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  • An Airbus A380 is parked nose to tail with it's rival in the airline world, a Boeing 777 belonging to the Etihad Airways. They are both static exhibits at Britain's Farnborough Airshow and are on the ground before their afternoon flying displays delighting potential buyers of these jet aircraft, and the aviation-loving general public. These are the airplane giants and their bidding for airline contracts and orders is a fierce on-going fight for dominance in the world's skies. The teo planes are low in the picture to emphasize the blue skies above. Etihad's emblem seen on the tail is that of a falcon while the Airbus is a generic demonstrator that flies around the world on a continuous marketing tour.
    farnborough_airshow04-21-07-2010.jpg
  • An Airbus A380 is parked nose to tail with it's rival in the airline world, a Boeing 777 belonging to the Etihad Airways. They are both static exhibits at Britain's Farnborough Airshow and are on the ground before their afternoon flying displays delighting potential buyers of these jet aircraft, and the aviation-loving general public. These are the airplane giants and their bidding for airline contracts and orders is a fierce on-going fight for dominance in the world's skies. The teo planes are low in the picture to emphasize the blue skies above. Etihad's emblem seen on the tail is that of a falcon while the Airbus is a generic demonstrator that flies around the world on a continuous marketing tour.
    farnborough_airshow05-21-07-2010.jpg
  • Taking notes from an air band receiving radio, plane spotters log aircraft serial numbers and other details in notebooks near their perimeter fence at London's Heathrow airport. A large man has a pair of binoculars and an old SLR film camera and leans against his Peugeot car's bonnet (hood) to record the obsessive facts about airliners that pass overhead as they approach the runways of West London. His fellow-aviation enthusiast checks the radio that transmits the voices of pilots and air traffic controllers. In Britain, plane spotters are regarded as eccentric and sad but not trespassers. Some have been accused of spying near foreign military airfields. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis12-17-08-1997.jpg
  • Spectators watch an air show at North Weald in Cambridgeshire, England. A man films a lone aircraft that banks across the summer sky. The enthusiast's blue denim jacket is almost fully-covered with aeronautical badges which depict various foreign military aerobatic teams, including the Swiss, Norwegian and German squadrons, whose emblems have been stitched into the fabric. Plane spotters form hardcore groups of aviation pilgrims. Logging and photographing flying machines, they follow air displays across their own countries and the calendars of other European festivals that attract hundreds of thousands. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis10-12-05-1997.jpg
  • Known as 'Old Glory', a polished silver Boeing Mitchell B-25 is refuelled in readiness for a display flight at Oshkosh Air Venture, the world?s largest air show in Wisconsin USA. In afternoon light, a lady in a stars and stripes shirt stands arms behind her back admiring the lovingly restored polished twin-engine bomber, the most heavily armed airplane of the second world war used for high and low-level bombing, strafing, photoreconnaissance, submarine patrol and fighter. Close to a million populate the mass fly-in over the week, a pilgrimage worshipping all aspects of flight. The event annually generates $85 million in revenue over a 25 mile radius from Oshkosh. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903
    aviation_corbis45-28-08-1998.jpg
  • Baggage belonging to a British Airways Concorde crew is lined up beneath their aircraft after arriving at Oshkosh Air Venture, the world?s largest air show in Wisconsin USA. Twelve cases match 12 of Concorde's tiny windows and some of the crowd either take shelter from the sun or walk around the supersonic jet in awe of this engineering marvel. Their baggage is lined up beneath the aircraft during its visit to this huge show in Wisconsin, USA. Close to a million populate the mass fly-in over the week, a pilgrimage worshipping all aspects of flight. The event annually generates $85 million in revenue over a 25 mile radius from Oshkosh. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis44-27-08-1998.jpg
  • A father supports his son on his shoulders as a giant four-engined airliner passes directly overhead, about to land at London's Heathrow airport, England. Seen from a low angle, we see the graphic cruciform shape of the aircraft as it screams past two powerful airfield landing lights that help guide arriving aircraft to the runway. The backlit scene is largely monochrome apart from the boys red t-shirt and yellow-faced watch which are lit by flash, underexposing the overcast sky. Prior to 9/11, British airport authorities and police tolerated plane spotters near runway fences but with heightened terrorist alerts, these enthusiasts are told to move on or face arrest. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis13-17-08-1997.jpg
  • A US Navy electrician looks straight into the camera wearing a brown colour-coded uniform and beneath the cockpit of an EA-6B Prowler, a communications and intelligence-gathering patrol aircraft on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman, on patrol off Kuwait in the Persian Gulf enforcing the coalition's no-fly zone over Iraq. Behind him are the signs and emblems of the US Navy aircraft that is parked on the deck of this carrier so named after the US President who was in office from 1945 to 1953. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis02-19-04-2001.jpg
