261 Votes (4.79 Average) and 207,305 Views  

Bombardier Challenger 300 (N541XJ) - Private Bombardier Challenger 300 takes off from Van Nuys Airport while a SouthWest Boeing 737 descends to land to Bob Hope airport right above. Taken in Van Nuys, California.
/images/icons/csMagGlass.png medium / large / full

Bombardier Challenger 300 (N541XJ)

Submitted

Private Bombardier Challenger 300 takes off from Van Nuys Airport while a SouthWest Boeing 737 descends to land to Bob Hope airport right above. Taken in Van Nuys, California.

Comments

Please log in or register to post a comment.

beautiful photo, impressive/ 5*
Dave Sheehy
Nice! 5*
Richard Bowman
I realize that a telephoto lens can compress distance, but even accounting for that, what the heck happened to aircraft separation? I wouldn't want ATC playing with my life like this.
Jim Quinn
Alexander, you have really good timing, or incredibly good luck. Either way--nice shot!
Pilot78
plenty of ( legal ) space there --just the photo illusion---nobody's life is in jeopardy
RW2102
Nice Shot
roby259
wow meravigliosa foto
is that concedered a near miss?
JWaldman
Excellent photo illusion. Only the comparative size of the aircraft gives away how safe the actual separation was. Great shot!
babyracer
I can see this ending up on youtube in one of those horrendously misinformed 'near-miss' videos XD
do we know the altitude of both planes ,super shot
Ian Saunders
Great shot. The tail number should be 541XJ. Those of you that have already commented there is plenty of separation on VNY departures and BUR arrivals
Al Bauer
Talk about right place, right time. Excellent shot.
renato basso
wow...wow....wow
Gary Butt
Scary stuff I agree with Richard B.
apo3
Nice! *****
Jim Fisher
A lot does depend on the lens used shooting this shot. I saw several comments that there was legal separation. I’m not sure what that is regarding on crossing routes on Arrivals and Departures. However, to me, they seem awfully close, especially regarding wake turbulence from a descending 737. On that point, the flaps don’t seem to be extended on the Southwest aircraft (doesn’t seem to be a separation in the line between the flap and the wing like there is on the Challenger) which would belie that it is landing. Also, sure doesn’t seem like a departure attitude on the 300. Looks like level flight to me. Photo-shopped perhaps?
Norton Jackson
Camera lens must distort distances a bit! Great pic!
Alexander ViduetskyPhoto Uploader
This photo is NOT altered in any way, except cropping and minor contrast/light adjustment. Anyone who ever watched the planes taking off from Van Nuys airport over lake Balboa in Van Nuys would have seen a scene like this once in a while. The Challenger IS ASCENDING here. I have the original - straight from the camera shot to prove it. Apparently, some folks simply don't understand the difference between real and fake photos.
Alexander ViduetskyPhoto Uploader
I took this shot with a telephoto lens @ 400 mm focal length.
Alexander ViduetskyPhoto Uploader
One may also read the Paul Burke comment on this photo on my Google+ page:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+AlexanderViduetsky/posts/f4GmTsAwdvz?hl=en-US&pid=6188302411271711202&oid=116869188863835438571
"Saw something like that from a Tristar.. We were in the landing pattern at Palmdale, when I saw a Cessna in a steep dive looking out a window on the left side.. It had blundered directly into the approach area there.. and just in time noticed the problem.
Another time a shadow passed over the L-1011 while it was in the pattern..."
nycslc1
insane!
Alexander ViduetskyPhoto Uploader
Considering all the factors, from my calculations, it seems like the actual distance from the lens of my camera to the Challenger is approximately 436 meters, to the Boeing 737 is 725 meters. Therefore, the separation between these two jets is about 289 meters. Sounds right to pilots?? The distance from the Van Nuys airport's runway to my vantage point is approximately 1.3 miles (2.15 km).
Dwight Hartje
Outstanding camera work! Seen in Daily Newsletter!
JORGE MOLINA
Very nice...!!!👍🏻
Joël COYO
Superbe photo! Un parfait timing! Je suppose qu'il n'y a aucune manquement aux règles de sécurité et qu'il s'agit simplement d'un effet d'optique!

I want to believe that this beautiful shot reports a non near miss situation and it is just some optical effect!

