They must have been taken hours apart judging by the difference in light, the first the sun is shining bright so in wintertime it couldn't be later than about 4 pm. The last one is darkness and the clock showing allmost 8 pm.

Colin getting warmer but the obvious hasnt hit anyone yet???Peter ;-)

Well if your clock is wrong then it could actually be sunrise with the first photo taken over your right shoulder.Chris

That it's beautiful to fly.........

Peter...It is the exact time for the earliest sunset of the year, in your part of the world....Bob (Lecanto, Fl)AMD, Athlon XP, 1800+MSI, K7T266 XP ProPC 2100 DDR, 1024 MBXP, Home Edition Elsa GLadiac 920, GF3/64Mb andPNY, Verto nVidia TNT 2-M64/32WD, 100 MB, 7200, Ultra 100Sound Blaster, Audigy MP3+CH Prod, VPP Yoke - Sound CardCH Prod, Pedals - Sound Card

ChrisYou have it :-) for the two shots to be on the same flight with the aircraft on a track of 310 degrees and the sun off to the right would mean that the sun would be setting in a Northerly direction.The first shot was early morning on the same day on a reciprical track of 310 degrees or 130 degrees.The night shot was taken on the homeward run. I was hoping that someone would see that the two flights could not be connected by flight only by day by the position of the sun.What we see and presume can be deceptive, what looks like a setting sun followed by a night shot was infact a rising sun followed by a night return.CheersPeter

That the Zn of the Sun at that date, time and position is about 360 degrees magnetic. Perhaps this seeming inconsistancy (not setting in the west) is due to flying in winter at high latitudes in an area of exceptional mag var.May be?Jeff A

PeterJust looked at your pics on my own computer and its quite obvious now that the picture is of a sunrise, not a sunset (the video card on my computer at work was made when Moses was still alive). You are indeed a very wicked man, keep up the good work (marvellous pictures) and a merry Christmas to you.Colin

Well I both ignore and reject the earlier "official" answer to this apparent conundrum.It's very clear from the first shot that you're in fact looking for enemy fighters. You know they'll be diving out of the sun, and so that's exactly where you're hoping to spot them. You know that if they do come diving in your general direction that you'll be able to duck into that thick cloud layer, and perform "flips and rolls and other interesting maneuvers"...and then sort of "turn around and get behind them" (as was realistically depicted in that fine film all about dogfighting--"Top Gun").Clearly there's a deeper issue here: This is all about your suppressed desire to be a Battle of Britain pilot, probably based at Kenley, and flying for Air Chief Marshal Park, as opposed to that "Big Wing" Leigh-Mallory chap. You'll be flying "Mark-something-or-other" (I'm not knowledgeable enough to actually know the number, but I do know they have Rolls Royce Merlin engines...) Spitfires. And of course you'll also be out drinking at local pubs such as the White Hart (near Biggin) when you're not on duty, and you'll be scrawling your name on blackboards, and that sort of thing....Yes, yes I think that's it. I think this has very little to do with being a corporate pilot and traversing from point A to point B.(Oh yes, what about that shot of the instrument panel? Well, I think every good fighter pilot has to check his instruments once in a while, don't you? I mean, come on, what the heck are they there for if you're not going to check them; I know during "Top Gun" they did a *lot* of that kind of thing....)

PaulYour not far off the Mark :-) having come into flying from motor racing I am a bit of a speed freak who loves a challenge. An adrenaline junkie.Having said that I am a bit older and wiser now. Older physically! meantally I still think im 21 ;-)Yes a fighter at 600 kts on those cloud tops would be something Peter

That was great...keep 'em coming!

N95D?? That seems to sound quite familiar, is that not what the first FSD Piper Seneca V was based on with the red and white paintscheme?? I hope I'm not losing my mind or something, hehe :)

XBirdSpot on :-) she is over three years old now and well past 1000 hrs Peter