LIMA 2015 Part 06 - Airshow - Indoors and Outdoors, and back Home [Updated 31.01.2016]

Day 2 is an awesome brand new day. We were there early that day. Let's start off with a choper parked outside, an AW-139.

Most of the aircraft were still there at the display area, albeit with a change in position, such as the A400. There was now more items around it like AC carts and some tables for merchandise. The area around dome of the jets were already barricaded, which prevented many from going near them. 

Nose of the A400. Look at the In-flight refuelling probe

Was lucky to be with one of the groups touring the A400. Managed to get a shot of the interior of the A400. Fairly spacious.

Large Cargo area of the A400

Sadly though that they restricted the access to the cockpit, so no shots there. Spent quite some time there before adjourning to the indoor display area. Trust me, it was really hot, and since we had seen most of the aircraft at the outdoor display, it was time to get indoors to enjoy the cool air-conditioned environment.

Let me find more indoor pics to fill this area.

There were quite a number of scaled models within the indoor area.

Patrol Boat Replica

Further on the other side of the display were several submarine models. 

And moving around even further (was not really keeping track of which part of the insides we were at) we had this scaled model of a militarized Saab 2000. Looks like an aerial radar platform.

Saab 2000

There is also a mockup of the leading edge of the A400's vertical stabilizer behind the model.

Yea, it is HUGE. See human for size comparison

And luck would have it that we were at the side portion of the indoor display area with windows. A sound was heard and when we looked up, we saw a greyish aircraft flying past. It was thin and long. It was now time to make a decision. Either to take that this was the final fly-by and to remain inside, OR to rush out as fast as we could and hope that there would be a second fly-by.

Being me, of course I dashed out for that golden opportunity to see IT again. It was the B-52 by the way.

B-52 with Gears down

Lighting could not have been worse with heavy backlit clouds (ugh). But a chance with this BUFF as they would call it, overcame the feeling. Snapped away.

And that was the last fly-by for the entire LIMA 2015 show. It head back after this show.

Continuing on...

The displays were similar to that of the first day, with the Sukhoi SU-30MKM, Dassault Rafale, Viper, Al-Fursan, Black Knights, Aerotree and so on.

Here are some shots that I did not quite nail on the first day.

Al-Fursan Aerobatic Team

Breaking formation

Managed to get this solo performer this round at low altitude (better prepared), the Zivko Edge 540. This is then followed by the Krisakti

Pulling a tight turn

Criss-cross

After 2 hours, the display was all over, and it was time to roam the grounds again for the last time as this was the last day we were there. Had closeups of a few aircraft before hitting the cool air-conditioned area.

USAF P-8 Poseidon

RMAF EC725AP Cougar [Larger]

And to complete the entire airshow, here is the shot of the Jets from around Asia (and France)

Su-30s, F-16s, Rafales

Well that is it for the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition 2015. It was a great trip there, with opportunities to see the A-400M (Malaysia's First A400), B-52, China's August 1st Aerobatics Team, the Al-Fursan Team, and others from Neighbouring countries. Apart from that, we managed to spot AirAsia's new liveried aircraft (Connecting Asia), as well as the interior of the Falcon 7x.

Of course, all the parked airplanes and helicopters were easily accessible (for photos) and really up close.

So here are some Key takeaways, based on my experience of the airshow, for photographers looking for information for future LIMA events:

• I used a 70-300 mm Lens for all zoom shots, on an EOS 600D (1.6x crop) body
• Solo performers may appear very small (Su-30MKM) should they be up high (even at 300)
• With such bright sunlight, set for fast shutter speed and small aperture. It is normal to have shutter speeds of 1/1250 at F 8.0
• Wide shots were done with a 10-18mm lens (set mostly at 10mm on a crop body). Good for indoor display too.
• Most of the performances will be heavily backlit if viewed from the exhibition area as you are pointing straight up.
• Could try to head to the opposite side of the runway (not tried yet), though that would necessitate a longer zoom lens
• Lens hoods are very useful against flares
• 2 fully charged batteries should be able to take you through the whole day (with minimal video)
• Have an accessible pack for your lenses should you want to change them (and you would want to change them for group performances. I did between the 70-300 and the 18-135)
• 18-135 (or similar) would be good for team aerobatic performances to capture formation breaks 
• An umbrella or a large hat with plenty of sunblock will enhance your experience (umbrella to review your shots on the LCD as with such bright sunlight, and even at maximum brightness of the LCD, you don't see much)
• Before the airshow starts, look for planes with large horizontal stabilizers as they provide a fair amount of shade
• Walk to every corner. You might find a hidden gem.
• 3-4 16GB SD cards would be fine (2-day event). 16GB at 18MP with JPG gives me about 2200 shots
• MOST IMPORTANTLY, enjoy the airshow. Remember to put away your camera once in a while to truly experience the moment. Take it in with your own eyes and ears. It will provide a better memory than the thousands of images captured.

With that said, have a great time. Here are some shots at both Langkawi and Penang Airport on my Return trip. Yes, I had to go down to Subang and back up to Penang.

