any way sharp – bearing in mind the speed the plane was travelling at, and that I used a 150mm focal length which would be unforgiving of any movement.  I consciously tried to pan with the subject, in as much as that was possible, and fired off  a burst of shots in quick succession to boost my chances.  For fast moving subjects, that plan of attack usually pays dividends.

If I ever do get to 70,000 feet (though I’m not sure I’d survive the training process that James May had to endure), I’ll be sure to bring my camera.  It might be interesting to see what Corballis golf course looks like from the edge of space.