  • In mid-day heat of the arid Sonoran desert sit the remains of a Boeing 747 airliner at the storage facility at Mojave, California. Here, the fate of the world's retired civil airliners is decided by age or a cooling economy and are either cannibalised for still-working parts or recycled for scrap, their aluminium fuselages worth more than their sum total. After a lifetime of safe commercial flight, wings are clipped and cockpits sliced apart by huge guillotines, cutting through their once-magnificant engineering. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_graveyard02-16-03-2008-15-0...jpg
  • In mid-day heat of the arid Sonoran desert sit the remains of a Boeing airliner sat the storage facility at Mojave, California. Here, the fate of the world's retired civil airliners is decided by age or a cooling economy and are either cannibalised for still-working parts or recycled for scrap, their aluminium fuselages worth more than their sum total. After a lifetime of safe commercial flight, wings are clipped and cockpits sliced apart by huge guillotines, cutting through their once-magnificant engineering. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_graveyard04-16-03-2008-15-0...jpg
  • Like a huge caged animal in a zoo, the cockpit section of a Boeing 747 'jumbo' jet is perceived peering over the barbed-wire perimeter fence at London's Heathrow airport between engineering schedules and more transcontinental flights. Two fluffy cumulus clouds are stacked vertically above the hump of the airliner's nose to form three white blotches of the same tone. This major hub is mainly for British Airways operations, one of the three busiest airports in the world. When asked what is his favourite building of the Century, architect Sir Norman Foster offered the 747 the Jumbo has since carried 2.2 billion people: 40% of the world's population. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis14-17-08-1997.jpg
  • Seen from the cockpit of another Hawk of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team during an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. Seen through the explosive Plexiglass cockpit of a tenth plane, we see forward into deep blue sky as two sets of aerobatic pilots steer their machines from a crossover manoeuvre, their organic white smoke pouring from their jet pipes to emphasize their paths through the air. In front of a local crowd at the airfield the team work their way through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows740_RBA.jpg
  • Seen from the cockpit of another Hawk of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team during an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. Seen through the explosive Plexiglass cockpit of a tenth plane, we look sideways towards other pilots diving downwards as they their machines after a loop, their organic white smoke pouring from their jet pipes to emphasize their paths through the air. In front of a local crowd at the airfield the team work their way through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows738_RBA.jpg
  • Seen from the cockpit of another Hawk of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team during an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. Seen through the explosive Plexiglass cockpit of a tenth plane, we see forward into deep blue sky as two sets of aerobatic pilots steer their machines from a crossover manoeuvre, their organic white smoke pouring from their jet pipes to emphasize their paths through the air. In front of a local crowd at the airfield the team work their way through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows685_RBA.jpg
  • Seen from the cockpit of another Hawk of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team during an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. Seen through the explosive Plexiglass cockpit of a tenth plane, we see forward into deep blue sky as two sets of aerobatic pilots steer their machines from a crossover manoeuvre, their organic white smoke pouring from their jet pipes to emphasize their paths through the air. In front of a local crowd at the airfield the team work their way through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows684_RBA.jpg
  • Seen from the cockpit of another Hawk of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team during an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. Seen through the explosive Plexiglass cockpit of a tenth plane, we see forward into deep blue sky as two sets of aerobatic pilots steer their machines from a crossover manoeuvre, their organic white smoke pouring from their jet pipes to emphasize their paths through the air. In front of a local crowd at the airfield the team work their way through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows572_RBA.jpg
  • About to board their Sri Lankan airlines flight to the Maldives, crowds of economy class passengers stand and make an orderly queue when their flight has been called by ground staff at London Heathrow airport England. Lines of people from all nations can be seen reflected in a large window that also overlooks the airport apron where their front-facing Airbus A340-300 aircraft awaits them, its flight-deck crew is seen in the cockpit readying their plane for the long night journey ahead. Catering service trucks are parked alongside the aircraft, loading supplies and all is on schedule from this large intercontinental airport hub to the much smaller island airfield in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the idyllic destination for holidaying Europeans.
    maldives01-10-11-2007.jpg
  • Fading, graduated light of the arid Sonoran desert shows the remains of airliners at the storage facility at Mojave, California, their silhouettes forming a line of aviation's by-gone era. Because of age or a cooling economy they are either cannibalised for still-working parts or recycled for scrap, their aluminium fuselages worth more than their sum total. After a lifetime of safe commercial flight, wings are clipped and cockpits sliced apart by huge guillotines, cutting through their once-magnificent engineering. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903...
