Myrtle Avenue Questions

Discuss equipment and methods or ask for advice
Post Reply
User avatar
Beeza
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu 06 Jun 2013, 8:42 am

Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by Beeza »

I’m planning my first ever visit to Myrtle Avenue on 19th July. I’m staying in a hotel on the south side, so all being well I should be at Myrtle from about 9:00am to 3:00pm, with breaks as required.
A few questions:
Am I right to believe that arrivals will be on 27L at that time?

If the wind is in the ‘wrong’ direction, I think that departures will be from 09R – is anything photographable from Myrtle Av. if this happens? Or do I have to go elsewhere (within walking distance)?

On a cropped sensor camera, will a 16-85 or a 70-300 be most appropriate (I’ll take both, but don’t like changing lenses in the field).


Any help gratefully accepted. I don’t do much stuff at airports – I’m more of a airshow-type.

Thanks.

User avatar
Red Dragon
Posts: 1721
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 6:56 pm

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by Red Dragon »

Here's a link for you to check times and runway in use (times the runways change etc) etc

I stayed in the Premier Inn on Bath Road, fantastic place to sit back with a brew/ beer and spend the day photographing

http://www.heathrow.com/noise/heathrow-operations/runway-alternation

Hope it helps

User avatar
tankbuster
Posts: 2316
Joined: Sun 17 Jul 2011, 5:04 pm

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by tankbuster »

Beeza wrote:I’m planning my first ever visit to Myrtle Avenue on 19th July. I’m staying in a hotel on the south side, so all being well I should be at Myrtle from about 9:00am to 3:00pm, with breaks as required.
A few questions:
Am I right to believe that arrivals will be on 27L at that time?

If the wind is in the ‘wrong’ direction, I think that departures will be from 09R – is anything photographable from Myrtle Av. if this happens? Or do I have to go elsewhere (within walking distance)?

On a cropped sensor camera, will a 16-85 or a 70-300 be most appropriate (I’ll take both, but don’t like changing lenses in the field).


Any help gratefully accepted. I don’t do much stuff at airports – I’m more of a airshow-type.

Thanks.


If it's a 09 day, you could get a bus or tube from Hatton Cross to terminal 5 (free I think). Not very far to walk to really good 09L photography point. Look at Terminal 5 on Google Maps where it says River Colne you can stand on the top of the bridge or on the bank below
Trevor C
recent and not so recent pictures here https://trevorc28a.wixsite.com/trevspics

jayne_morris
Posts: 131
Joined: Tue 03 Feb 2009, 10:51 am

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by jayne_morris »

what hotel are you staying at?

if you are at Myrtle ave then i would say use the 70-300, last trip i used a 70-200 with no problems, a five minute walk from Myrtle you have a BP garage with toilets a wild bean cafe with snacks and hot drinks and in the garage there is a range of snacks and cold drinks

across the road to hatton cross tube station and you are in the heathrow free travel zone so if they change rotation part way through the day nip over to hatton cross and hop on the 423,482 or 490 bus to terminal five for free, 423 towards terminal five and the stop is outside bus station near the footbridge if you want the 482 or 490 then the stop for them is in the bus station over towards the station car park

http://www.heathrow.com/file_source/Heathrow/Static/PDF/Transport_and_directions/travel_around_Heathrow.pdf

all the busses on that PDF are free within the free travel zone so from hatton cross you can get to anywhere around heathrow with a free bus ride and a short walk

Steve Thomson
Posts: 42
Joined: Thu 23 Jun 2016, 10:11 am

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by Steve Thomson »

July is not a good time for photos.

cg_341
Posts: 2598
Joined: Sun 09 Aug 2015, 1:39 pm

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by cg_341 »

Why not? :question:

Big Eric
Posts: 2155
Joined: Sun 22 Aug 2010, 6:15 pm

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by Big Eric »

Steve Thomson wrote:July is not a good time for photos.


What a strange thing to say ! :dizzy:

User avatar
tankbuster
Posts: 2316
Joined: Sun 17 Jul 2011, 5:04 pm

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by tankbuster »

Hampshire Aviation wrote:Why not? :question:


presumably it's far from the best light
Trevor C
recent and not so recent pictures here https://trevorc28a.wixsite.com/trevspics

Steve Thomson
Posts: 42
Joined: Thu 23 Jun 2016, 10:11 am

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by Steve Thomson »

Winter:
Image

Summer:
Image

cg_341
Posts: 2598
Joined: Sun 09 Aug 2015, 1:39 pm

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by cg_341 »

But you're stood a lot closer in the second picture, so you have a more underside-y shot anyway.

I hardly think a little bit of a shadow on the underside is a good enough reason to say it's "not a good time for photos".

Steve Thomson
Posts: 42
Joined: Thu 23 Jun 2016, 10:11 am

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by Steve Thomson »

Belly shots are another reason to avoid Myrtle.