Weststar B727-23(Q) (N800AK) [Larger]

YES! a 727 at LGK

Then off I wend on my flight. The next few images are from Penang International Airport. First up was Silkair's first B737-800 (9V-MGA), now back in normal colours.

Silkair B737-8SA (9V-MGA)

Silkair departing

AirAsia's 100th Awesome Plane

My ride from Subang

That's all for the LIMA Posts. Back to Penang Planespotting moments.

SSLee

LIMA 2015 Part 02 (Day 1 of Exhibition)

Kinda missed the opening ceremony by a wee bit. Arrived to see them halfway through the performance. Apparently, they had the opening flyby by the A400 and some Hawks, some Sukhois and F-18s. Managed to catch a glimpse of it, though the majority were blocked by the MIEC building. Arrived to the roaring of jets. Here are some.

F-18 popping some flares

Super Puma doing an incredible loop

Flying away after the loop

One of the best things about being there early is the ability to snap and see aircraft without being blocked by anybody. Here's a Bell 429 with alone at the exhibition area.

Got myself an ultra-wide, and really love the effect it gives. You are able to stand so close, yet still be able to cover the whole aircraft. For those of you who are thinking of it, go get it - Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM. It is light and the sharpness is very close to that of an L lens, and it is cheap. No regrets.

AirAsia Connecting ASEAN livery (9M-AHX) [Larger]

It's fun to have no barriers as you are not limited to how far or close you have to be. You could even go right below the belly of the aircraft. Sadly though, the aircraft wasn't opened for display. Would have love to get a tour up there.

Krisakti  EA-300L up close (see what ultra wide can do?? :) ) [Larger]

(M100-01)

There were quite a number of people present, most probably to witness the opening show, but still not over congested. Had time to walk around, and to get real close-up shots of the static display aircraft.

Aircraft there ranged from executive jets, to aerobatic stunt planes, to fighter jets to cargo planes. Next on the list were two Rafales, Rafale B and Rafale C, still covered up.

Dassault Rafale B (104-1C)

Not forgetting those from the neighbouring country, the Black Knights also paid a visit. 3 came but the performance was just a 2-ship performance. Here is Black Knight 1, still in the special anniversary markings from the Singapore Airshow back in 2014.

The F-16 was one of the last aircraft along this stretch during that time. What came in made me smile and grin. We arrived just as it was taxiing into the parking bay after the opening demonstration. The sound is just amazing.

Royal Malaysian Air Force A400M (M54-01) [Larger]

Obviously as soon as the engines stopped, a swarm of people gathered round the aircraft. I think they were wise not to lower the ramp completely as the aircraft would have been overwhelmed by visitors. Doors were opened, but access was not.

Belly of the Atlas

Unfortunately I did not manage to get a shot of the map of the display section like what I did during the Singapore Airshow 2014, but the layout was fairly straightforward. It was just the apron next to the runway. Here are some screen grabs from Google Earth.

Red square marks the outdoor display

Showing coverage of display with the MIEC (big white square above)

With all the shots taken, it was time to proceed (though honestly, I could have stayed the whole day there). Next up was the Maritime's Water Bomber.

Malaysian Maritime CL415 (M71-01)

Got a chance to explore the insides of the aircraft. Obviously, the first thing was to head to the front end of the aircraft, the cockpit. It was slightly elevated and had room for only the pilot and the co-pilot. A third person could stand in the walkway if they wanted to.

Cockpit shot

The water bulkhead doors are controlled by the switches you see at the tip of the steering column. Just a simple flick and gallons and gallons of water comes splashing down on the target area.

This next aircraft, CN-235 was the centre of attraction, no matter to the public or the crew. No, it is not one with special modifications or from a new operator, it was because of the portable air-conditioning system attached to the aircraft. The whole aircraft was cool and nice, which is a BIG PLUS in Langkawi's hot weather.

Another cockpit shot, CN-235 

Also had the opportunity to open the cockpit windows and waved, like some pilots do...... to passers by who have no idea of what we are doing. But regardless, something fun to do. After what seemed like only a few seconds in the cockpit (close to 20 minutes), it was time to move on. We exited via the rear cargo door ramp which was half open, before proceeding back to the main display area, where all the jets were parked. Managed to get quite close to the J10 parked there as the crew were friendly enough. 

J-10 line-up

Along the way, we had quite up close moment with various jets parked there, whether they are the static display ones or the aerial display ones. 

RMAF Su-30MKM (M52-11) [Larger]

No Smoky Bandits this year for the LIMA performance. Wonder whether it has got to do with their retirement. This Sukhoi above was huge. One might say well put the A380 in and let's see who is bigger and so on. It is true, but for a combat aircraft, it is fairly large. Standing next to it gives you the feeling of how small you are with reference to the jet.

USAF F/A-18 Super Hornet [Larger]

Here with sunshades. Guess it would help a wee bit to prevent direct sunlight from hitting the instruments. Air inside would be extremely heated up though.

Continuing in another part.