iain mchenry Posted 5 March , 2003 Share Posted 5 March , 2003 I currently hold a UK Private Pilots Licence. I am stationed in Mons, Belgium where I am a member of a local flying club. I have been in Belgium since Feb 02 and have spent a great deal of time flying over the Ypres Salient and can only describe it as fantastic. I am offering out my services to forum users if they would like to see the West Front from the air. However there are a few rules to be put down here: 1. I only hold a Private licence not a Commercial licence so I cannot make money from this Venture (Nor do I want to). I can ask passengers to help chip in with the cost of renting the aircraft. The cost to keep the aircraft in the air for one hour is about 95 euros (60 pounds). I would therefore ask each passenger to pay about 15 pounds per flying hour. This keeps me within the law and also in benefit to myself gives me flying hours in my log book at a cheaper rate. 2. I am a shift worker. I would only be able to fly on my time off and when the aircraft is available. This will NOT be a scheduled service. During the summer months the hot temperatures affect the aircrafts preformance so I may only be able to take limited numbers. The aircraft is a Piper Warrior, single engined, Four seat aircraft. I will take only two passengers max (no baggage, Camera equipment OK) During the summer hot period this may be reduced to one passenger. 3. The pilots decision is final. I will not fly in bad weather or when bad weather is forecast. ( I would rather be on the ground wishing i was up there that being up there wishing i was on the ground!!) 4. Make sure you have holiday insurance that covers you for light aircraft travel. (Most firms do). 5. This offer will not begin until mid to late August as I am currently deployed in Kosovo. 6. Average flying time from Mons to Ypres is about 25 mins. 1 hour is a reasonable time to spend over the Salient before returning. ( you'd be surprised how small the Salient is from the air). If you have any specific areas to see from the air I will be glad to help. Make sure you bring a reasonable map with locations marked on them. GPS locations can also be of great help. 7. I will also fly down to the Somme (only about 55 nautical miles from Mons as the bird flies) routing direct overhead Cambrai. The Somme has a number of restricted airspace locations around it so I will only fly when these are not active (No near misses with French AF Mirages please!!) I would be glad to hear constructive critisism from people about theis offer, and any interested parties can contact me through the forum. I can tell you that following th Messines craters from the air, flying around Tyne Cot and seeing the Menin Gate and Ypres from the air is an unforgettable experience. Hear from you soon. Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 5 March , 2003 Share Posted 5 March , 2003 Prepare to be deluged! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 5 March , 2003 Share Posted 5 March , 2003 This sounds absolutely fantastic. I have often thought it would be fascinating to fly over all these areas. I am sure there will be a queue. Many of us Forum users are coming over to Ypres in the second weekend of April and I would think there may be some specific interest then. Please consider me as most definitely in the queue for this date and indeed for some other dates. I will contact you off forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 5 March , 2003 Share Posted 5 March , 2003 Ian, and others, You need to read the proposition in full - and carefully, and note that Iain says: 5. This offer will not begin until mid to late August as I am currently deployed in Kosovo That said it is a wonderful offer (I could be very tempted myself). I wonder if any resulting aerial photos of interest could be posted for us all to enjoy. No doubt crop free periods will also reveal earthworks and trench lines. I can predict requests to fly and requests from others for pictures from the air of all sorts of sites. If anyone doubts the value of aerial views you need only look at Trevor Pidgeon's brilliant account "The Tanks at Flers" to see precisely how helpful they can be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain mchenry Posted 5 March , 2003 Author Share Posted 5 March , 2003 Dear all, One thing I forgot to mention when I statred this topic was that I will post a reply a few days before I intend to fly. If anyone can't make it but would like a photo taking of an area or object from the air, let me know and I will do my best. I curretnly have on negative many ariel phots. Most of the Menin gate, Ypres Grand Place, Messines Craters, Plugstreet wood, Hill 63 (see the subsidence!!!) and Tyne Cot (words cannot describe). Unfortunatley being stuck in Kosovo at the moment I don't have my negative file with me. When I get back to Blighty I will let Forum users know through this subject. If anyone needs phots let me know. Regards Iain P.S. My flying IS better than my spelling !