| How its done . . . . behind the scenes . . |
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| Most orders are phoned in and the target identified verbally. Decades of flying around the area really helps me with locating the targets . Each target is then located on the DeLorme street level mapping system in my laptop PC, while still in my hangar office.. On flight day, the laptop PC , along with the camera equipment, are loaded into the airplane. Flights are scheduled for the next " good" day which means about 2 or 3 flights per week. |
| This mapping system is linked to a dedicated GPS ( global positioning system) receiver , and provides a true " moving " map display for use while in the airplane. This map also locates all controlled airspace, airports, obstructions, and other aviation data. And when the flight is complete, each target's location is geo-coded for archiving on the same mapping system. ( shown at right ) Tampa Bay area boasts 2 international airports, 13 general aviation airports, and McDill Air Force Base, all in a 30 mile ring around Tampa. Maneuvering in this airspace is a constant challenge involving the air traffic controllers, commercial airline traffic, general aviation traffic and, of course, the weather. The laptop is mounted in a special rack in the cockpit to provide all necessary information for the photo flight. |
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Weather is an important factor as atmospheric conditions have a significant impact on the quality of any aerial photo. |
Weather conditions are available from many sources, including web based ' live ' conditions at the target area. This is done at my office just prior to the flight. High humidity, turbulence, and shadow producing clouds all contribute to poorer quality photos. Sunny skies, a low dew point, and little or no wind produce the best possible photos. |
Once over the target area, I will maneuver the airplane for the best shots considering the customers use of the photos. The right combination of altitude, distance from the target, speed, and bank angle will help determine the outcome of the pictures. These conditions, combined with the camera equipment, film, settings, ,weather, and the sun angle will also make the difference between mediocre and really good shots. |
 The airplane is quite stable and will tolerate, for extended times, the actual shooting, looking for air traffic, and communication with ATC, all hands off ! An auto pilot is installed which , among other things, can hold the plane in a constant bank turn. Most shots are oblique and shot through the special port in the side window. Altitude ,distance from the target, and the angle of the camera/aircraft will all determine the " look" of the picture. Experience is the only sure method of getting the combination just right.
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 The vertical shots are made through a special opening port in the belly with the camera installed into a special rack. This rack will allow the camera to be adjusted for cross wind corrections as the aircraft must be " crabbed" into the cross wind in order to maintain a straight path across the ground. Thus, progressive shots can be aligned from shot to shot |
 A 5 " video monitor is installed in the cockpit and fed from a camera mounted under the left wing. This provides a " live " view of the target area, as such is not visible from the cockpit. Vertical images are taken using the monitor and a remote shutter release. 35 mm negatives are then processed for delivery to my customer.
The digital images may be reviewed in flight and stored |
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