    aviation_corbis41-15-08-1998.jpg
  • In mid-day heat of the arid Sonoran desert sit the remains of Boeing 747 airliners at the storage facility at Mojave, California. Here, the fate of the world?s retired civil airliners is decided by age or a cooling economy and are either cannibalised for still-working parts or recycled for scrap, their aluminium fuselages worth more than their sum total. After a lifetime of safe commercial flight, wings are clipped and cockpits sliced apart by huge guillotines, cutting through their once-magnificant engineering. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis40-15-08-1998.jpg
  • In mid-day heat of the arid Sonoran desert sits the gutted remains of a Lockheed Tri-Star airliner at the storage facility at Mojave, California. Here, the fate of the world?s retired civil airliners is decided by age or a cooling economy and are either cannibalised for still-working parts or recycled for scrap, their aluminium fuselages worth more than their sum total. After a lifetime of safe commercial flight, wings are clipped and cockpits sliced apart by huge guillotines, cutting through the sleek curves. Elsewhere, Jumbo jets, Airbuses and assorted Boeings sit abandoned in the scrub minus their bellies, legs or wings like dying birds. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis39-15-08-1998.jpg
  • Exercise Dogfish 2001, will take place in the Ionian Sea to the east of Sicily. Eight NATO surface ships from Standing Naval Force Mediterranean will join the exercise...P-3 Orion..Seven submarines from Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the United States are also scheduled to take part...Over 130 air missions are planned, and on average this will result in a crew briefing every two hours, day and night, throughout the 14-day exercise. ..Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis36-22-02-2001.jpg
  • A US Navy airman stands holding a recently-bought hot dog from a food dispenser at the Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily Italy. Wearing a green flying suit, the snack is wrapped in a napkin and its chemically-enhanced yellow mustard echoes the stripes and badge of his squadron. Home to over 5,000 military and civilian personnel including family members, Sigonella is an outpost for American nationals who have the luxuries from home freighted out to their remote mission, a hub of naval air operations in the Mediterranean Sea and home comforts keep up morale. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis35-22-02-2001.jpg
  • In mid-flight between Hamburg in Germany and London Heathrow, we see a passenger?s view of a climbing airliner's port wing and the hazy German landscape below at a high altitude. The sky above reflects its soft blue hue on the upper surface of the left wing but the air below is a soft pink, a rural patchwork of fields and villages. As an example of aerodynamic design, the flying machine is a perfect gesture towards the conquest of flight, copied from the characteristics of a bird?s anatomy. As art, the mere beauty of taking to the air and maintaining level, organised speed is so routine, we rarely look our from our window to marvel at how and why. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis34-21-05-2002.jpg
  • A Rolls-Royce turbofan has been fixed to the exterior of the company?s sales stand at the Farnborough Air Show in Hampshire, England. The British-owned company have been making aircraft engines since 1914 at the start of the First World War, in response to the nation's needs, Royce designed his first aero engine ? the Eagle. Modern airliners have the Trent engine's technology embedded in its power plants and Farnborough is a major showcase for its many designs. Here, their chalet has a mocked-up garden feature complete railings and the turbine blades attached to the wall above. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis25-23-07-2002.jpg
  • A competitor in the annual Birdman of Bognor event stands on the pier floor boards at Bognor Regis, East Sussex, England. English eccentrics gather annually at the southern seaside town to jump from the pier into the chilly waters of the English Channel. Fun jumpers ?wearing? their aeroplane suits compete for a £25,000 prize for the one to fly 100 metres from the pier platform ? a record not yet achieved. Entrants (who often jump for charity rather than any aeronautical pretensions) include sugar plum fairies, condoms, Ninja Turtles and vampires. The winner was a hang-glider pilot reaching 26 metres but here, a Spitfire pilot sponsored by a milk company eventually dropped vertically. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis23-27-05-2001.jpg
  • A competitor in the annual Birdman of Bognor event attempts to fly at Bognor Regis, East Sussex, England. English eccentrics gather annually at the southern seaside town to jump from the pier into the chilly waters of the English Channel. Fun jumpers ?wearing? their aeroplane suits compete for a £25,000 prize for the one to fly 100 metres from the pier platform ? a record not yet achieved. Entrants (who often jump for charity rather than any aeronautical pretensions) include sugar plum fairies, condoms, Ninja Turtles and vampires. The winner was a hang-glider pilot reaching 26 metres but here, a Spitfire sponsored by a milk company drops vertically. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis22-27-05-2001.jpg
  • Near the end of the military runway at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk England, a road sign warns of low-flying aircraft near the base which is populated by the United States Air Force Refuelling Wing. Beneath the triangular sign is a locally made makeshift advertisement for CJ's, a nearby cafe. It is summer and the shrubs are green with white flowers to the side. The sign itself has become discoloured with green algae after being rained on over successive wet weather days. In the UK, the Highway Code for road-users lists this warning sign (always triangular) as "Low-flying aircraft or sudden aircraft noise." Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis21-27-05-2001.jpg
  • In a farmer's tool shed, a painted mural depicting B-24 Liberators sweeping over the cracked brick wall of what was once an officers? mess at the WW2 Wendling airfield, Norfolk England. Below this scene of heroic military might, young officers flying Liberators of the 392nd Bomb Group gathered before and after raids into Germany from November 1943 to July 1945. The runway is now partly covered by a turkey farm and this building is now full of car and tractor parts. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis19-05-10-2000.jpg
  • Ten jets of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, fly over the Victoria Memorial opposite Buckingham Palace in London, on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's 100th birthday. Tourists watch as the ten aircraft leave a trail of patriotic red, white and blue smoke in honour of the monarch's elderly mother whose centenary was celebrated  in lavish style with cultural events and church services. The memorial to Queen Victoria was built by the sculptor Sir Thomas Brock, in 1911. The surround was constructed by the architect Sir Aston Webb, from 2,300 tons of white marble and is a Grade I listed building. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis17-19-07-2000.jpg