Congratulations Alexander Vidueetsky for this!
Greg Byington
When you consider how much bigger the 737 is, and that it was a 400mm lens, it makes sense. Very nicely done, Alex!
Penni Harju
Impressive picture... If I didn't know it was an amazing illusion I would be terrified
SAM PIERCE
Very nice shot Alexander! There are a couple of things about the photo and the aircraft separation. It is difficult to determine if there was or was not separation at the time the photo was taken and before. The first thing I see at the time of the photo there was diverging courses between the aircraft. Another part of separation is the altitude each aircraft was cleared to; there may have been altitude separation. Without more information it is impossible to determine separation. All the speculation and questions this picture creates testifies to what a great shot it was.
Excelente e impresionante imagen.
Jim Costello
Gear up and gear down.
Kenny Schulte
XO JET - Great Company!!
bobrhess
Remind me to watch out for all aircraft when using Bob Hope Airport! I never want to be this close to eternity!
Jim Costello
Lets twist again like we did last Summer............
Colton Fletcher
v cool
daniel jef
Great pic Alexander!!
RadaRKontakT
just another day at Providence approach
Bernard Geffroy
L'instant T . super .
jna55
oh wow< that is how baby planes are made.
Robert Fleming
Is it just me, or does it look like that 737 is landing ON TOP OF that Bombadier? Holy crap!
Vincent Partin
Nice photo!
Jadon Loveless
Impressive shot!
TeozProductions
Nice shot !
FU GENG
a nice shot!
ACTIVITY LOG
Want a full history search for N541XJ dating back to 1998? Buy now. Get it within one hour.
Date Aircraft Origin Destination Departure Arrival Duration
16-Jan-2025 CL30Boeing Field Intl ()Seattle-Tacoma Intl () 02:08PM PST 02:23PM PST 0:14
15-Jan-2025 CL30Washington Dulles Intl ()Boeing Field Intl () 10:37AM EST 01:01PM PST 5:24
13-Jan-2025 CL30Boeing Field Intl ()Washington Dulles Intl () 10:08AM PST 05:29PM EST 4:20
12-Jan-2025 CL30San Francisco Int'l ()Boeing Field Intl () 04:30PM PST 06:16PM PST 1:46
12-Jan-2025 CL30Tucson Intl ()San Francisco Int'l () 02:29PM MST 03:21PM PST 1:51
12-Jan-2025 CL30Los Cabos Int'l ()Tucson Intl () 11:12AM MST 12:37PM MST 1:24
11-Jan-2025 CL30Dallas Love Fld ()Los Cabos Int'l () 11:55AM CST 01:33PM MST 2:37
08-Jan-2025 CL30San Diego Intl ()Dallas Love Fld () 11:29AM PST 04:00PM CST 2:30
07-Jan-2025 CL30State College Regional Airport ()San Diego Intl () 11:36AM EST 01:29PM PST 4:53
06-Jan-2025 CL30Albany Intl ()State College Regional Airport () 04:00PM EST 04:57PM EST 0:57
05-Jan-2025 CL30Portsmouth Intl At Pease ()Albany Intl () 06:26PM EST 06:59PM EST 0:33
05-Jan-2025 CL30Washington Dulles Intl ()Portsmouth Intl At Pease () 04:28PM EST 05:40PM EST 1:12
05-Jan-2025 CL30Brunswick Golden Isles ()Washington Dulles Intl () 01:46PM EST 03:07PM EST 1:21
05-Jan-2025 CL30Sarasota/Bradenton Intl ()Brunswick Golden Isles () 10:51AM EST 11:47AM EST 0:55
04-Jan-2025 CL30Teterboro ()Sarasota/Bradenton Intl () 03:38PM EST 06:07PM EST 2:29
04-Jan-2025 CL30Aspen-Pitkin County ()Teterboro () 09:08AM MST 02:26PM EST 3:17
03-Jan-2025 CL30Vancouver Int'l ()San Francisco Int'l () 08:51AM PST 10:51AM PST 1:59
Basic users (becoming a basic user is free and easy!) view 3 months history. Join
 

Login

Don't have an account? Register now (free) for customized features, flight alerts, and more!
Did you know that FlightAware flight tracking is supported by advertising?
You can help us keep FlightAware free by allowing ads from FlightAware.com. We work hard to keep our advertising relevant and unobtrusive to create a great experience. It's quick and easy to whitelist ads on FlightAware or please consider our premium accounts.
Dismiss