Belgian Air Force F16
I have a bit of a love/hate with aviation photography. Not actually the photography aspect, but some of the people it seems to attract. I've seen people plonk a six foot step ladder in front of a three foot fence, I've had people literally stand two feet in front of me, in spite of there being a thirty foot area round me with nobody there. During this year's "Cobra Warrior Exercise" I've seen people strut out into the road with their ladders, in front of cars, and people leave their trash behind. Some of these "photographers" are such a special breed. So this exercise, for my first visit I went up with my good friend Rich and thought "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" and stood for a lot of my time on Rich's step platform.
Belgian Air Force F16
It did give me the opportunity to get some nice close ups of some of the cockpits and pilots, Most of the pilots, in spite of their total professionalism gave the 100's of spectators a wave, a nod or a salute. A nice touch.
Finnish Air Force F18
Most of the "sorties" lasted around two hours, sometimes longer if the planes refuelled over the North Sea. It got me thinking just how cramped it must be in those cockpits, and probably not the most comfortable place to be hemmed in for a few hours, especially when hitting speeds and doing manoeuvres. So even more respect to those pilots.
Indian Air Force Dassault Mirage
You may notice that all of the signage is in English. Also listening to conversations on the scanners all of the pilots converse in English, with other pilots or air control. So as well as spending years learning how to fly these hi tech machines, they also have to learn a second language, and put up with being sat in cramped, claustrophobic conditions for hours at a time. Respect.
Belgian Air Force F16
About me:
I can mostly be found shooting models, aviation, motorsports and, when I can, wildlife. But I enjoy most aspects of photography. You can find more of my work on the links below.
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https://brianbroganphotography.com/
