This unforgettable story begins back in January of 2024 when I was proudly reviewing my photos from my 2023 adventures. I had far surpassed my expectations and my personal goals for the year. In the process of capturing these moments, it pushed me well beyond my comfort zone. As I was sitting there marinating in my accomplishments, I heard myself ask, “What the hell are you going to do next year?” At first, I had no idea about what I wanted to do in the coming year. But then I quickly realized that there were a few things I wanted to accomplish. First off, I wanted to travel internationally. There’s a whole planet to explore with tons of different cultures, places to get lost in and I want to see it. Secondly, I’ve always wanted to do air-to-air photography but never knew how to go about it. Fortunately, at Thunder over Michigan, I caught up with a fellow aviation photographer who shared his experiences working with various air-to-air services. Long story short, it’s “Pay to Play”. Meaning, if you got the coin, you can go fly & photograph. And it is not cheap. The fact is you’re paying for a unique if not rare photo opportunity that’s professionally organized that has limited availability and hard to duplicate. And after a bit of googling, I came across the Aviation PhotoCrew. They offer what I feel is the most appetizing and diverse selection of subjects in various locations including North America. And of their 2024 projects, there is “Warbirds UK”! The thought of photographing iconic World War Two fighters over the English countryside gave me goosebumps. To add to the excitement, the following weekend is the Royal International Air Tattoo also known as RIAT. According to Wikipedia, it is the world’s largest military airshow, and it has been on my bucket list since I started my journey in aviation photography. Seeing the countless European demo teams and numerous exotic fighters from various air forces would be absolutely incredible. So, doing my first air-to-air photoshoot with warbirds over the English countryside along with going to the world’s largest military airshow within a span of a week. Yeah, that’s what I’m going to do this year!
Fast forward through six months of the chore like routine of work, patiently saving, strategically planning, nervously booking, and confidently reserving. Surprisingly, everything worked out perfectly. The overnight flight across the pond was pleasant and comfortable, my first time driving in England was not as difficult as I imagined and navigating to the hotel was easy with Apple CarPlay. Getting checked in and having dinner was relieving after such a long exhausting day of traveling. The next morning woke up to overcast skies and scattered showers which is not ideal for an air-to-air photo shoot. According to the Aviation PhotoCrew email, the photo mission could be cancelled if the cloud ceiling were too low and rainy. And during my drive over to the Old Warden Aerodrome, the rain and mist just added more doubt to the day’s adventure. Fortunately, the weather at the airfield was slowly clearing up and soon enough our photo aircraft arrived, the famous Pink Skyvan. Eric and his enthusiastic crew came over and introduced themselves. And what a bunch of great guys. After the meet and greet, we got our safety gear on along with whatever photo gear we were taken on the flights and headed over to the Skyvan.
With the Skyvan being a turboprop, it requires jet fuel which was not available at the aerodrome. So, we based the rest of our flights out of Turweston airport. This gave us a place to grab a bite to eat, collectively nerd out about our love for aviation and photography, along with refuel the Skyvan before the next flight. After the first flight, we were much more relaxed and talkative as a group. And before we knew it, it was time for the next flight. My next location was in the middle of “Business Class”. This was a row of padded benches instead of the hard floor of the Skyvan. The second flight was the shortest, with only one subject, an amazing Hawker Hurricane. But oh my god he flew in super close formation with us. Then it was back at Turweston airport, refueled the Skyvan and we were back in the air for our longest flight with two Spitfires and two P-51s. Capturing breathtaking photos of World War Two fighters dancing over clouds, combined with the vibrant color of the English countryside was immensely exhilarating and truly unforgettable. Even though we all had smiles from ear to ear during that longer flight, I think everyone couldn’t wait to be back on the ground to warm up. Back at Turweston for the last time for fuel and with nothing else to photograph the rear door was closed and we headed back to the Old Warden Aerodrome. Words fail me at completely describing how incredible this whole experience was. It is something you must experience for yourself. Big thanks to all the amazing members of the Aviation PhotoCrew for organizing such an extraordinary event.
Enough talking, enjoy the photos.
Gear used
Canon 90D (X2)
Canon EF-S 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS STM
Canon EF 70-200mm F/2.8L USM
iPhone 11 Pro Max
Aircraft photograph
Airco DH.9
Submarine Spitfire PR XI
Supermarine Spitfire FR.XIV MV293
Supermarine Spitfire MKIX “The Russian Spitfire”
Hawker Hurricane MK I V749
North American P-51 “Jersey Jerk”
North American P-51D “Marinell”
Until next post,
Steven
