264 Votes (4.79 Average) and 223,915 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.
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Bombardier Challenger 300 (N541XJ)

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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.

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Mathias Böttcher
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!
Aj Wells
Are the radios working?
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
17-Apr-2026 CL30Miami Intl ()Austin-Bergstrom Intl () 01:40PM EDT 03:30PM CDT Scheduled
17-Apr-2026 CL30Palm Beach Intl ()Miami Intl () 11:10AM EDT 11:26AM EDT Scheduled
17-Apr-2026 CL30Teterboro ()Palm Beach Intl () 07:25AM EDT 09:47AM EDT Scheduled
16-Apr-2026 CL30Miami Exec ()Teterboro () 11:18AM EDT 01:58PM EDT 2:39
16-Apr-2026 CL30Pitt-Greenville ()Miami Exec () 08:33AM EDT 10:13AM EDT 1:40
16-Apr-2026 CL30Laurence G Hanscom Fld ()Pitt-Greenville () 05:36AM EDT 07:07AM EDT 1:30
15-Apr-2026 CL30Miami Intl ()Laurence G Hanscom Fld () 01:50PM EDT 04:50PM EDT 2:59
15-Apr-2026 CL30Austin-Bergstrom Intl ()Miami Intl () 09:06AM CDT 12:12PM EDT 2:06
15-Apr-2026 CL30San Antonio Intl ()Austin-Bergstrom Intl () 07:16AM CDT 07:37AM CDT 0:20
14-Apr-2026 CL30William P Hobby ()San Antonio Intl () 08:59PM CDT 09:37PM CDT 0:38
14-Apr-2026 CL30San Antonio Intl ()William P Hobby () 04:15PM CDT 04:51PM CDT 0:36
14-Apr-2026 CL30Savannah/Hilton Head Intl ()San Antonio Intl () 01:36PM EDT 03:13PM CDT 2:37
13-Apr-2026 CL30Hilton Head ()Savannah/Hilton Head Intl () 03:24PM EDT 03:38PM EDT 0:14
13-Apr-2026 CL30Palm Beach Intl ()Hilton Head () 12:51PM EDT 01:55PM EDT 1:04
13-Apr-2026 CL30Augusta Regional ()Palm Beach Intl () 08:45AM EDT 10:02AM EDT 1:17
13-Apr-2026 CL30Boca Raton ()Augusta Regional () 05:55AM EDT 07:17AM EDT 1:21
12-Apr-2026 CL30Ithaca Tompkins Intl ()Boca Raton () 09:20AM EDT 11:40AM EDT 2:20
11-Apr-2026 CL30Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport ()Ithaca Tompkins Intl () 12:50PM EDT 01:44PM EDT 0:54
11-Apr-2026 CL30Augusta Regional ()Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport () 07:33AM EDT 09:20AM EDT 1:46
10-Apr-2026 CL30Cleveland-Hopkins Intl ()Augusta Regional () 03:49PM EDT 05:27PM EDT 1:37
10-Apr-2026 CL30Washington Dulles Intl ()Cleveland-Hopkins Intl () 12:51PM EDT 01:47PM EDT 0:55
09-Apr-2026 CL30Lancaster ()Washington Dulles Intl () 07:22PM EDT 07:48PM EDT 0:25
09-Apr-2026 CL30Portsmouth Intl At Pease ()Lancaster () 04:43PM EDT 05:49PM EDT 1:05
09-Apr-2026 CL30Barnstable Muni ()Portsmouth Intl At Pease () 01:11PM EDT 01:41PM EDT 0:30
09-Apr-2026 CL30Charlotte/Douglas Intl ()Barnstable Muni () 10:15AM EDT 11:54AM EDT 1:38
07-Apr-2026 CL30Napa County ()Charlotte/Douglas Intl () 10:12AM PDT 05:37PM EDT 4:24
06-Apr-2026 CL30Scottsdale ()Napa County () 02:53PM MST 04:37PM PDT 1:44
06-Apr-2026 CL30San Jose Int'l ()Scottsdale () 10:54AM PDT 12:27PM MST 1:32
05-Apr-2026 CL30John Wayne ()San Jose Int'l () 02:50PM PDT 03:46PM PDT 0:55
05-Apr-2026 CL30Denver Intl ()John Wayne () 12:29PM MDT 01:26PM PDT 1:56
04-Apr-2026 CL30Bozeman Yellowstone Intl ()Denver Intl () 04:04PM MDT 05:20PM MDT 1:15
04-Apr-2026 CL30Van Nuys ()Bozeman Yellowstone Intl () 11:01AM PDT 01:57PM MDT 1:56
03-Apr-2026 CL30Van Nuys ()Van Nuys () 06:15PM PDT 06:58PM PDT 0:42
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