IAD Rainbow Approach

If you’re reading this, surely you know by now that aviation is in my bones.  A fun fact that’s less obvious about me is I like rain, especially thunderstorms; I find rain relaxing and thunderstorms exciting, beautiful, fun (though I’m notably more fearful of being struck by lightning than my stormchaser friend).

Living in IAD’s airspace is charming to me, so after a rather severe Summer storm last year, when a rainbow developed and the groundstop lifted, I was able to capture numerous aircraft in line to finally get on the ground, with the vibrant colors providing an unforgettable backdrop.

The rainbow only lasted maybe 10-15min, so only a handful of aircraft were lucky enough to dart across the perfect scene.

Summer Lightning Storm

With all the storms we've had the last two weeks, I thought you might enjoy some of the prettier and more dramatic sights and sounds inclement weather can bring.  I captured this lightning storm on May 15th, 2018, the day after our most recent derecho; unfortunately the Mind Flayer did not make an appearance. #StrangerThings

DCA Planespotting - May 17th, 2018

Just like I did two weeks ago, I decided to drop into Gravelly Point after a photoshoot at DCA.  This time I only spent 10 minutes there, because it was raining, but I wanted to stop and check out the view, because it was raining.  Sometimes inclement weather can lead to more interesting action shots than a "perfect" clear day, because water vapor can condense and leave trails and vortices that add a little something extra. Sadly this was not the case that day, but I did get an interesting view through the approach lighting, and spoke with a couple who stopped on their bikes to enjoy the view and ask about my attention-grabbing lens.

I also managed to capture this arrival and departure through the approach lights; this is 400mm handheld, and I didn't bring my microphone, so just enjoy the footage for what it is :-)