Aerial Photos of San Antonio - Wild Texas Forums: Parks, Travel & Recreation

Shannon · 07-12-2003, 03:23 AM

Due to scheduling conflicts and the weather, it’s been almost two months since I've had an opportunity to fly with Justin. Today, my "flying drought" ended with a beautiful flight from San Antonio International Airport (my first time flying from there in anything other than a commercial airliner) to Stinson Municipal Airport and back again.

En route, I got some neat photos of downtown San Antonio, Lackland AFB and Braunig Lake. Check 'em out!

I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them! It's been too long since I soared above San Antonio with my hubby!

Thanks, Justin, for a terrific flight as always!

07-12-2003, 02:35 PM

WOW, I am amazed! I would say that I like one really well, but I LOVE THEM ALL! WOW.. is that oil or something in the water at the plant?? hmm, oh well. But this makes me want to go and fly. I bet that was amazing to fly over downtown.. wow! I am jealous..I WANNA I WANNA! hahaha.. Lucky Dog! haha

Shannon · 07-12-2003, 04:03 PM

Thanks for the compliments. I'm a little rusty on my aerial photography and made some amateur mistakes -- poor focusing, bad planning on where the sun would be in relation to our path of flight. Nevertheless, I am happy with the photos from the trip. And, yes, it's quite a wonderful feeling and sight to be soaring above the city and countryside.

That's not oil in/on the lake at Braunig Lake -- just currents in the water and a trick of light due to the angle of the sun at that time of day (around 7:30 PM). Braunig Lake is a beautiful lake that is used by San Antonio's City Public Service (CPS) to cool one of its coal-fueled power plants on the Southside of San Antonio. It's great for fishing, and is also a popular boating and camping spot inside the city limits.

schef · 07-13-2003, 05:57 PM

Nice shots! The sun looked like it got in the way in a few images but they still turned out very nice. The grass really gives the images a nice contrast.

Shannon · 07-16-2003, 07:30 PM

I've posted more new aerial photos from Sunday's (7/13/03) training flight out of San Antonio International Airport. These are my first photos from near and above CLOUDS, since Justin is currently training to obtain his IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) certificate so he can fly on instruments only -- it makes for a safer, better prepared pilot in the event of adverse weather or instrument failure.

Justin is currently rated for VFR (Visual Flight Rules) flight only, meaning when clouds are too dense/numerous they form a "ceiling" above which he cannot legally or safely fly as a VFR pilot.

Shef-- Yes, the sun is an ever-present challenge in aerial photography. If it's not the sun glaring off water on the ground or shining directly into your photo's frame, it's sun glinting off a scratch or illuminating dirt on the aircraft's plexiglass windows! A constant challenge...that and vibrations, turbulence and very narrow windows of opportunity (literally!) to compose and get off shots before your subject's under the plane or otherwise not visible any longer.

The rains have definitely greened everything up on the ground, making for some fantastic contrasts against the stark black roadways, gleaming buildings and now puffy white clouds.

Shannon · 09-15-2003, 11:10 AM

More aerial photos will be forthcoming, as Justin and I have done several more overflights of downtown San Antonio in the past month. Still working on the perfect Tower of Americas shot... think it may have to wait for winter, when this summer haze/ozone/pollen finally gets cleared out of our air -- you don't notice it from the ground on most days, but once you're airborne it's apparent!

Beautiful day today, and yesterday after the rains cleared, eh?
Fall's just around the corner...

kai · 09-16-2003, 07:06 AM

Wow- those photos are beautiful. Looks like you had a perfect day for a flight. when i was a kid, my grandfather had a plane, and he would take me flying every evening- but that was in SW Kentucky, and it was always really hazy... thanks for sharing.

Shannon · 08-02-2004, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kai

Wow- those photos are beautiful. Looks like you had a perfect day for a flight. when i was a kid, my grandfather had a plane, and he would take me flying every evening- but that was in SW Kentucky, and it was always really hazy... thanks for sharing.

Before the end of the year, Justin and I will be launching another photography website featuring all of our aerial photography and aviation-related photography.