  • 'Counting the Cost' is a memorial sculpture in glass designed by Renato Niemis which is outside at the American Air Museum at the Imperial War Museum, RAF Duxford, England. The sculpture comprises of 52 toughened clear float glass panels, each etched with the outlines of 7,031 aircraft missing in action in operations flown by American air forces (Air Force and Navy Groups) from Britain during the Second World War. The images are scaled at 1:240, diagonally pointing towards the blue summer sky once filled with bombers and fighters during the air campaign over Germany and France. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis16-12-12-1997.jpg
  • Like a huge caged animal in a zoo, the cockpit section of a Boeing 747 'jumbo' jet is perceived peering over the barbed-wire perimeter fence at London's Heathrow airport between engineering schedules and more transcontinental flights. Two fluffy cumulus clouds are stacked vertically above the hump of the airliner's nose to form three white blotches of the same tone. This major hub is mainly for British Airways operations, one of the three busiest airports in the world. When asked what is his favourite building of the Century, architect Sir Norman Foster offered the 747 the Jumbo has since carried 2.2 billion people: 40% of the world?s population. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis14-17-08-1997.jpg
  • A lone Tornado jet fighter arcs across a typically overcast sky at Southend-on-Sea on a Bank Holiday Sunday. Well-defined figures of children and adults either play nonchalantly on the beach at low tide, or watch in awe as the aircraft thunders over the Thames Estuary mud. A few stranded yachts stand upright in the low water and a groyne stretches out to sea towards the Kent coast, seen in the distance. It is a bleak and depressingly empty scene and the jet is merely a dot in the grey English sky, traditionally familiar summer weather. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis11-25-05-1997.jpg
  • An airport worker employed by SABTCO guides an arriving Airbus onto its stand at Bahrain International Airport. The man carefully encourages the slow-moving flying machine using his illuminated sticks alerting the pilot in control of this commercial airliner to an exact stopping place after its taxiing from the runway. It is another hot day in this Gulf State, a key hub airport in the region, providing a gateway to the Northern Gulf. The airport is the major hub for Gulf Air which provides 52% of overall movements. It is also the half-way point between Western Europe and Asian destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis07-21-04-2001.jpg
  • The main nose wheel of an Airbus is parked on a stand at Bahrain International Airport. The names of other Airbuses and Boeing 737 types are also written on the concrete to allow exact distances for expandable air bridges and other airfield vehicles to connect and service these similarly-sized commercial airliners. A key hub airport in this region, providing a gateway to the Northern Gulf, Bahrain is the major hub for Gulf Air which provides 52% of overall movements. It is also the half-way point between Western Europe and Asian destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis05-21-04-2001.jpg
  • About to board their Sri Lankan airlines flight to the Maldives, crowds of economy class passengers stand and make an orderly queue when their flight has been called by ground staff at London Heathrow airport England. Lines of people from all nations can be seen reflected in a large window that also overlooks the airport apron where their front-facing Airbus A340-300 aircraft awaits them, its flight-deck crew is seen in the cockpit readying their plane for the long night journey ahead. Catering service trucks are parked alongside the aircraft, loading supplies and all is on schedule from this large intercontinental airport hub to the much smaller island airfield in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the idyllic destination for holidaying Europeans.
    maldives01-10-11-2007.jpg
  • A Bahraini  baggage-handler employed by SABTCO pauses during his shift at Bahrain International airport. Having loaded luggage he is also about to put a cargo of fresh fruits on the conveyor belt and into the hold of an Egyptair Airbus. A colleague walks up the ramp towards the fuselage before the freight goes in before its imminent departure for Cairo, across the Mediterranean. It is another hot day in this Gulf State, a key hub airport in the region, providing a gateway to the Northern Gulf. The airport is the home for Gulf Air which provides 52% of overall movements and is also the half-way point between Western Europe and Asian destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first powered flight, 1903..
    bahrain_airport03-21-04-2001.jpg
  • Seen from the cockpit of another Hawk of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team during an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. Seen through the explosive Plexiglass cockpit of a tenth plane, we see forward into deep blue sky as two sets of aerobatic pilots steer their machines from a crossover manoeuvre, their organic white smoke pouring from their jet pipes to emphasize their paths through the air. In front of a local crowd at the airfield the team work their way through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows687_RBA.jpg
  • Seen from the cockpit of another Hawk of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team during an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. Seen through the explosive Plexiglass cockpit of a tenth plane, we see forward into deep blue sky as two sets of aerobatic pilots steer their machines from a crossover manoeuvre, their organic white smoke pouring from their jet pipes to emphasize their paths through the air. In front of a local crowd at the airfield the team work their way through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows686_RBA.jpg
  • In mid-flight over Greater London, we see a passenger?s view of a turning airliner's wing and the capital's dusk landscape below at a low altitude. As the starboard (right) wing dips, the Virgin Atlantic Airbus banks and a long exposure blurs the city lights below. A small curved portion of the passenger window, red engines and the Union Jack colours are seen. As aerodynamic design, the flying machine is a perfect gesture towards the conquest of flight, copied from the characteristics of a bird?s anatomy. As art, the mere beauty of taking to the air and maintaining level, organised speed is so routine, we rarely look our from our window to marvel at how and why. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis50-10-11-2000.jpg
