The LIMA Airshow: March 2013

Saturday 30 March 2013

LIMA 2013 DAY 5

Cloud cover: 3 oktas in the morning
3 oktas in the afternoon

Well, it's finally rolled around- the last day of LIMA, after which the MIEC will be quiet for another two years.

The weather was just intense- hardly any rain apart from a few drops on Day 2, and UV levels into unbelievable zones.

The cloud, too- was mostly kind- many days had just 2-3 oktas of cloud cover, though heavy clouds had a tendency to form over the hill line at the rear of Sites A, B and C in the afternoon. Still, there are ways around that.

The morning display was viewed from Site A. The weather was a bit more overcast than yesterday, but still very good. Light levels were awesome.

The morning display sequence was as follows:

Kris Sakti
F-18 Super Hornet
Smokey Bandits
Gripen
Team Jupiter
Typhoon

In the afternoon, the following aircraft displayed:

C-17
Smokey Bandits
Kris Sakti
Rafale
Russian Knights
Su-30MKM

I think the quality of the light on the last afternoon was just spectacular- the pictures bear this out, and the steady improvement till the final day was just as in LIMA 2011. Amazing. Makes you want to stay on Langkawi as long as you can. I think when I finally post the photo gallery for this afternoon's display, the results will be the prettiest of the 7 displays.

The Russian Knights put on an unforgettable 25-minute display, and the day ended with the RMAF Su-30MKM weaving its powerful magic. The afternoon display went on for almost two hours of sheer pleasure.

Some highlights:

LIMA 2013- Smokey Bandits


LIMA 2013- Gripen

LIMA 2013- Gripen

LIMA 2013- C-17

LIMA 2013- Team Jupiter

LIMA 2013- Russian Knights

LIMA 2013- RMAF Sukhoi-30 MKM

The Su-30 MKM Cobra Maneuver:

There wasn't a massed flyby by massed RMAF assets, as in LIMA 2011, to close the show. Nonetheless, the power of the SU-30MKM as the final flying display participant never fails to leave a lasting impression.

I was pretty tired after the 5 days at LIMA, and turned in early. I do not think I will stand by the fence tomorrow to watch the departures- instead. I have arranged to go on a boat trip to explore the Kilim Karst Geopark Region in the NE of the island, which is the part as far away from the LIMA site as you can get. I trust the weather will hold up, after the glorious dry days over the LIMA period.

UPDATE:

Complete photo galleries have now been posted:

LIMA Airshow 2013 Site A Photo Gallery 30-3-13 1000-1115h
http://www.mediafire.com/?v30cr677i4mym
LIMA Airshow 2013 Site E Photo Gallery30-3-13 1425-1515h
http://www.mediafire.com/?icul0c6ss034l

Friday 29 March 2013

LIMA 2013 DAY 4

Cloud cover: 3 oktas in morning
2-3 oktas in afternoon

Wow. What a day. So many things came together to make it just right. The day started off sunny and cloudless, and it remained so during the morning display at Site A. This is really what one comes to LIMA for! The lighting was also a lot better, starting at 1000h.

This was the first of the two days with two air displays, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

After the morning display, I transited to the MIEC from Site A, and there was a traffic jam 2 km long. I didn't remember this happening in 2011...

The day became hotter and hotter, and some clouds built up over the Langkawi hills. More worrying was the low/medium cloud over Bukit Cengkuan, and the heat haze. (This was, however, nowhere near as critical as on my first foray there on Day 2).

Luckily, this vanished as the afternoon air display progressed. This was the scene at the end of the display, and you know who the die-hards really are.

"We laugh at sunburn".

The crowd control was not the best, as the crowd line kept creeping forwards, to be driven back when some PASKAU guys barked commands...

How the crowd line should be

When PASKAU turns around, the crowd cranes forward for a better look.

Unfortunately, the clouds blocked some of the Russian Knights display, which was early on in the afternoon. If they had taxied just a half hour later, things would have been just perfect.

Russian Knights at LIMA 2013

The Jupiter team displayed, too, and put up a spirited show.

