FighterControl

Hi all,

I am opening this new topic to collect some info on NATO Days 2015 in Ostrava from anyone who has attended. I am from Malta and I have attended RIAT 2014, but I would like to attend a different airshow next year and NATO Days is top of the list at the moment. I am still 16 years old so it's quite worth it for me to attend Ostrava and I do not want to spend so much money due to the fact that I have bought a new Canon 70D with the 100-400 USM lens.

The airshow without a doubt has some interesting visitors every year. All I want to know is:
1) Are the lighting conditions any good for photos?
2) Is the display line far from the crowd line, hence is the 100-400 USM lens good for photos?
3) Do you know of any locations to take photos of arrivals and flying aircraft, all with good light please?

Thanks all, I appreciate your help!

Regards,
Shaun

hi Shaun,

Here's a few pointers based around experience from the last few years - hopefully the set up will stay as is this year. I am assuming you will have a car as transport. The reference points will work with Google maps, and you can create your own co-ords for the satnav if you want from here. The 100-400 with the crop factor on your body should be ok for most situations.

Practise on Friday. We park here - 49.694892, 18.101569 - on the edge of Albrechtičky. Some of the surrounding roads get closed but it is easy enough to get here in the car. The earlier you arrive the better parking spot you will get.

Then walk here - 49.701175, 18.112272 - the field can be muddy so decent boots are beneficial. You can decide where you want to stand in this field to suit the sun position which is ok. Your lens will be ok for here. The locals use stepladders to get above the perimeter fence here for landing shots towards the runway.
Some of the displays come directly over your head here, (tactical displays).

You can also use this spot during the show days, as it is probably the best overall spot for flying displays. You can park as above, (get there very early), or walk around from the inside the show, (which is free entry). The flying display line is across (at 90 degrees) to the runway and there are exclusion zones for safety which are patrolled by security.

Show days - the main car park is on the opposite side of the runway to the show side. You can stay here 49.702274, 18.123218 next to the car - if you have step ladders you can get above the fencing and get taxying shots, take offs and landings if they are using runway 22. (The light is ok for this). The flying shots here can be ok, but the sun is tricky much of the time.

The public access path between the car park and the show ground goes under the flight path of 22, so you can also stand there if you wish. Roughly about here - 49.706922, 18.128707.

The display aircraft ramp is here - 49.684335, 18.099669 - not sure how close you can get to this. If 22 is in use nearly all display aircraft taxy past the airport terminal and alongside the car park so if you have more than one day at the show it is worth a day here. The flying shots here can be ok, but the sun is tricky, much of the time.

Inside the show ground you can get the statics and the vehicle displays, but the light is tricky for the flying displays here.

There were also a fair number of people viewing the show from some of the hangars and possibly the airport terminal - not sure about access to these places.

HTH - cheers..