  • In mid-day heat of the arid Arizona desert, a complete set of main landing gear undercarriage stands upright amid a field of similar items from airliners at the storage facility at Davis Monthan, Tucson. Here, the fate of the world's retired civil airliners is decided by age or cooling economy. Cannibalised for still-working parts or recycled for scrap, their aluminium is worth more than their sum total. Elsewhere, assorted aircraft wrecks sit abandoned in the scrub minus their bellies, legs or wings like dying birds. After a lifetime of safe commercial flight, wings are clipped and cockpits sliced apart by huge guillotines, cutting through their engineering. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis42-15-08-1998.jpg
  • A French Dassault-Breguet Mirage military jet interceptor/fighter stands on a pedestal in the Place de la Concorde, Paris during an aviation display weekend along the Champs Elysées. Passers-by seem oblivious to this celebration of French aviation as they walk through the Parisian square, the scene of public executions during the revolution. The Mirage seems to be climbing off its platform and up into the cloudless summer afternoon sky as a young child sits on top of his father's shoulders and passengers in a city bus seem trapped behind the windows. Its is a scene of incongruous moments, a surreal appearance of frightening military technology amid the calm of a public place. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis28-15-09-1998.jpg
  • Virgin Chairman Sir Richard Branson performs in front of the media during a publicity launch of Virgin Atlantic's new Airbus A340-600 which is parked behind the business tycoon during the Farnborough Air Show in Hampshire, England. He stands on one leg in a typically eccentric aviation-owner balancing trick. Behind him near the aircraft's nose a Virgin 'babe' echoes his outstretched arms while flying the British Union Jack flag. Farnborough centres its presence on big aerospace business to the tune of $40bn in orders and industry leaders like Branson, Boeing and Airbus parade their brands and announce new orders throughout the week-long display. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis26-23-07-2002.jpg
  • During a lull in activity, a Boeing 747 is swathed in engineering gantries during a major check (maintenance schedule) at the British Airways Heathrow base in London England. As if in a hospital ER several metres off the ground, yellow struts surround the aircraft's forward nose section and the first class windows along the white fuselage allowing mechanics, engineers and avionics specialists unimpeded access to every element of the air frame. Neon tubes illuminate the hangar that houses flying machines which are serviced here between transcontinental commercial passenger flights. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis20-17-11-2000.jpg
  • Now an overgrown, mildew-ridden farm shack in woodland in Seething, Norfolk England, this wall mural was once one of the barracks housing 3,000 young World War 2 bomber crews so was probably painted by a young aspiring artist and aviator with the 448th Bomb Group, a fleet of bombers based in England from November 1943 to July 1945. The picture depicts a confrontation between US Air Force B-24 Liberators, a P-51 Mustang and probably a German Dornier. There are hairline cracks in the plaster but the yellow hue of the hand-painted wall is largely intact despite damp conditions in the shed. There are however, other artistic details now faded. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis18-05-10-2000.jpg
  • The nose detail of a de Havilland Comet in the colours of the long-defunct airline Dan Air is seen in profile at the Imperial War Museum's Duxford airfield, Cambridgeshire, England. The British de Havilland Comet first flew in July 1949 and is noted as the world's first commercial jet airliner as well as one of the first pressurized commercial aircraft. Early models suffered from catastrophic metal fatigue and the aircraft was redesigned. Here, the nose structure is held together with rivets that sit askew of the aircraft skin making it aerodynamically unfit to fly. It remains however, one of the classic and iconic designs in the history of commercial aviation. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis15-12-12-1997.jpg
  • On a hot night at Bahrain International Airport, a Boeing airliner is about to be pushed backwards and start its engines. Two airport agents wearing traditional Arab dress stand patiently high up on the air bridge (that joins the aircraft fuselage during its turnaround time), several metres above ground level, ensuring no last-minute problems occur before departure. This Gulf State is, a key hub airport in the region, providing a gateway to the Northern Gulf. The airport is the major hub for Gulf Air which provides 52% of overall movements. It is also the half-way point between Western Europe and Asian destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis08-21-04-2001.jpg
  • A Bahrani aircraft mechanic stands beneath the giant nose wheel assembly of a Being airliner at Bahrain International Airport. Wearing a red headset, he can communicate by cable with the pilots high up in the aircraft's cockpit as a vehicle pushes-back the flying machine onto the taxi-way before starting its engines and departure. It is another hot day in this Gulf State, a key hub airport in the region, providing a gateway to the Northern Gulf. The airport is the major hub for Gulf Air which provides 52% of overall movements. It is also the half-way point between Western Europe and Asian destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis06-21-04-2001.jpg
  • An aircraft cleaner from Kathmandu, Nepal, stands in white overalls with his bucket and mop on the tarmac at Bahrain International airport. It is another hot day in this key hub airport in this Gulf region, providing a gateway to the Northern Gulf. The airport is the major hub for Gulf Air which provides 52% of overall movements and is also the half-way point between Western Europe and Asian destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing. Gulf states also rely on the workforces from south-Asia such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh whose wages are often low and harsh living conditions compared to local nationals and tourists who enjoy superior accommodation. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.  .
    aviation_corbis04-21-04-2001.jpg
  • A Bahrani baggage-handler employed by SABTCO pauses during his shift at Bahrain International airport. Having loaded luggage and cargo into the hold of an Egyptair Airbus, he sits looking hot and tired on the company?s conveyor belt awaiting last-minute additions to the manifest before its imminent departure for Cairo, across the Mediterranean. It is another hot day in this Gulf State, a key hub airport in the region, providing a gateway to the Northern Gulf. The airport is the home for Gulf Air which provides 52% of overall movements and is also the half-way point between Western Europe and Asian destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis03-21-04-2001.jpg
  • Model plane enthusiasts discuss the finer points of radio controlled flight on the site of the former London (Croydon) airfield, once the location of the first international passenger services from England in the 1930s.