Team Jupiter at LIMA 2013

Whatever it was, this was a near-perfect day for photography, blue skies and everything. Some more highlights:

RMAF Su-30 MKM at LIMA 2013

Dassault Rafale at LIMA 2013

F-18 Super Hornet at LIMA 2023

Gripen in full flight

RTAF Gripen at LIMA 2013

C-17 at LIMA 2013

Smokey Bandits at LIMA 2013

Eurofighter Typhoon at LIMA 2013

Kris Sakti at LIMA 2013

C-17 flypast video:

C-17 landing:

The thankless job of FOD patrol

Morning display sequence:

Kris Sakti
Gripen
Su-30 MKM
Smokey Bandits
Rafale
Typhoon

Afternoon display sequence:

Russian Knights
C-17
Team Jupiter
F-18
Smokey Bandits

The display sequence for Saturday should be similar. Sadly, LIMA draws to a close tomorrow, with departures on Sunday. The sunburn will vanish. The memories, however, will remain in the form of the images captured. That is what spotting is all about.

But tomorrow is another day. May the light be the best!

UPDATE:

Complete photo galleries have now been posted:

LIMA Airshow 2013 Site A Photo Gallery 29-3-13 1000- 1115h
http://www.mediafire.com/?radh91zuxbrnc
LIMA Airshow 2013 Site D Photo Gallery 29-3-13 1430-1615h
http://www.mediafire.com/?le928ys6do7a7

Thursday 28 March 2013

LIMA 2013 Day 3

Cloud cover: 4 oktas, mainly thin high cloud.

Just the one display today, which went off pretty much on time between 1230h - 1400h. I went to Site B.

Weather: Blazing hot. Plenty of heat haze

The Smokey Bandits made their first appearance at LIMA this year, while the Jupiter team were rested.

The display sequence:

Kris Sakti
Super Hornet
Gripen
Smokey Bandits
Rafale
Russian Knights
Typhoon

Just 7 aircraft on the display list today- the only way to shoehorn the display into a 1.5 hour slot.

The weather was better than the preceding two days, though the noontime start ensured that UV levels were massive, heat haze was ever present and dehydration was always a threat.

Site B video:

I'm not posting any pictures today due to lack of time, Oh, just one, then. This is a tribute to Mr Noorsham, purveyor of the best Coconut Water at Site B- an absolute lifesaver. He was there at LIMA 2011, as well, dishing out rehydration to the huddled masses, Well, he's a sight for sore eyes on a really hot day.


LIMA 2013- Mr Noorsham at Site B

I met up with some spotters for dinner- Sascha, Stefan, Hans, Rahman and Iwan. People whose idea of fun is to travel the world to take pictures of airplanes, all essentially lamenting that airshow weather is not what it used to be before the days before global warming. We all agreed it was hard work!

I think we are all going to congregate on The Hill (Site A) at 10am on Day 4, and may the skies be blue.

Postscipt:

Got home, and am now adding some belated shots:


LIMA 2013- Kris Sakti

LIMA 2013- F-18 Super Hornet

LIMA 2013- Gripen

LIMA 2013- Russian Knights

The harsh noonday light, temperatures and heat haze present some problem in getting shots that hit you right there.

Wednesday 27 March 2013

LIMA 2013 DAY 2

Cloud cover: 6 oktas

Went to the LIMA maritime section in the morning, and was treated to a really stirring demo with the Coast Guard helicopters and the CL-415. The attendance there was not great; it should attract many more visitors.

Tough ladies passing.

Back to the MIEC for the air display. Unfortunately, it was under the midday sun (1220-1430), and it was 6 oktas as well, resulting in the worst of both worlds: enough heat and UV to fry your brains, and pictures which were, shall we say, marginal. The cloud base was pretty low in parts; the telco tower at Gunung Raya was hidden in dense low cloud.

Heavy low cloud at LIMA 2013. Killer midday heat.

What airshow photographers look for when the temperature rises

I am not a fan of these midday displays at LIMA. You really have to time your photography to ensure the aircraft passes thriugh a blue patch of sky. I am really waiting for the 1000 shows on Friday and Saturday- should be a much better time for photography, necessitating much less postprocessing.