Forgotten birds
Abandoned Cessna 150s left decaying at the former Vankleek Hill airport, Ontario. It's particularly heartbreaking when you consider this bird was seemingly...
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Abandoned Cessna 150s left decaying at the former Vankleek Hill airport, Ontario. It's particularly heartbreaking when you consider this bird was seemingly in top condition when parked there 20 years ago. It never took to the skies since, just sat there staring longingly at the clouds.
Fujifilm X-T2, Fujinon 18-55 F2.8-4
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Fujifilm X-T2, Fujinon 18-55 F2.8-4
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X-T2
Aperture f/5.6 ISO 200 Shutter 10/7500 Focal Length 1800/100 
Vankleek Hill, Ontario, CA
May, 2019Views
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Runner Up in Capture Aircrafts Photo Contest
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garyyoung_0406
July 06, 2023
As an aviator myself, I learnt to fly on a Cessna 152, and to see these two looking sad for wear, is a travesty!! Should be donated to an engineering school for young aero engineers???😩
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the former Vankleek Hill Airport in Ontario, Canada, now little more than a gas station and truck stop by a highway. The old Cessna 150s are still parked along the former runway.Time
It was nearing 3PM on a dramatically overcast day in May.Lighting
The weather that day was indecisive and wild, quickly changing between bright sunlight and dramatic clouds within minutes. The skies were mostly clear as I explored the abandoned runway but the weather front crept in quickly providing this diffused, cool light for a moody shot.Equipment
It was shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with an XF Fujinon 18-55mm F2.8-4, taking advantage of this camera's flip-out screen.Inspiration
A certain sadness and melancholy of the setting, with the old birds still parked there, in ever increasing state of disrepair, still longingly staring at the skies they'll never again soar in. I don't know the exact circumstances, but as I later found out, this particular aircraft, the Cessna 150 registration code C-FETH, was seemingly on top condition when parked there 20 years ago. It's been since plundered for parts and flipped over by strong wind (hence the tail damage). Just a very sad sight for an aviation enthusiast, really.Editing
Not much really, just a cool white balance to emphasize the mood, pulled the shadows a little on the grass, and increased contrast on the clouds to bring out that dramatic, somber look.In my camera bag
I tend to pack very light for simple road-trips like this where photography is not the primary goal. It's a small unassuming messenger bag with just one camera body and its kit lens plus two primes (lately a 35mm F/1.4 and a 12mm F/2.8, though a tiny 28mm pancake lens finds its way in there too), two spare batteries and a car charger, a tiny telescopic tripod and a flash unit.Feedback
Don't sit around at home watching what others do... Get out there, have a road trip, or a walk, or a bike ride, and wherever you go, bring your camera with you because you never know what you're going to find. In my case, it was just a completely random road trip to give my wife some driving practice before her driver's license exam. And bam, we've ended up at a fascinating location full of photo opportunities.
