RDAF Merlin in the MFTA

[Ellins]

Got lucky in the end and caught this Merlin at 5pm on a Friday (how often can you do that?!)

1.
MJA_4835web by David Ellins, on Flickr

2.
MJA_4812web by David Ellins, on Flickr

3.
MJA_4774web by David Ellins, on Flickr

4.
MJA_4769web by David Ellins, on Flickr

5.
MJA_4767web by David Ellins, on Flickr

6.
MJA_4762web by David Ellins, on Flickr

7.
DSC_2795-2web by David Ellins, on Flickr

8.
DSC_2775web by David Ellins, on Flickr

9.
DSC_2765web by David Ellins, on Flickr

10.
DSC_2752web by David Ellins, on Flickr

11.
DSC_2741web by David Ellins, on Flickr

12.
DSC_2715web by David Ellins, on Flickr

Thanks for looking.

[IanH]

Fabulous set Dave. Perseverence paid off

[Rotörhead]

Top notch!

[Scuba 11]

Nicely caught, well worth the wait

[anthony martin]

Cracking shots,not much in the way of markings has it !

[Supra]

In answer to your question....Got lucky in the end and caught this Merlin at 5pm on a Friday (how often can you do that?!)
Pretty much never! Excellent shots like these are generally the product of advanced butt kissing for a set-up IMHO, but hey ho they're very good & well worth the chapped lips?:D

[paddyboy]

Top shots, David

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

[Ellins]

In answer to your question....Got lucky in the end and caught this Merlin at 5pm on a Friday (how often can you do that?!)
Pretty much never! Excellent shots like these are generally the product of advanced butt kissing for a set-up IMHO, but hey ho they're very good & well worth the chapped lips?:D

Well, I can hand on heart honestly say these weren’t a setup. It was simply a case of see where they went in the morning sortie and then hope they did the same route in the afternoon with no “butt kissing” or even talking to any crew. Sometimes you can just get lucky.

[The Wrong Trousers]

Great shots there.
Where is that, out of interest ?

[Pune]

Great shots there.
Where is that, out of interest ?

Excellent question, where on Earth is MFTA?

[Supra]

Well, you were indeed lucky & made the most of the opportunity. The heads-up from the outsiders @ RAF Valley must've bolstered your tenacity to remain there on a late Friday afternoon? Stranger things can happen, C-17 low-level over the lakes on a Saturday??
"MFTA" , C'mon boyz. Just put Wales behind the acronym to avoid Googling the Moroccan Free Trade Agreement & you get 'Mountain Flying Training Area' in Snowdonia.

[Ellins]

Well, you were indeed lucky & made the most of the opportunity. The heads-up from the outsiders @ RAF Valley must've bolstered your tenacity to remain there on a late Friday afternoon? Stranger things can happen, C-17 low-level over the lakes on a Saturday??
"MFTA" , C'mon boyz. Just put Wales behind the acronym to avoid Googling the Moroccan Free Trade Agreement & you get 'Mountain Flying Training Area' in Snowdonia.

Outsiders at Valley? They were still on the scanner so there was no point in leaving whilst they were still around. SPTA doesn’t get spelt out and MFTA is used in its abbreviatied form on here too but as you say. Location wise it was in and around the Tryfan area.

[Duane Hewitt]

Great bunch. Angle of the second one is awesome.

[SW Sky Blue]

Nice Set

[The Wrong Trousers]

Well, you were indeed lucky & made the most of the opportunity. The heads-up from the outsiders @ RAF Valley must've bolstered your tenacity to remain there on a late Friday afternoon? Stranger things can happen, C-17 low-level over the lakes on a Saturday??
"MFTA" , C'mon boyz. Just put Wales behind the acronym to avoid Googling the Moroccan Free Trade Agreement & you get 'Mountain Flying Training Area' in Snowdonia.

Ah ! That explains it ! Thank you.
I didn't think it looked much like Morocco

[slogen51]

I like number 7 with a bit of spray

How many were present?

[IMarsh]

Great set of photos, love number 2.

[falconfighting]

Great work Dave - #2 and #7 especially great

[lloydh]

In answer to your question....Got lucky in the end and caught this Merlin at 5pm on a Friday (how often can you do that?!)
Pretty much never! Excellent shots like these are generally the product of advanced butt kissing for a set-up IMHO, but hey ho they're very good & well worth the chapped lips?:D

I can feel the butt hurt from here.. Never in a hobby has there been as much jealously or animosity aimed towards people who manage to get some good shots of something no one else got.



Spesh, awesome set of shots. Really glad you got them! Even with those purple clouds

[Supra]

Lloyd, I'm very happy for anybody who puts in the effort, research, planning & plain dedication to achieve exceptional shots of different & unique compositions. Indeed your own shots are amongst my favourite to view.
It would however not be the first time by far that a contributor has alluded to 'right place/right time' when it was an acknowledged set-up! That's just bullsh*t. Dave E has confirmed it was a lucky break & that's fine by me. Dave most certainly should've got a Lottery ticket on the way home as it was clearly his day. I may have mistook Dave's gratitude for the 'Heads-up' from Gareth (GWJPhantom) as assistance from the other side of the fence at valley?
In my first post, I commented that however achieved, it was an excellent set. Jealous...No, Anomosity...None. Impressed... Yes!