    croydon_airfield02-29-07-2002.jpg
  • A gentleman Sky Cap stands in front of the terminal building at Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, California, USA. Wearing his red waste-coat, ID badge and cap he holds the handle of the baggage trolley with which he assists passengers to offload their belongings and guides them to the check-in counters inside. The man has a greying beard and sunglasses against the glare and is an eager helper to those struggling with heavy travel possessions. On the ground are stencilled the words 'Passenger Loading Only' referring to where departing travellers might seek help with baggage. There are armies of workers across the world keeping airlines and airports running 24/7. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903..
    aviation_corbis47-10-11-2000.jpg
  • Two US Navy helicopters have been parked next to some cacti at the Pima Air and Space Museum near Davis Monthan Air Force base, Tucson, Arizona. In the arid desert heat we see only the rear sections of the aircraft, their rotors have been moved into a storage position and so echo the arm-like form and camouflaged tones of the cactus branches. The ground is sandy from the desert floor and soft, overhead light casts a shadow beneath the aircraft's fuselage. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis37-10-08-1998.jpg
  • Behind railings that honoured American aviator Wilbur Wright at the annual Le Mans air show, France, seven spectators gaze upwards to a clear sky where a lone but unseen aircraft performs in front of the French crowd. Wright made 110 flights at Le Mans and nearby Auvours in 1908 and his legacy for French and global aerospace lives on at events like this where a replica of his Wright Flyer was also exhibited. It is a bright summer's day and the blue sky has vapour trails left by a previous display pilot's jet engine. A prominent British Union Jack flutters on a pole and the words 'invites' (for invited guests only) are printed on to sheets of paper. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis27-20-07-1998.jpg
  • Some of the nine Hawk jet aircraft of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, perform the 5/4 Split high during an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. Seen through the explosive Plexiglass cockpit of a tenth plane, we see forward into deep blue sky as two sets of aerobatic pilots steer their machines from a crossover manoeuvre, their organic white smoke pouring from their jet pipes to emphasize their paths through the air. In front of a local crowd at the airfield the team work their way through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.   .
    Red_Arrows730_RBA.jpg
  • A portrait of an aviation enthusiast with boxes of Airfix modelling kits during an airshow at North Weald in Essex, southern England. Holding a silver equipment case in one hand and his camera in another, the eccentric obsessive wears an anorak adorned with collectable badges and pins. Airfix is a UK manufacturer of plastic scale model kits of aircraft and other subjects. In Britain, the name Airfix is synonymous with the hobby, a plastic model of this type is often simply referred to as "an airfix kit" even if made by another manufacturer.
    plane_spotters07-10-01-2003.jpg
  • Awaiting recycling are the tails of various Air Force and National Guard of jet fighter aircraft, now junked in the arid desert, on 15th August 1998, at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
    arizona_boneyard-15-08-1998.jpg
  • Awaiting re-use or recycling are F-16 fighter jets, sealed up against the dust in the arid desert, on 15th August 1998, at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
    arizona_boneyard-15-08-1998_3.jpg
  • Visitors to the world's largest aviation airshow at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA, admire home-built kit aeroplanes at Oshkosh Air Venture, the world’s largest air show in Wisconsin USA. Close to a million people populate the mass fly-in over the week, a pilgrimage worshipping all aspects of flight. The event annually generates $85 million in revenue over a 25 mile radius from Oshkosh. The event is presented by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), a national/international organization based in Oshkosh. The airshow is seven days long and typically begins on the last Monday in July. The airport's control tower is the busiest control tower in the world during the gathering.
    oshkosh_airshow01-02-08-2000.jpg
  • Stored old airliners sit in mid-day heat of arid Sonoran Desert at Mojave airport facility, awaiting recycling for scrap value
    mojave_jets01-15-08-1998.jpg
  • With cabin lights dimmed, economy class passengers sleep under blankets on an international long-haul flight
    maldives496-16-11-2007.jpg
  • An aviation enthusiast eats an ice cream during an airshow at North Weald in Essex, southern England. Slurping on the melting ice cream, the odd-looking man wearing an anorak looks to unseen aircraft parked alongside the public areas during the hours before the flying displays commence at this small airfield north of London.
    plane_spotters02-10-01-2003.jpg
  • Aerial view (from control tower) of landing 747 jet and showing expanse of airport land at London Heathrow.
    adie_dolan_atc216-03-06-2014.jpg
  • Airliners landing at London Heathrow airport,<br />
<br />
From the chapter entitled 'Up in the Air' and from the book 'Risk Wise: Nine Everyday Adventures' by Polly Morland (Allianz, The School of Life, Profile Books, 2015).
    heathrow_landing08-23-09-2014.jpg
  • Young people play with supersonic Air France Concorde models beneath the shadow of a fighter jet at the Le Bourget airport, days after the crash at nearby Gonesse which ended the life of the Concorde airliner.
