The LIMA Airshow: aerial display

Showing posts with label aerial display. Show all posts

Friday, 12 April 2013

LIMA AIRSHOW 2013 PHOTO GALLERIES

The first five photo galleries are up- pertaining to the air displays on the fourth and fifth days of LIMA 2013 (which were actually the days with the best light), together with the opening ceremony where almost the entire collection of types operated by the RMAF was on show,

LIMA Airshow 2013 Site A Photo Gallery 26-3-13 0900- 0930h (Opening Ceremony)
http://www.mediafire.com/?p63pchqo8rawp

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
LIMA Airshow 2013 Site A Photo Gallery 30-3-13 1000-1115h
http://www.mediafire.com/?v30cr677i4mym
LIMA Airshow 2013 Site E Photo Gallery 30-3-13 1425-1615h
http://www.mediafire.com/?icul0c6ss034l

I shall be adding more as time permits.

Saturday, 6 April 2013

LIMA 2013 WEATHER - a Post Mortem

I must admit the biggest thing on my mind when they changed the LIMA dates from December to March was: what would the weather be like? As it was, I needn't have worried. The people at the Hotel I put up at told me it had not rained in any appreciable amounts for 3 months, and as such, a lot of grass was browned and tinder-dry, and many ponds and waterfalls had run out of water.

The weather was hot hot hot hot (too hot), and dry with clouds.

We were lucky with the clouds, too.

You really didn't want heavy overcast like this:

Out my window today, I am just seeing masses of heavy dark clouds.

The forecast of heavy thunderstorms over the weekend is the main reason I'm not trekking up to Kuantan for the Airshow there. For all those who did attend, do post up some photos!

Friday, 5 April 2013

LIMA 2013 Day 7: Departure for home

I left Langkawi on Monday 1st April. It was probably a better day to do so; I was told that the airport and ferry terminals were both jam-packed on Sunday, it being both the finish for LIMA plus the end of the weeklong school holidays.

I had a walk round Kuah Town, with a look at the seafront; it was just as pretty as I last remembered it.


The Jetty Point Shopping Centre


Add caption


Eagle Square


Kuah waterfront

Approach to Eagle Square

I decided to walk into the Lagenda Park

Unfortunately, as it was the end of the Bone-Dry season, the water features had been dried out too!

Heading back to the airport:


The welcome arch, now yesterday's news

An example of the welcome banners all throughout Langkawi

The C-17, the Omega Tanker and the Russian Knights were still on the tarmac

Last look at some beautiful machines

And them, we were off, on the journey back home.

Till LIMA 2015.

I'll be back.

Wednesday, 3 April 2013

LINKS TO LIMA 2013 AIRSHOW PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

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