User avatar
AlexC
Posts: 6040
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 6:40 pm
Location: New Forest

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by AlexC »

Ah, the old winter/summer question again!
Pte. Aubrey Gerald Harmer, R. Suss. R. (att. to the Sherwood Foresters) KIA 26/9/1917 Polygon Wood, aged 19, NKG. RIP

Maisie
Posts: 4129
Joined: Wed 28 Oct 2009, 5:02 pm

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by Maisie »

FWIW, these are taken in late June, yes you get a bit of shadow, but is it really a problem? You could if you wanted, bring the shadows up a bit in LR.

Image

Image

Image
6D | 7D | 60D
11-16 f/2.8 | 24-105 IS L | 70-300 IS USM | 50 f/1.4 | 100 f/2.8 | 400 f/5.6

User avatar
Beeza
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu 06 Jun 2013, 8:42 am

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by Beeza »

Thanks for all your responses. I had a slight change of plan, which meant I was at Myrtle only for a few hours on Monday morning. Very bright, and very hot, but got some nice snaps. I've no problem with shadows, although the specular reflections at certain angles were a bit of a challenge. I ended up using both the 70-300 and 16-85 lenses - triple-sevens are rather large in the frame at 70mm, and I do like sometimes to include a bit of context.

One disappointing aspect was the amount of litter at the site - I never see litter at popular sites around MAN or LBA.

Once more, thanks for all you help and advice.

User avatar
AlexC
Posts: 6040
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 6:40 pm
Location: New Forest

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by AlexC »

Beeza wrote:One disappointing aspect was the amount of litter at the site - I never see litter at popular sites around MAN or LBA.


I've regularly seen shocking amounts of litter around Heathrow. Down beyond the petrol station, on the way to the M25 there's a sort of a slip road. Where the ground drops away I've seen vast amounts of litter, I think that a lot of it must be fly tipping. Not far away there's a long lay-by which seems to be a favourite spot for drivers to empty their ashtrays. Big problem. If any of the litter that you saw was dropped by photographers, well that shames us all.
Pte. Aubrey Gerald Harmer, R. Suss. R. (att. to the Sherwood Foresters) KIA 26/9/1917 Polygon Wood, aged 19, NKG. RIP

Georgeconna
Posts: 830
Joined: Wed 30 May 2012, 2:38 pm

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by Georgeconna »

Back in the 90's the worst thing I saw there was an middle aged 'lady' Sitting down spotting for a few hours. Strange I thought and as I sat talking to a few other spotters this 'lady' got up walked to the Hedge and whilst standing relieved Himself in font of all. My first encounter with one on these type of folk.
Cheers

George

Zero shows for 2018 Giving in a Rest.

User avatar
AlexC
Posts: 6040
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 6:40 pm
Location: New Forest

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by AlexC »

Thanks George, that image is going to be with me all day! :sick: But that reminds me that when I was very young, and extremely naive I encountered what I took to be three of the ugliest women that I'd ever seen in a pub on Woolwich Common. Took me some time to realise that they were not women!
Pte. Aubrey Gerald Harmer, R. Suss. R. (att. to the Sherwood Foresters) KIA 26/9/1917 Polygon Wood, aged 19, NKG. RIP

parsley
UKAR Supporter
Posts: 1002
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 10:49 pm
Location: Just east of a large airport in West London

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by parsley »

Georgeconna wrote:Back in the 90's the worst thing I saw there was an middle aged 'lady' Sitting down spotting for a few hours. Strange I thought and as I sat talking to a few other spotters this 'lady' got up walked to the Hedge and whilst standing relieved Himself in font of all. My first encounter with one on these type of folk.


There was a fairly well known of local LHR spotter in the 80/90's who had the "op" (silent ch) after the various hormone/steroid injections etc.....picked up the nickname of Tootsie

User avatar
Paul_Reflex
Posts: 605
Joined: Sat 31 Dec 2011, 10:31 am

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by Paul_Reflex »

This thread seems to have taken on a bit of a nasty transphobic theme. It's amazing what is and isn't acceptable around here.

Big Eric
Posts: 2155
Joined: Sun 22 Aug 2010, 6:15 pm

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by Big Eric »

That's true, but hey ! - apparently I'm not half the man that my mother was .............according to Dad................. :lmao:

User avatar
Paul_Reflex
Posts: 605
Joined: Sat 31 Dec 2011, 10:31 am

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by Paul_Reflex »

Big Eric wrote:That's true, but hey ! - apparently I'm not half the man that my mother was .............according to Dad................. :lmao:


Words fail me.

Big Eric
Posts: 2155
Joined: Sun 22 Aug 2010, 6:15 pm

Re: Myrtle Avenue Questions

Post by Big Eric »

Paul, lighten up a bit - I'm just having a laugh, much like some of the previous posters in this thread..........................................

Post Reply