What Plane Is That?

When I was a young boy my interest in aviation was heightened by regular visits to Essendon Airport, at that time Melbourne’s only major airport.

I have fond memories of the noise and smell of newly arrived jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707, Boeing 727 and the Douglas DC-9. The airport was such an exciting place for a young boy, with Lockheed L188 Electra, Vickers Viscount and Fokker F27 Friendship aircraft taxiing on the apron with only a small fence between the tarmac and me.

In 1970 Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport opened, with domestic and international operations gradually shifting to Tullamarine (Melbourne) Airport.

Although it was considered that Essendon Airport might have diminished in popularity for aviation operators from that time, today the precinct is now known as “Essendon Fields”, with a mixture of aviation, retail and commercial businesses flourishing.

Tier 2 Regional Airlines, such as Sharp Airlines, run regular regional services to King Island, Flinders Island and the western district of Victoria.

Other specialist fleets based at Essendon Fields include the Victoria Police Air Wing, Ambulance Service Victoria and a myriad of specialist firefighting helicopters leased by the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Department of Sustainability of Environment (DSE) now DEECA.

Having now extended my aviation pursuits to photography, this website will become a home for some of my aircraft photographs, hence “What Plane is That?”

My main camera is a Fuji S200EXR, a camera I have been very pleased with. It has been ideal to learn basic photography techniques and my photographs are improving. I will let you be the judge.

So, I hope you enjoy viewing some of my photographs and information as much as I am enjoying the web and photographic learning experiences.

And a reminder that all photographs and all contents on this website are copyright.  Any content, including photographs,  cannot to be used without express written permission by the site owner.