The United States Air Force 57th Wing Demonstration Squadron “Thunderbirds” have been a subject of my photography for a couple years now. Most of all, I am fascinated with the challenge of capturing them as they are literally hard to follow across the sky, constantly moving at high speeds through harsh and changing light, and the show is over as fast as it begins. These factors force one to be ready for anything, a skill of preparation I acquired while coaching Open Water Swimming. With the constantly changing tactics of the entire field, you have to be skilled in everyones race plan, not just your own. In addition to that, I like to capture these screaming fighter jets using my great big old school 100-400mm Canon Zoom lens without a tripod. Not only do I like using it, I also like seeing the looks I get from photogs that insist on always having the latest greatest gear. The look on their faces when I have that thing out is as if I just offended their species.
To the left is at the 2019 USAF Academy graduation and this frame is at the moment the graduating classmates are throwing their caps in the air as I’m sure you’ve seen in their media clips. The best thing to me about my vantage point from a mile or two away? I can get in my car and go home after I feel like I have enough frames to edit. The people in the stadium are hours away from even getting off the Academy grounds.
Above is a rare formation of three as they scream past by Pikes Peak and approach the USAF Academy Stadium for a very fast, low pass. The reason it is rare is that it is normally a diamond configuration of four aircraft. On this day, just before the show started, one of the f-16’s met up with a very unfortunate bird that met its end all over the dome of the aircraft. this demo jet was forced to head back to base for safety reasons and unable to continue in the show.
In 2017 I had the great fortune to be coaching at Eglin AFB in Ft. Walton, FL when the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels were goin gto be flying together for the first time in over 15 years. As luck would have it, they were going up together on the day I happened to have off. Clockwise from top left: Solo take-off; diamond pattern take-off; leaving formation one-by one to land; and best for last: Air force in front of Navy. Also, on this day two of the Navy aircraft traded paint while in formation and one had to do a full emergency cable landing. It was an incredible, lucky, rare day to be able to climb up into the Pensacola Lighthouse’s 177 steps and capture these fighter jets from 150 feet above ground level. If you ever have the opportunity to be in the area when the Blue Angels are training, make the effort to go and watch them from the lighthouse.
By far my favorite Thunderbird image is the one above. I named it: “Coming in Hot”. It was also shot during the 2019 USAFA graduation. Mixed skies that day made for some challenges, but I saw this one coming. With the grey clouds in the background, it was about to pass through a ray of sunlight, at least I hoped and planned as it seemed to be about to happen that way. I don’t know how close to full throttle this pilot was at the instant I began to hold down the shutter release, but I will tell you it was loud and it was fast!! The show smoke is obvious, but you can also see the vapor trails off the wings.
Every Four Years™ 