Category : Pilgrim’s Chronicles

What you are observing in the image above is heated air rising from the runway and super heated air disturbed by the heated exhaust from the two jet’s engines above.  This is a condition pilots call, “Density Altitude”.  The density of the air is affected by the temperature and the altitude of the airfield.  On a hot day at any given altitude the less dense air will make take-offs longer , and climb rates, (the rate at which and airplane gains altitude), take longer as well.  As a pilot you must be very mindful of how density altitude will affect the performance of your airplane in taking off, and in your rate of climb.  While it affects all airplanes, the bigger, faster, and heavier your airplane, the more it will affect it’s performance.  When  I flew several different kinds of ultralights, all of which had great climb rates, and short take off runs,  I was less worried about density altitude, than say the pilot of a commercial airplane would be.  Never-the-less, it is a factor that will affect your flight performance, and has to be accounted for!

 

In life we also have and equivalent condition I will call it “Density Attitude”!  How many issues are bring forces to bare on you today?  Fatigue, illness, weakness, fear, anxiety, emotional pressures, financial concerns, family problems, loneliness, hopelessness?  Unfortunately that list could, and often does, go on and on!  The chances of your climbing up, above, your concerns is a factor of your faith.  Please let me draw an illustration.  Have you ever taken off in a commercial flight and experienced a lot of shaking, bumps, and sensations of being pushed around the sky?   That is called turbulence and it is most often caused by unstable moving, air pockets and wind shifts.  It usually dissipates when you climb above the clouds, but not always. When it does smooth out it means you’ve climbed to an altitude where the air is more stable.  In life God desires for you to fly (live) at an altitude (attitude) that is stable.  This is where faith comes in.  Life, no one’s life, is without turbulence, we all have fears, concerns, and problems to deal with.  The faith walk is when we recognize what we are dealing with, make what ever corrective actions we can, and then put our plane, (lives) in autopilot, (trusting God with what we can not fix ourselves.)!  Sometimes, we can deal with small problems and daily frustrations by simply remembering what He has taught us through the word, sometimes we can clearly see that a problem is bigger than we can deal with.  That is when He wants us to let go of the controls and trust Him!

 

When I was being trained to fly ultra-light airplanes, my instructor observed one day that I was gripping the control bar with a white knuckle intensity.  He reached forward and removed my hands from the controls.  He told me over the intercom, “trust the plane.”  The kind of plane I was flying was stable even with your hands off the control bar, in fact it was in calm circumstances, more stable without my control inputs. I was several thousand feet above the ground with a single seat belt on and could look straight down between my legs, it was scary, but over time I learned that I could trust the plane!   Over time we also come to know we can trust in Him.  When He promised us that He would never leave us, or forsake us, He meant it!  He won’t forget or get to busy to keep that promise.  He always knows where you are, what you are facing, and what the answer is for your circumstances, and He’s already working it out!!!!  That’s if you are trusting in Him.  He can’t (won’t) take over until you let go!!!

 

Give your life a break and the chance to be a wonderful flight, develop the right Density Attitude, Trust in Him! He’s more than up to the challenge!!!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

We hear a lot about resolution, mega pixels, pixel density, and sharpness, but the quality that I want the most is Gradation.  Gradation in color, a gradual change between hues, tones, or shades!  For me the most important quality of a sensor and lens is this critical property.  Images that come from cameras that have this extremely important quality produce images that just “have that look!”  A look of smoothness and richness.  It is a function of the sharpness, the lack of noise, and the smoothness of tones.  My very favorite cameras have this wonderful quality, and almost nothing looks as good as an image from such a camera.  I shot some great stuff today that I’m not allowed to show until later in the week.  I did however get to see a beautifully restored Mig 21.  It was a great  subject to test the 24 mega-pixel D7100!

I’ve been getting more and more fond of this camera, it is one of the few I’ve used that has both resolution and gradation to do this kind of work.  I test cameras to determine if they have this sterling quality and so far it is a precious few that exhibits it.

 

If you want to test a camera for gradation, photograph any smooth surface like a waxed car, or motorcycle, or a freshly painted airplane skin.  If the light shows the range of tones, you can see if the camera you are testing has this quality.  I hope it does!  My favorite cameras all do, in fact that’s why they are my favorite cameras!!

 

Below is a 100% crop of the above file.  Notice how smooth the tones are between the folds in the tail!

 

 

Should get to shooting some airplanes tomorrow, thanks for your patience!

 

Blessings,

 

 

the pilgrim

 

 

 

Of the cameras I’ve used or tested, the ones that have eliminated the Optical Low Pass Filter are usually the best, the Nikon D800e, the new D7100, and the Fuji X-Trans cameras.  That extra margin of smoothness seems to go along with that unobstructed path of light to the sensor.  Other cameras also have nice gradation, but these lead the parade of those I’ve tested.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tired but happy!  After driving all day from Corbin to St. Augustine, I got to spend the evening with my son Scott,     his wife Diane and my their family, my grandchildren, above, Ben and Hannah!  I was worn out from the eleven hour drive, but being with then brought me back to life!!

 

 

It was great to be with all of them!  Sunday morning I had breakfast with them and then headed for Lakeland for the set-up for Sun n’ Fun. I stopped at Fantasy of Flight for about and hour to shoot a few images and to stretch my legs before going on into Lakeland.  This trip, I’ve shot there a number of times, I tried to concentrate on smaller details than the planes themselves.  Hope you enjoy the results!

 

 

 

 

 

Get ready for a week of aviation related images!  This is one of my favorite assignments, sweetened by the fact I’m not at the Masters!!!!  Not my favorite assignment!!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

On the run today, headed to Sun n’ Fun, America’s second larget air show, and then on to Photoshop World!  Lots to share this coming week, up at O:Dark Thirty tomorrow to drive to St, Augustine and then on to Lakeland Sunday a.m.  Covet your prayers, and promise to report in each day!!

 

Sorry this is so brief, but I’ll do better later!

 

Blessings,

 

the Pilgrim