Solar Fan

Ignited by the setting Sun on A319 CS-TTR's tail, the CFM56-5B fan blades glow as if they marked the entrance to a blast furnace. This shot clearly reveals the high by-pass nature of the engine in which only a small portion of the air that goes through the fan disk, about 1/6^th , has access to the engine core via the low pressure compressor. The rest of the air remains cold and is shot out of the rear of the engine by the fan producing the vast majority of total thrust.

The Book

Pics from the Office has proudly evolved into a bilingual (English-Portuguese) book made from a selection of some of the blog’s best photographs along with improved text explanations. The book offers altogether good value-for-money and is available online as well as in most Portuguese book stores. For orders and information visit www.facebook.com/picsfromtheoffice or e-mail  mathieuneuforge@hotmail.com

Trail Blazing

As a byproduct of the combustion process, hot water vapor (steam) is expelled into the cold upper atmosphere by the engines. If the temperature is low enough, the vapor instantly condenses then freezes into ice crystals. In this shot, the water molecules seem to cry for attention in the short period between the engine exhaust and evaporating back into invisible vapor. Flying from Zurich to Lisbon in A320 CS-TQD.

Porto Squall

A powerful Cumulonimbus releases its fury as it plows through the vicinity of Porto and its airport. A close lookout is kept  for early indications of windshear as we establish on the ILS for runway 17 in A319 CS-TTK inbound from Paris Orly.

Mushroom Cloud

This spacecraft or mushroom looking Alto Cumulus cloud releases a shower as we cruise by in A319 CS-TTU from Vienna to Lisbon. The precipitation, which evaporates long before reaching the ground, is called virga.

Back Light

A solitary cumulus, backlit by the Sun over the coast of northern Spain, dissipates as our flight progresses from Porto to Geneva in A319 CS-TTG.

Air Lines

A persistent contrail lingers in the cold upper atmosphere as it merges into its shadow at the horizon. Our own contrail's projection can be seen at the bottom of the photo as it is being created in the cruise from Porto to Paris Orly in A319 CS-TTE.

Perfect Departure

Airbus A319 CS-TTR lined-up on Porto's runway 35. This time, an encounter with just the right light and "cloud-scape" created this painting-like cenario. After a quick mental review of engine-out procedures, we're off for yet another departure bound to London Gatwick.

Sun Flare

The Sun has dropped behind the western horizon but its blazing effect persists among the high altitude cirro-stratus clouds as we cruise from Porto to Paris Orly in Airbus A319 CS-TTQ.

Distant Thunder

A distant Cumulonimbus is highlighted by the ever familiar and always amazing colors of the setting Sun as we track from Geneva to Porto in Airbus A319 CS-TTL. Cumulonimbus clouds are the only ones able to generate lightning and hail. They feed essentially on heat and moisture. The one in this pic has reached maturity and is now in its dissipation stage.

Rerouted

A tell-tale condesation trail reveals the routing of an above traffic as we cruise from Porto to Paris Orly in Airbus A319 CS-TTE.

Last Light

 Amazing display of light shortly before diving into the clouds and establishing on the ILS approach for Porto's runway 17. A319 CS-TTP arriving from Zurich.

Trailing Condensation

 A Boeing 737 overhead is leaving a persistent condenstion trail across the Spanish airspace as we head West from Zurich to Porto in A319 CS-TTP. 

Pyrocumulus Genisis

Incandescent Spectacle

 Defining spectacle: "A visually striking performance or display". There you have it while flying from Paris Orly to Porto in A319 CS-TTB.

Pileus

 Pileus, also known as "cap cloud" sometimes form around fast growing Cumulus clouds due to the uplifting and consequent cooling of the surrounding air. This one was pictured inflight from Zurich to Porto in A320 CS-TNS.

Increasing Headings

 The attitude indicator, also known as the artificial horizon tells the pilot about aircraft pitch attitude and bank angle. In a turn it seems to tilt or bank to the opposite side of the turn but actually it doesn't tilt at all; obviously, it's the aircraft that tilts around it. This shot of the standby attitude indicator highlights just that. A319 CS-TTG from Porto to Paris Orly.

Dog As...

 The NOTOC (NOtification TO Captain) is a document intended to notify a Captain of any special and/or dangerous cargo to be loaded onto the aircraft. In this case A320 CS-TNP from Porto to Geneva. It's usually a quite clear and straight forward document however here is a NOTOC referring to four live animals (AVI's) which, I have to say, am still not sure about...

Floating Clouds

 The agitated waters of the Cantabrian Sea along with its windswept clouds come to a momentary halt as the Sun escapes over the western horizon and lonesome observers cruise overhead in A319 CS-TTH enroute from Porto to Paris Orly. For a moment, the illusion of calm prevails, the clouds seem to float and the smooth surface mirror their presence until once again the agitated waters take over.

Hot Pavement

 Lined up and ready to go on London Gatwick's runway 26L in A320 CS-TNG. This is one busy strip of pavement where arriving and departing aircraft are efficiently coordinated so as to operate at a maximum of 55 movements per hour. Despite having two parallel runways, only one is used at a time making LGW the busiest single runway airport in the world and in this pic, it's all ours as we head to Porto.