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabiansson Posted 5 March , 2003 Share Posted 5 March , 2003 Look out for WW1 crop marks! /nils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain mchenry Posted 5 March , 2003 Author Share Posted 5 March , 2003 Fabiansson, The aircraft I fly is bright red in colour, so look out for the Red-baron re-born!!!! Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacky Platteeuw Posted 5 March , 2003 Share Posted 5 March , 2003 P.S. My flying IS better than my spelling !!!! Sure about that ? Jacky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain mchenry Posted 5 March , 2003 Author Share Posted 5 March , 2003 Jacky, My old, old, old friend!!! I did't want to let the forum know your fear of flying!! Just let me know and an ejection seat will be available for you anytime!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john w. Posted 7 March , 2003 Share Posted 7 March , 2003 Great idea Iain I got your message.. however if you saw the size of me you might want to weigh me in I flew to Jersey on a small aircraft and had to be weighed in... August the first few weeks would be good.... Have had a look at Nils WW1 crop marks and now I am smitten.. as Chris said prepare to be deluged John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain mchenry Posted 8 March , 2003 Author Share Posted 8 March , 2003 Nils, Would you be able to give me the Latitude and Longitude references for some of the WW1 crop marks in the Salient and Somme regions? Regards Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 8 March , 2003 Share Posted 8 March , 2003 I would have thought that the extent of the crop marks would be substantial on the Western Front - since the vast amounts of excavation should manifest itself quite clearly , although the very extent of it and re-digging may in itself obscure things. Interpretation will no doubt be difficult. I also understand that dawn and dusk are best times to see crop marks since thet are side lit. Interesting that British archaelogists still make use of the extensive and excellent range of Luftwaffe photographs of Britain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosemary Clarke Posted 8 March , 2003 Share Posted 8 March , 2003 Iain A great offer and it may be just the incentive I need for a husband reluctant to visit the battlefield sites with me (yes, I know this is probably a role reversal!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 10 March , 2003 Share Posted 10 March , 2003 I would like to say a huge Thank You to Nils for posting the link to the fascinating and intriguing pages on the archeology site. I am very interested in the Great War in Alsace and I've followed the links on your page to those in German about La Linge, etc. Do you know of any sites with aerial archeological photography of the Alsace region, preferably in French? Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 10 March , 2003 Share Posted 10 March , 2003 Lyn McDonald's Somme has excellent photos showing the evidence of trenches on farmland, there it's still quite white. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabiansson Posted 10 March , 2003 Share Posted 10 March , 2003 Aerial photographs of the Western Front remains are very fascinating and could be better for locating remains than trench maps, which often are biased. Crop marks are never biased. If you are interested, see this map belov, which illustrates pre Roman and Roman sites on the Somme battlefield, surveyed by the legendary French aerial archeologist Roger Agache (Roger Agache, "La Somme pre-romaine et romaine: d'après les prospections aériennes à basse altitude", Amiens, 1978). Iain, sorry I have not latitude and longitude references for the aerial pictures I have published. They are in this context only illustrations of other kind of archaeological methods possible for WW1 archaeology. You have to check it out yourself. Concerning best times to see WW1 crop marks: Winter. Well, then it is not "crop marks", but the dug up chalk and lime is clearly visible at that season (if it is no snow that is). Autumn/Spring is better than Summer. Gwyn, sorry, I do not know of any Web sites with published aerial archeological photography of the Alsace region (forests make aerial photography difficult, but there should be possible to find some covering some aeras). IGN have aerial photographs for sale (expensive), see for example: http://www.ign.fr/affiche_rubrique.asp?rbr...90&com_id=65233 /nils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain mchenry Posted 11 March , 2003 Author Share Posted 11 March , 2003 Dear all, I will add this post as a basic guide to those who wish to take up my offer of flying over the battlefields or asking myself or other friends to