This week’s Plane & Pilot Photo of the Week is from pilot/photographer Marc Davis, who captured this remarkable image of his Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser (look for our cover story on the type in the September issue of Plane & Pilot) near Prineville, Oregon.
Davis told Plane & Pilot, “It was a moonless night with a welcome light breeze blowing. The day had been hot, but the high mountain air cools off quickly. I enjoyed a small fire and reflected on the first big outing with my ’new’ plane. As the sun set, a couple packs of coyotes started singing in stereo.”
About that “new plane.” Davis had only recently purchased the 1946 Piper Super Cruiser, he said, from an insurance auction. The plane had been flipped in a landing mishap, and there was a lot of damage. Davis had to install a new windshield, struts, rudder and propeller, among other components. Taking the opportunity, he also conducted an extensive “inspection and a repair to the rest of the airframe and engine.” Davis said that the plane boasts more than 30 STCs and field approvals.
To get the shots, yes, plural, the photographer used an “11-year-old D5100” and a Nikkor 35mm F1.8 lens. The sky part of the composite image “is a stack of 30 images using Deep Sky Stacker.” The foreground shot, he said, is a much simpler single shot made with the same rig. He then stitched them together in Photoshop.
The end result is nothing short of incredible. Thanks for letting us share it, Marc!
Enjoy last week’s Photo of the Week, “Skywagon Heaven” here.
