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Photography

Last opportunity for a picture in Montreal

Montreal, 2012. Juste à temps pour prendre cette dernière photo, avant la démolition du bâtiment
Montreal, 2012. Juste à temps pour prendre cette dernière photo, avant la démolition du bâtiment.

I was lucky to be able to take this picture. Being in Montreal for a winter photography session with a Canon 5D MKII, I went by a street where some employees were busy demolishing a building. There was an interesting scene to be taken but I had to get much closer before I could start shooting. The site was fenced and under surveillance while workers were active, so the access was forbidden.

As lunch time was approaching, I decided to wait a bit, hoping that the workers would leave the site for a quick bite. I was expecting the security guard to accompany the group and forget about locking the fence. That’s exactly what happened. As soon as the last employee had disappeared, I was on the site with my photo equipment. By the end of the afternoon, nothing was left of the building. I hope that you like this picture, as much for the scene as for the small murale done by the unknown artist, murale that is today only a souvenir.

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Real life stories as pilot and FSS: learning how to fly

Learning how to fly: the private pilot license

Photo du Concorde prise à partir du hublot du B747 d'Air Canada dans lequel je voyageais pour le vol Montréal-Paris en 1978. Arrivée à l'aéroport Charles-de-Gaulle en France.

1978. During my first trip to Europe , I am lucky enough to capture this picture of Concorde at Charles de Gaulle Airport , France, from the window of the Air Canada Boeing B-747 that flew us over the Atlantic. The arrival was punctuated by a missed approach due to adverse weather conditions.

1980. I fulfill my dream to fly a plane and sign-up for a private pilot course in St- Jean -sur- Richelieu. My first solo flight , which means without an instructor, takes place on a Grumman Cheetah (C-GVXO) on a sunny day. The landing is smooth and I can’t believe I will finally be able to fly unaccompanied. A dream come true !

Grumman Cheetah C-GVXO en 1980 à St-Jean-sur-Richelieu

As the private pilot course continues, a change in aircraft model is required to practice incipient spins because the Cheetah does not meet the criterias required by flight schools. If we would find ourselves in a complete spin during the exercise, it would take too long to correct. So a Cessna C-150 (C-GGNK) will be used . The transition is strange as students have to suddenly enter a whole new aircraft for this exercise only. Feelings and views are completely different.

Cessna C150 C-GGNK en 1980 à St-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
Cessna C150 C-GGNK en 1980 à St-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

All instructors do not have the same luck, one of them and his student eventually experience a real engine failure during take-off on their Cessna C-150. Fortunately, no one is killed or injured . However , the damage is considerable. The photo below shows what is left of the plane.

Un C150 suite à une panne de moteur au décollage. St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, 1981.
A Cessna C-150 following an engine failure at take-off. St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, 1981.

(Next story: Accidental night flying…without night rating).

For other real life stories as a pilot, click on the following link: Real life stories as a pilot

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Updates

Update August 29, 2014

The content of the “photography” section is now similar in both languages of the site. The same applies for the virtual links of the “flight simulation” section. This picture, taken during the summer of 2014 in Victoria, British Columbia, is now part of a collection that will increase progressively.

Trépied, lentille 16-35mm et filtre polarisant ont été nécessaires pour la prise de cette photo.
Tripod,16-35mm lens and polarizing filter were necessary in order to take this picture.