FighterControl

This is my very first photo. T-39A 61-0685 of 17AF photographed at Soesterberg March 10th 1965.

Isn't it an idea that FC members make this a thread where they post their first photo? The first pictures are normally not the ones we are very proud of but it is an important one because it was the start of a (great) collection or even a fantastic hobby. However, it should not be a competition who started first imho.

Soesterberg March 1965. T-39A 61-0685 by arnold booy, on Flickr

I think this is a very good idea for a thread and will attempt to find a suitable photo from the first film I took @ Finningley's Battle of Britain display in the early '60s with Dad's box Brownie.

Excellent idea and a nice shot, they certainly looked better in that scheme than when they were camouflaged. Sadly my first show, which was Biggin Hill At Home Day in 1968, I didn't have a camera. The following year at Biggin Hill Air Fair, I did have a rather ancient camera passed down to me and I did take some shots in black and white of some of the static, but I have no idea where exactly they are now. They might be buried up in the attic somewhere, but I remember it was mostly Fleet Air Arm aircraft such as the Phantom, Sea Vixen, Wasp, Wessex and Sea King. I still have a partial log though.

It wasn't a Box Brownie but still a plastic 120 size film one - The Kodak 127 Brownie
Taken during a day off school to go flying with the ATC squadron in 1962
This Chipmunk was used to explain how to get into an aircraft while strapped to a seat parachute etc. (NOT an easy task!!)
One of my earliest scans ever, (from the print) the image has been worked on many times to get a useable version

7706M DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 ex WB584 by eLaReF, on Flickr

Ah yes the "waddling duck" look - not at all easy to walk never mind climb into a Chipmunk! This frame is still around in Carlisle museum I believe.

Nighthawke wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 14, 2021 10:32 am

Ah yes the "waddling duck" look.

For those who have no idea what we are talking about, your parachute is strapped to your bum with a 5-point harness.

The chute is laid out in a 'chair' and you sit in it and an erk would fit the 5 straps and pull them tight. (Very)
So standing up straight is now impossible.
You are expected to walk out to the plane (The waddling duck' look) where you are then presented with the obstacle of climbing onto the wing.
Once there, you then have to get over the cockpit wall and when you finally sit down, your parachute is in the hole where a seat would be and you are sitting on it.
The next 'erk' would then fit another 5 point harness, to strap you to the plane, and tighten each strap by putting his foot against the cockpit rail and giving a heave. Breathing and moving is now very difficult!
But when you are upside-down doing aerobatics (my first flight) it's actually quite comfy!

I remember seeing that T-39 numerous times - assigned to the 7030th Combat Support Wing at Ramstein when the shot was taken.

Great idea for a thread but unfortunately I can't contribute as my early efforts at photography were terrible. These were of B-47's at Greenham Common in 1961 using a Brownie127. A combination of bad results and cost of film made me give up - now of course, I bitterly regret it.

127's were useless for anything far away certainly. But with only 12 shots in film (or 8?) I took a lot more care getting a good picture

Nowadays I would photoshop out the Mini wing from this 1964 shot though

XF797 Hunting Percival P-66 Pembroke C.1 msn PAC/66/77 by eLaReF, on Flickr

The first military picture in my collection: 20 '312-BH' Noratlas French AF support for the Patrouille de France. Scanned from a Boots slide, taken at Biggin Hill 18th May 1973, I was 15:

20 '312-BH' Noratlas French AF by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

Great idea for a thread ....

F3 wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:43 pm

I think this is a very good idea for a thread and will attempt to find a suitable photo from the first film I took @ Finningley's Battle of Britain display in the early '60s with Dad's box Brownie.

Mid 60's Biggin Hill for me with a Box Brownie, I must still have the pics somewhere.

The oldest surviving military photos in my collection date to the RAF Abingdon Battle of Britain at home day 1982, I would have been 13. I had been photographing military and civil aircraft with my parent's camera for probably 7-8 years previously (mainly Greenham Common Air Tattoos, SBAC Farnborough and Heathrow in the '70's), but to my knowledge none of those efforts survive today.
Argentine Army Bell UH-1H AE-413 having been impressed in to Army Air Corp service during the Falklands conflict.
AE-413 Bell UH-1H Iroquois by Neil Brant, on Flickr

Lakenheath airshow on the 2nd August 1975, 48 TFW F-4D 66-7456 landing after it's display.

19750802_66-7456 F-4D 48 TFW by John Varley, on Flickr

Good challenging shot for your first attempt!

My first at KLu open day at a foggy Gilze-Rijen in june 1977:

One of the earliest photos I can find(sure there are earlier ones but not a clue where they are) My first Air Day at St Mawgan in 1975.

140999 C-131 US Navy Aug 1975 St Mawgan by Andy Bird, on Flickr

This is mine of PA474 at my local General Aviation aerodrome's annual airshow. Staverton Air Day, Gloucester. I believe this is 1985??? when I was 13 years old, but wonder if anyone can confirm. Any help with the show date and the identity of the JP would be appreciated as there is very little about this show on the Net.

The camera was a 110-Cartridge and this is scanned from a 5"x3" 'basket-weave' print. The Halina-110 Auto-Flip which was the only camera the family had at that time. http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Haking_Grip-C (I got a second hand Zenit TTL 35mm for Christmas 1986).

PA474 Staverton Air Day 1985 by ACW367, on Flickr

Enjoy ACW367

Can't guarantee this was actually the first aircraft photo I ever took but it is the only survivor of my first film taken @ an airshow with my own first camera which was a deluxe version of the standard Kodak camera of the time with a built in flash on top which I think used 125 film. I was drawn to this particular subject because its all black scheme which was most unusual and warlike back then, and because it looked just like the Airfix kit. At that time before the advent of the RAF Museum historic aircraft like this were shared out around the different stations. This example is now @ Cosford.


At Homes 13 - A former Finningley resident Defiant N1671 seen in '65 is now in the RAF Museum - by Michael Britton, on Flickr

In 1969, I went with my parents to the Keiheuvel Airshow in Balen-Neet Belgium.
First time I took pictures of aircraft (with Agfa Synchro Box....) : C-119 CP-30 / OT-CBJ.

Nice Robert, for a 9 year old boy!

F3 - very interesting to see the Defiant before it reached Hendon and Cosford.