Above: not a scheduled visitor at Okęcie, but an aircraft that's been here before; Armavia's Bombardier Regional Jet CRJ200 (EK20014). If you click to enlarge, you'll see Armenian script on the lower front fuselage; exotica indeed (it says
Արմավիա - Armavia). The airline has only recently launched its Yerevan-Warsaw service, which flies Mon-Tue-Sun and is usually served by an Airbus A319. So this sighting's a rarity.
Spotter's bonus: just before the Armenian plane's arrival, some Polish-registered general aviation over our garden (
below). Beechcraft Super King Air SP-DSA coming in to land.
Today I started shooting RAW format photos (rather than JPEGs). These need to be processed in Lightroom before going to Photoshop for cropping and final processing as low-res JPEGs, but the difference in quality is appreciable. JPEGs of aircraft are too contrasty; detail is lost in the undersides. From a RAW (or 'NEF' as Nikon's proprietary version of the format is called), you can extract more shadow and highlight detail. Uses up more disk space, but I'm happier with the results. Aircraft photos will be shot in RAW henceforth.
Above: Polish Air Force PZL M-28TD.
Below: KLM Cityhopper Embraer ERJ190-100 PH-EZL
Below: my favourite jet airliner flying daily into Okęcie - the Avro RJ85 (this one operated by Brussels Airlines). A reasonable fine-weather weekend's spotting without having to leave my garden.
Above: not a scheduled visitor at Okęcie, but an aircraft that's been here before; Armavia's Bombardier Regional Jet CRJ200 (EK20014). If you click to enlarge, you'll see Armenian script on the lower front fuselage; exotica indeed (it says Արմավիա - Armavia). The airline has only recently launched its Yerevan-Warsaw service, which flies Mon-Tue-Sun and is usually served by an Airbus A319. So this sighting's a rarity.
Spotter's bonus: just before the Armenian plane's arrival, some Polish-registered general aviation over our garden (below). Beechcraft Super King Air SP-DSA coming in to land.
Above: Polish Air Force PZL M-28TD. Below: KLM Cityhopper Embraer ERJ190-100 PH-EZL
Below: my favourite jet airliner flying daily into Okęcie - the Avro RJ85 (this one operated by Brussels Airlines). A reasonable fine-weather weekend's spotting without having to leave my garden.
That's some pretty snazzy shooting there.
ReplyDeleteWhy did the Armavia flight switch and use the Bombadier and not the Airbus? Is this a one-off thing, or a chartered flight?
Now this makes me want to go to Armenia.
No idea why the switch. (Spotters at Lotnictwo.pl clueless too.)
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, flying to Armenia is quite a cool idea, especially since return flights seem to start at $305.
You post made me really want to go there. I looked up flights in the off season (September, October, etc.) It looks like a roundtrip ticket is around $350. Shit's so cash.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the four-engines on the RJ85 are a bit of a mystery. It seems that a plane of that size would be better served with two, albeit larger, engines. Unless, they're aiming for noise control and not really gas savings. Maybe?