FANTRIP

www.TrainsMag.com 55 54 TrainsAUGUST 2009

ByGEORGEA.FOREROJR.

Train-watching on the flySee what it takes to get a bird’s-eye view of the railroad and to take good photos from the cockpit

With the days of casual access to yards and engine terminals gone, and Amtrak implementing stricter photography rules, are there other photography options rail-fans can explore? Yes! Take heart and imagine yourself a railfan in the sky.

Train-chasing by plane presents an en-tirely different adventure than the trackside experience. You can trace abandoned rail-roads, even those long gone, by connecting remnants of the former right-of-way — a shallow cut here, discolored soil in an open field there, and perhaps some bridge piers in a river. Or follow active railroads, and with a combination of planning, good tim-ing, and some luck, you can target specific trains at a particular location, designing your optimal shots. Of course, since you usually can’t afford to hang around in the air waiting on a train that might not show up, simply fly down the line. You’ll be sur-prised how much territory you can cover in a short time, and best of all, there’s no way the train can slip by unseen.

So, how do you get up there? Start by finding a small airport close to the area where you want to shoot. The local yellow pages or Internet can be helpful here. Look for “Flight Instruction” or “Aircraft Schools.” Don’t worry, you won’t have to actually fly the plane (unless you want to). Instead, use the listing as means of con-

tacting the “fixed-base operator,” a busi-ness within the airport that pumps gas, rents airplanes, and provides sightseeing flights and/or flight instruction. As a pilot myself, I prefer to speak with the fixed-base operator in person before deciding to charter a flight. This is an opportunity to explain what you want to do and find out how much it will cost.

The price will vary by location, type of aircraft, and current fuel prices, but figure on its starting around $100 an hour. Time is billed only when the propeller is turning, and the price almost always includes fuel.

Not all planes are created equal. A sin-gle-engine, high-wing Cessna is much more conducive to aerial photography than is a sightseeing aircraft with low wings that obstruct the direct downward view. Let the fixed-base operator know you will be tak-ing photographs and ask if there is an air-craft available with a window that opens. Don’t laugh; this is perfectly feasible and provides a much clearer view. In some planes, the operator may be able to com-pletely remove the window.

If you must shoot through a closed win-dow, keep your lens as close to the glass as possible without touching it, to reduce re-flection. Even with an open window, avoid contact between the camera and the win-dow frame to minimize vibrations. Shoot-

ing at a relatively fast shutter speed (1/500 or better) counters vibration, too.

A moderate telephoto lens will be ade-quate in most cases and a zoom lens prob-ably the most useful. The minimum altitude allowed over a “congested” area is 1,000 feet above ground, and 500 feet is the general rule elsewhere. Unless you plan to fly near a large metropolitan airport or a nuclear power plant, you should be able to go wher-ever you wish. The fixed-base operator can tell you if your projected target is in restrict-ed airspace, and can even sell you a section-al air chart that you can use, with a little training, to determine that for yourself.

Also, it’s normal for the pilot to bank, or turn the aircraft, to give you a better view of your target. This may be unsettling at first, especially while looking through a

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camera viewfinder, so ask the pilot to dem-onstrate this maneuver before you start taking pictures. Once you realize that you are not going to fall out, you will quickly become accustomed to looking out the window and seeing the ground.

Since you will want to be able to see the ground, weather is the biggest consider-ation of all. An overcast sky is no reason to cancel, especially since typical flat lighting brings out the details in your photographs. However, the cloud ceiling, or height of the lowest cloud cover, must be at least 2,000-3,000 feet up, and forecast to stay that way for the duration of your flight. Ask your pi-lot for a weather briefing just before your flight — you can usually cancel with no penalty if the weather is not cooperating.

Winds and air currents can rock a small aircraft and thwart your photography ef-forts. Winter is the optimal time of year for smooth, clear air. Otherwise, aim for early mornings or early evenings to minimize encounters with thermals (rising currents of warm air). Your photography, and your stomach, will benefit greatly!

GEORGE A FORERO JR. is a soon-to-be-re-tired, 40-year railroader (Amtrak, BN, Soo, LIRR) and a pilot since 1974. He’s had two bylines in Classic Trains and dozens of pho-tos in Trains. This is his first Trains byline.

>> No plane? Try this

Observationdecksinskyscrapersof-tenhavegreatviewsofrailroadsbe-low.TheabovephotowastakenfromtheSkywalkObservatory,locatedatopthePrudentialTowerinBoston.Theobservatoryisopensevendaysaweekandoffersviewsoffivedifferentrailandsubwaylinesfromthecomfortableindoors.(Othertowershaveoutdoordecks.)Takingphotosthroughglasswindowsisn’tdifficult.Thetrickistoavoidshootingatanangle;youwanttobeasperpendiculartotheglassaspossibletoreduceglare.Also,useazoomlenstomakethetraineasilyvisi-ble.Editingthephotosafterwardisnecessary,sincetheglasswillmutecolorsanddullcontrast.TylerTrahan