    le_bourget_aviation01-29-07-2002.jpg
  • A hand steadies an awkward event banner showing the fleet of modern airliners belonging to European consortium, Airbus during the bi-annual aerospace industry expo at the Farnborough airshow in southern England. From the top of the banner we see the short-haul A319 type to the bottom which has featured the long-range A340-600 version. Alongside each model's profile, we see the aircraft's statistics and performance figures. Airbus is the main competitor to the American Boeing range of modern airliners. Airbus is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, the company produces approximately half of the world's jet airliners, employing around 63,000 people at sixteen sites in four European Union countries: France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain.
    farnborough06-29-07-2002.jpg
  • The wrecked remains of a Curtiss C-46 Commando WW2-era transport aircraft awaiting salvage or recycling in the desert airfield of Davis Monthan in Tucson, Arizona. The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C. Known to the men who flew them as "The Whale," the "Curtiss Calamity," the "plumber's nightmare" and the "flying coffin," At the time of its production, the C-46 was the largest twin-engine aircraft in the world, and the largest and heaviest twin-engine aircraft to see service in World War II.
    davis_monthan_boneyard01-15-08-1998.jpg
  • Engineering ground staff of the Red Arrows, Britain's RAF aerobatic team during winter training turnaround.
    Red_Arrows248_RBA.jpg
  • Engineering ground staff of the Red Arrows, Britain's RAF aerobatic team shelter from weather on airfield apron.
    Red_Arrows035_RBA.jpg
  • Engineering ground staff member of the Red Arrows, Britain's RAF aerobatic team, walks across a wintry airfield apron.
    Red_Arrows020_RBA.jpg
  • A Bahrani baggage-handler employed by SABTCO loads baggage onto a Saudi Airlines McDonnell-Douglas MD90-30 (registered as HZ-APP) on the apron at the Gulf state of Bahrain's international airport.
    bahrain_airport04-21-04-2001.jpg
  • US Air Force Sergeant provides security while presenting military aircraft to the public at the Farnborough Airshow.
    farnborough_airshow20-19-07-2010.jpg
  • US Air Force Sergeant provides security while presenting military aircraft to the public at the Farnborough Airshow.
    farnborough_airshow19-19-07-2010.jpg
  • Security staff and static display aircraft lined-up at the Farnborough Airshow, the A380 at the back and a 777 in front.
    farnborough_airshow10-19-07-2010.jpg
  • Security staff and static display aircraft lined-up at the Farnborough Airshow, the A380 at the back and a 777 in front.
    farnborough_airshow08-19-07-2010.jpg
  • Banking slowly left over the agricultural Lincolnshire countryside are the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, who have commenced an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. They turn at a gentle angle trailing white organic smoke  before reforming in front of a local crowd at the airfield and working through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. Their objective is to appear perfectly spaced from a ground perspective. Freshly-ploughed English fields with properties, roads and hedgerows are seen below. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows683_RBA.jpg
  • Banking slowly left over the agricultural Lincolnshire countryside are the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, who have commenced an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. They turn at a gentle angle trailing white organic smoke  before reforming in front of a local crowd at the airfield and working through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. Their objective is to appear perfectly spaced from a ground perspective. Freshly-ploughed English fields with properties, roads and hedgerows are seen below. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows681_RBA.jpg
  • Joining with the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team on the far left, are the smoke trails of forty leading European display aircraft: Spanish Patrulla Aguila; Italian Frecce Tricolori; French Breitling Jet Team and the Swiss Patrouille Suisse. All flew together in the clear, blue alpine skies on a spectacular fly-past at the Payerne Air 04 show, Switzerland. The two-day festival at the Swiss airfield is home of the Swiss Air Force who host the cream of international aerobatic display flying every September to 275,000 spectators over a weekend. European display teams and air forces gathered to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Swiss military aviation. Flying on the far left here, the Red Arrows have performed over 4,000 shows in 52 countries since 1965.
    Red_Arrows672_RBA.jpg
  • Joining with the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team on the far left, are the smoke trails of forty leading European display aircraft: Spanish Patrulla Aguila; Italian Frecce Tricolori; French Breitling Jet Team and the Swiss Patrouille Suisse. All flew together in the clear, blue alpine skies on a spectacular fly-past at the Payerne Air 04 show, Switzerland. The two-day festival at the Swiss airfield is home of the Swiss Air Force who host the cream of international aerobatic display flying every September to 275,000 spectators over a weekend. European display teams and air forces gathered to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Swiss military aviation. Flying on the far left here, the Red Arrows have performed over 4,000 shows in 52 countries since 1965.
    Red_Arrows641_RBA.jpg
  • Hawk aircraft of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team display above Guensey harbour crowds.
    Red_Arrows615_RBA.jpg
  • Climbing vertically, high over England's skies is a Hawk jet of the 'Red Arrows', Royal Air Force aerobatic team during display.
    Red_Arrows548_RBA.jpg
  • Turning tight over Lake Windemere boating are the 'Red Arrows', Royal Air Force aerobatic team during display.
