I love all things trains, planes, and various other forms of mass transport. However, photographing airplanes has become a more common pastime for me in recent years. I have the advantage of living a comfortable drive from Houston Intercontinental Airport, that boasts a very convenient hardstanding at the bottom of Runway 27. Most lunchtimes you’ll see a succession of big heavies arrive from Europe, including British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, Singapore, and even a New Zealand jet arriving from the Pacific. My most memorable, though, was the now retired Boeing 747, arriving as Speedbird 195 from Heathrow. When that big jet lined up on R27, it was a shear delight to listen to those Rolls Royce engines propel the plane safely onto the runway.