Photograph objects for you. Some objects can easily be photographed from the air . Some WW1 objects now have modern constructions or forests obscuring views around them. Whilst flying around built up areas I do NOT fly below 1500 feet. In open areas I can descend to 500 feet as long as I am clear of obstructions. The time of day and the suns position in the sky also play a big part in the taking of Ariel Phots. Here are some of the Phots I have taken and a short description as to how easy they are to see/Photo from the air. Ypres City- No Problem Menin Gate-From Moat side depends on suns position Hill 60/Larchwood - No Problems Caterpillar crater- V. Difficult due to the forest St Eloi and Crater - No Problems Petit Bois craters- No Problems Maedelstate & Pecham craters - No Problems Spanbroekmolen- No Problems Kruisstraat Craters - No Problems Petit douve farm - No Problems Trench 122 & Factory Fm - No Problems Plugstreet wood & Hill 63 - No Problems Messines and Whitesheet - No Problems Xmas truce site - No Problems Poperinge Town - No Problems Talbot House - V.Difficult due to street design Tyne Cot Cem - No Problems Lissenhook Cem - No problems Langemark Germ Cem - V.Difficult due to tree cover Polygon Wood and Cems - No problems Kemmel Hill - No Problems Sanctury Wood - No Problems Bellewaerde ridge/Railway Wood - No Problems I could go on for a while, but these are the main places people ask for Ariel Phots of. If any one would like to find out how difficult an arial phot is of a location not mentioned please contact me on or off the Forum Regards Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 11 March , 2003 Share Posted 11 March , 2003 Iain, I would like to borrow a Hasselblad large format camera from a pal of mine to do some battlefield aerial photography - one step up from 35 mm. From past experience vibration can be a problem. Have you had this sort of problem. I wonder what the best compromise film speed would be ? There are some nice aerial shots in Trevor Pidgeon's wonderful book "The Tanks at Fler" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain mchenry Posted 11 March , 2003 Author Share Posted 11 March , 2003 Ian, I don't have a problem with vibration on board the aircraft (If we feel vibration PANIC!!!). However flying in the warmer weather normally comes with an increase in turbulence as hot air rises from the ground, especially at lower altitudes. Windy days usually do't help too much either. I use a Minolta Camera 35mm- 80mm lens and 80mm - 300mm lens. I normally use 200 and 400 asa film. I do not consider myself to be a professional photographer so it may be better to speak to someone with a lot of experience in the photography field. Sorry I can't be of much help. Regards Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zijde26 Posted 11 March , 2003 Share Posted 11 March , 2003 I do have a very old postcard showing an air photo of Ypres (the complete town). Interested members can receieve a scan of it. Gilbert Deraedt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conor Dodd Posted 11 March , 2003 Share Posted 11 March , 2003 I use a Minolta Camera 35mm- 80mm lens and 80mm - 300mm lens. I normally use 200 and 400 asa film. I haven't got a clue what that is but would photo's on a normal camera come out and would you be available to fly on the 2nd last week in August ? one last question how long would you recomend staying up for (to get a good view of the battlefields ?) Conor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conor Dodd Posted 11 March , 2003 Share Posted 11 March , 2003 I do have a very old postcard showing an air photo of Ypres (the complete town). Interested members can receieve a scan of it. Just saw your post is that the one used in John Giles book "Ypres then and now" ? Conor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain mchenry Posted 11 March , 2003 Author Share Posted 11 March , 2003 Connor, In reply to yor post, Yes a normal camera will work, its better if you have some kind of zoom lens. I will gladly let passengers use my camera (Its squaddie proof, thats why I have it!!) as I fly the aircraft. Just supply the Film. For a really good flight around the Salient taking in a lot of the sights I would allow about one hour. When you are buzzing around about 120 mph up there the Salient is suprisingly small. Regards Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zijde26 Posted 11 March , 2003 Share Posted 11 March , 2003 To Conor, I do not have the book "Ypres then and now" written by John Giles. I cannot compare the photo in this book with my postcard. Gilbert Deraedt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 11 March , 2003 Share Posted 11 March , 2003 Iain, Now all you need is a dug out or a mine tunnel and you can start 3-D tours! Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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