Plane Sight - Bowery Boogie

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Plane Sight

New Museum Low Flyer
Low Flyer LES

For many New Yorkers, the sight of planes above the skyline is usually a recipe for unease. Just another stark reality in a post-9/11 world. Personally, whenever low-flying aircraft enter my direct line of vision, a split-second of fear quickly takes hold, yet vanishes just the same. But sometimes that brief moment of anxiety lingers. Such was the case on Friday evening, when a steady crop of planes approached city airspace from the south/southeast. Each followed a specific trajectory that was definitely too close for comfort.

SoHo Low Flyer

Perhaps there was a change in flight paths due to the daytime storms in the Tri-State area.

7 comments:

EV Grieve said...

Wow, yes -- I noticed this too. It really gave me pause. They seemed to still be coming in low enroute to LaGuardia on Sunday. I snapped a few similar shots myself that morning.

Someone explained why they were coming in on this flight path. Something about the winds.

Bowery Boogie said...

That makes sense.

edEx said...

This one in particular is a 747 and they're HUGE planes and always seem lower than they are.

Shawn M. Smith said...

Linked at Gothamist -

http://gothamist.com/2009/04/07/low_flying_planes.php

Awesome work, BB.

Anonymous said...

That's not a 747.

nyc guy said...

#1- That size aircraft would never fit at LGA, a/c w/ more than 3 engines do not fly in LGA. Plus it's an international flight.

The Qantas 747 a/c is low, because its HEAVY. That size a/c is always lower than most other planes on approach and takeoffs.

Goggla said...

Walking home Friday afternoon was sure a trip. All those planes scared the hell out of me. And when they weren't in sight, there was that unnerving droning of the engines. I guess they were taking advantage of the break in the weather and getting those planes up one after another.