Stormy Night at the Airport

moose135

There was some nasty weather in the Charlotte area Tuesday evening, and I was hoping we were going to get some interesting diversions into CLT. Instead, we got some ugly thunderstorms that closed the ramp for close to an hour, creating a huge back up. At one point, tower said there were over 40 inbound aircraft sitting on various taxiways trying to get to the ramp, while nothing at the terminal could leave since the rampers were all inside avoiding the lightning.

1 - Before the weather got bad:



2 - A ramp full of airplanes with no particular place to go.



3 - Delta operations waiting for the all clear.



4 - American Airlines ramp get back to business



5 - A line of arriving flights waiting on the taxiway for their turn at a gate.



6 - Lightning strike south of the airport - this was after the worst of the weather passed through.

Stumblebum

Nice! I especially like the crispiness of #3!

Juano

Great series! #5 is great. #1 looks a bit chaotic even before the storm!

Eia

I absolutely HATE flying and all that it contains... because I have to travel -- yet these are awesome! Oh my lands #5 is too real....love it from a viewer...hate it as a flier. #6 is awesome and please --seen enough of this from the air...no like but love your photo. Seriously like the comps and the lighting. Are you taking these from the window? I like the subtle ghost effect in #2... (feel like one myself as a passenger) but the last... awesome!!!!

moose135

Stumblebum wrote: »

Nice! I especially like the crispiness of #3!

Thank you very much!

moose135

Juano wrote: »

Great series! #5 is great. #1 looks a bit chaotic even before the storm!

Thank you - I was really happy with the way #5 turned out. CLT is the fifth busiest airport in the US, so it can be chaotic at the best of times!

moose135

Eia wrote: »

I absolutely HATE flying and all that it contains... because I have to travel -- yet these are awesome! Oh my lands #5 is too real....love it from a viewer...hate it as a flier. #6 is awesome and please --seen enough of this from the air...no like but love your photo. Seriously like the comps and the lighting. Are you taking these from the window? I like the subtle ghost effect in #2... (feel like one myself as a passenger) but the last... awesome!!!!

Thank you, AnnaMaria! I understand it's not quite the same when you're sitting in the plane in those conditions. I was shooting from the parking deck in front of the main terminal. CLT has an overlook next to the approach end of one of the runways, which gives some great close up views, but this new parking deck opened last year - first hour free! - and it offers photographers and plane watchers a different perspective on the field.

denisegoldberg

Wonderful shots! Especially love # 5.

--- Denise

moose135

Thank you, Denise!

CCoop

Yes, me too: When I scrolled to #5 my heart skipped a beat. Gorgeous!! (Next favorite #6 -- gotta love the lightning!) (And -all- of them, of course. They're planes!!) --Carter

moose135

Thank you, Carter!