Anyone been to Manc Airport to take pictures?

stuppy

stuppy

stuppy

Permabanned
Joined
7 Nov 2002
Posts
1,656
Location
Over there
Hey,

Well now I am armed with my EOS 350D, me and a fellow friend are going to Manchester Airport to snap some images of some of the aircraft there.

I bought my first lens today. I only had 150quid to play with for my first one - and my friend has this lens and said he has got some good shots - its the Canon EF75-300mm III USM lens. A few people I have asked have said its naff, but i'm not in the position at the moment to go and spend crap loads of money on a really top notch telephoto lens.

So - we will probably head for the viewing park - but looking on Google Maps it looks to quite a fair distance to the runways. Here is what google earth says - ive drawn lines using the ruler in Google Earth to give the distances.

manc.jpg


It shouldn't be difficult to get decent shots of aircraft passing on the taxi way, but on the two runways, is my lens likely to pick any decent shots up?

Does anyone know of any other good spots closer to the runways that we could get to?
Cheers
 
75mm will be too long for some shots from the viewing park. A lot of traffic passes along the taxiway immediately in front of the AVP, under the middle 5 of your 550. A 747 on that taxiway is full frame at 50mm on a 1D MkII, you'll need wider than 40mm on a 350D for the same shot.

A 70-300mm will get you full frame shots of anything coming out of the T2 cul-de-sac and pretty much full frame shots of anything 737 sized or larger on the near runway (06L/24R). The new runway is going to be out of reach from the AVP.

The old runway is in use all day, either for takeoffs as 06L in which case all the traffic will taxi past the AVP or for landings as 24R in which case the smaller stuff tends to exit under your 1200ft mark ans the large stuff rolls to the end, taxiing back past the AVP. The new runway handles the opposite traffic but closes for noise reasons between 1200 and 1500 during which time the old runway handles all traffic. If your going when the new runway is operating (0800-1200 is probably best) then you can get right to the side of the airfield just about where your 3000 feet line ends. Instead of taking the turn for the AVP off the A538, keep heading for Wilmslow, go through the tunnels under both runways then left at the next roundabout. Park up somewhere out of the way (you may need to head towards the Holiday Inn). There's a gate onto a pedestrian path (not the road to the crash gate), go through this, down into the dip and up the steep bank on the other side, this will take you to one of the south side viewing mounds. You can stay there or take the path alongside the fence north towards the point at which the aircraft turn onto the new runway - some great head on shots are available there.
 
Heres a few examples of distances when I was at the viewing platform

400mm just landing at the end of the runway
1.jpg


400mm as it taxis infront of you back for parking up.
2.jpg


160mm of a Jumbo taking off
3.jpg


160mm as it Takes off
4.jpg


The EF 70 - 300 will deliver you results to be satisfied with. Go and enjoy your day.
 
All Taken from the viewing park

228327563_ef1802c449_b.jpg


228327198_426cde7bcd_b.jpg


228327401_555e73e7b3_b.jpg


228318950_5a17aa9359_b.jpg


228320536_2c04cbc9c7_b.jpg


All taken with a S2-is (432mm Zoom) - so pretty similar reach to the lens you will be using.

cmt
 
As FStop said, Urbis

Also try:

The Lowry Centre
Salford Quays
Hilton Towers
Manchester Library
Albert Square

Also non-photography related but the European Food Festival thing should still be up and running there, check out the genuine German Frankfurter stall.

Best hotdog ever. FACT.
 
Fstop11 said:
and Old Trafford. The best stadium in the land :D & team :D (might aswel if your in Salford Quays)
Click to expand...

*slaps forehead for forgetting

Just a quick idea, maybe get yourself up to the top of the new multi-storey carpark near the Printworks, quite a tall building relative to the rest and might offer a good shot.
 
Thanks for the info guys. Feel a bit better knowing I should be able to get some decent shots. Great pics btw guys :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom