The Last Salute Of The Day’s Light

On Final Approach To Melbourne

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

The inner child comes out every time we check in for a flight, whether it is a short domestic hop or a long international trip.

Do I want an aisle seat or a window seat?

Window, thank you very much. But now that I am a responsible father of three, I happily surrender the coveted seat to one of the Authorbloglets. No worries there.


Last week, when we were flying back across this huge country-continent from a family wedding in Perth, I kept peering past Mrs Authorblog to check the view outside the Qantas Boeing 767. The landscape changed in a range of amazing hues during the almost four-hour flight, and I knew we would be landing just minutes after inky darkness hit the sky like a squid’s secret weapon.

I had done the right thing and given Mrs Authorblog the window seat, but as I had my favourite 18-125mm lens on my camera, I knew that I’d still be able to compose a decent shot through the window if we were treated to a swift burst of striking colour.

Sure enough, just as the captain began to bank towards Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport, I saw the last burst of vivid colour beginning to coat the sky. I quickly shot a series of about ten frames, happily contorting myself (not an easy task when you’re my height) in order to capture the stunning Australian dusk.


The jet banked hard, heeling over on the port wing (that’s left, to the landlubbers) as I was about to hit the trigger and I watched in dismay as the colours swam so high up my little window in row 51 that I simply could not capture them.

Being the resourceful fellow that I am, I realised that I had a few seconds – while the pilot completed the manoeuvre – to capture the hues reflected on the metal skin of the wing, even though there was nothing but complete darkness across the leading and trailing edges.

Sure enough, the captain straightened out in a few seconds and I was level with the horizon once more. This time the colours were even stronger and more pronounced, with the wing itself in darkness this time.

To think that none of this would have happened without the Wright Brothers.


For other participants in Dot’s concept, go to Sky Watch HQ.