beautiful photo, impressive/ 5*

Nice! 5*

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.

Alexander, you have really good timing, or incredibly good luck. Either way--nice shot!

plenty of ( legal ) space there --just the photo illusion---nobody's life is in jeopardy

Nice Shot

wow meravigliosa foto

is that concedered a near miss?

Excellent photo illusion. Only the comparative size of the aircraft gives away how safe the actual separation was. Great shot!

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

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

Talk about right place, right time. Excellent shot.

wow...wow....wow

Scary stuff I agree with Richard B.

Nice! *****

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?

Camera lens must distort distances a bit! Great pic!

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.

I took this shot with a telephoto lens @ 400 mm focal length.

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..."

insane!

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).

Outstanding camera work! Seen in Daily Newsletter!

Very nice...!!!👍🏻

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!

When you consider how much bigger the 737 is, and that it was a 400mm lens, it makes sense. Very nicely done, Alex!

Impressive picture... If I didn't know it was an amazing illusion I would be terrified

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.

Gear up and gear down.

XO JET - Great Company!!

Remind me to watch out for all aircraft when using Bob Hope Airport! I never want to be this close to eternity!

Lets twist again like we did last Summer............

v cool

Great pic Alexander!!

just another day at Providence approach

L'instant T . super .