Emergency Air Lift

[Battou]

This is an unusual medivac. This is not Catt counties Sheriff Department Medical helo This one is. They seemed by all outward appearence to be in a rush above and beyond that of any other airlift I have ever seen. With the primary landing zone in my back yard I have seen a lot of them.

I had no advanced warning on this one other than the disteinctive audable of an incomming Helo. So I grabbed my camera and charged the door.

Shot (Handheld) with Vivitar 400mm on Canon EF, ASA 400


Taken from my pourch steps as the Helo passed over the house at about ninty miles an hour.

After grabbing that and another one from the back yard (posted seperately) I ran over to the landing aria. I was politely asked to not photograph the patient, so there are no loading photos.

New - 11/24
Taken with Canon FD 100-200 on Canon EF, ASA 400 (uncropped full frame)


New - 11/24
Taken with Canon FD 100-200 on Canon EF, ASA 400


Taken with Canon 100-200 on Canon EF, ASA 400


Taken with Canon 100-200 on Canon EF, ASA 400 (uncropped full frame)


I do not believe the patient survived as after lift off less than a mile out the helo just stopped and sat there for a few minuets and then procceded off slowly.

I have more from this set, but wile I debate on what ones if any to finish processing here are these.

...oops, I forgot to dust process the last one, I'll get to that as time permits.

[TPF Sponsor]

[LaFoto]

Wow, what drama to be happening right behind your house! And it happens OFTEN, you say???

I understand why they asked you not to photograph the patient.
Sure you did, too.

The second is the one I like best.

[Battou]

Wow, what drama to be happening right behind your house! And it happens OFTEN, you say???

Yes, right outback, granted there is technically a building between me and the actual landing zone but I can see the site from my kitchen window. Yes Often enough to the point where I have had multiple oppertunities and photos of three disteinctivly different helos and now this will technically make a fourth different chopper. and by disteinctivly I mean overall paint scheme, not just different registry numbers. I have shots of two different Mercy Flight of Western New York birds as well as the Starflight linked above.

I understand why they asked you not to photograph the patient.
Sure you did, too.

Yeah, had they not asked I would have, but the Fire department staff who come and asked did so appropriately and I did understand there where reasons. So I complied with out question.

The second is the one I like best.

I'm personally more fond of the last one, in my eyes it is the perfect shot. Despite the tilted horizon (visible by the factory in the distance) one can see the absolute haste they where in. They got up far enough from the ground so as to not hit the ground, dropped the nose and where accelerating where as normally they get a fifty to a hundred feet get their bearing and go.

[Battou]

I have added a couple of images to the original post...and it now dawns on me I screwed up the one (fourth) and need to redo it .

Nothing more?

[AdamBomb]

Man, I May have my AE-1 and FD 100-200 out and go play!

[Battou]

Man, I May have my AE-1 and FD 100-200 out and go play!

A great many people underestimate the quality of FD glass because it is discontinued. Well, it's not discontinued due to glass quality it's discontinued for AF in the lens that the FD mount was not very accepting to. The FD series is a perfectly capable lens you should definately use it.