    Red_Arrows533_RBA.jpg
  • Ending France's Bastille Day parade, the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, leave a trail of smoke over the pyramid peak of the Louvre art museum in the centre of Paris. Leaving vapour trails of red, white and blue smoke to mark the 100th anniversary of the Anglo-French Entente Cordiale. They were chosen by the French authorities to close the fly-pasts. British armed forces paraded in the historic parade for the first time. Under blue skies on a perfect summer day, the squadron lined up in their classic fly-past 'V-shape' called 'Big Battle', following the straight line of the Champs Elysees then eastwards over the Parisian suburbs. Personnel from four British military units were present and French Air Force jets performed their own fly-past to open the parade, while the British Hawk jets of the Red Arrows had the honour of completing it. .
    Red_Arrows461_RBA.jpg
  • Five Hawk jets from the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, almost touch in mid-air at an altitude of approximately 4,100 feet in the Mediterranean skies above Cyprus. The texture of mottled cirrus cloud provides a soft background for the  aircraft which approach each other at a combined air speed of approximately 800 miles per hour (1,200 kph). The Opposition Loop is flown by the two pilot partners known as the Synchro Pair who fly independently of the other seven in the second-half of their 25-minute show. The two jets have vegetable dye and derv (diesel fuel) smoke mixture coloured red, blue or white. Here it traces the paths of both airplanes which curve from the edges of the frame to the centre (center). To the crowds far below, both look as if they are on collision course but will safely pass within feet of each other.
    Red_Arrows336_RBA.jpg
  • Aircraft of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team practice over Cyprus sea during Spring exercises.
    Red_Arrows316_RBA.jpg
  • Spectators at the The Princess Margaret Hospital (TPMH) on the Akrotiri peninsula, about 4 kilometres from the RAF Station at Akrotiri, admire the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, as they perform one of their first public shows of the year. RAF staff and patients are allowed on to the grass outside the hospital building for this free show, given in honour of local charity fund-raisers of the Cyprus-based RAF Association whose guests form one of the smallest crowds to watch a Red Arrows display. Here, the team perform The Twizzle manoeuvre in front of the small crowd who stand by a green fence, matching tree and palm tree stumps. The bare earth is baked hard by the lack of rain and it almost looks like a desert scene as five of the nine jets speed overhead.
    Red_Arrows133_RBA.jpg
  • Seen from the air at dawn, dozens of F-4 Phantom fighters from the Cold War-era are laid out in grids across the arid desert at Davis-Monthan Air Forbe Base near Tucson Arizona. These retired aircraft whose air frames are too old for flight are being stored then recycled, their aluminium worth more than their sum total at this repository for old military fighter and bomber aircraft. They sit in neat rows in low light, their shadowy wings are blue in colour but their fuselage are stripped of markings, being taped up against the dust. This is a scene of once-great flying machines relegated to sad scrap, long-after the Soviet Union's own demise when western armies fought a war of propaganda. .
    davis_monthan01-15-12-2007 .jpg
  • Brian Lecomber flew as a professional aerobatic pilot for 23 years, during which time his Firebird Aerobatics team completed over 2,800 solo and formation displays in front of an estimated total of 90 million spectators. They gave displays in 15 countries, and had a 100% safety record before closing in 2003. They will be remembered as one of the UK's most successful professional civilian aerobatic display company. Lecomber has been a racing motorcycle mechanic; journalist; wing-walker in a flying circus; chief flying instructor in the Caribbean; crop-spray pilot, and then a best-selling author of aviation novels. We see him in-flight performing a tight turn above southern English fields of Buckinghamshire with flying partner Alan Wade when the team was sponsored by the Rover Group.
    brian_lecomber01.jpg
  • B-52 Cold War bombers of the US Air Force lie abandoned at Davis-Monthan aircraft graveyard awaiting recycling for scrap..
    B52s_graveyard01-15-08-1998.jpg
  • Flight Lieutenant Antony Parkinson a pilot with the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, signs posters on arriving at the team's home base at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire from his last ever display. Flt Lt Parkinson has served on the Red Arrows for four years and is to leave for a Typhoon squadron - from a relatively simple aircraft to one of the most sophisticated. Press and PR is one of the team's main purposes, acting as ambassadors for the UK and as recruiting tool for tomorrow's RAF officers and autographing publicity material is a routine chore. Traditionally, photographs are designed to allow pilots a space to sign their names alongside their respective position in the display formation. In high-spirits after a stressfully long year, he is in the crew room to wind down, with a tomato in his mouth. .  . .
    Red_Arrows747_RBA.jpg
  • Looking down vertically upon the Hawk jet aicraft of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, the team loop over agricultural countryside during an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. Roman Ermine Street road is a diagonal line through the centre, dissecting wisps of organic white smoke left hanging in the air. Reforming in front of a local crowd at the airfield they work through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. Freshly-ploughed English fields with properties, roads, hedgerows plus former nuclear silos are seen below. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.   .
    Red_Arrows733_RBA.jpg
  • Banking hard right over the agricultural Lincolnshire countryside are the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, who have commenced an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. They turn at a ninety degree angle, two trailing white organic smoke before reforming in front of a local crowd at the airfield and working through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. Their objective is to appear perfectly spaced from a ground perspective. Freshly-ploughed English fields with properties, roads and hedgerows are seen below. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.   .
    Red_Arrows731_RBA.jpg
  • Air show organiser Jock Maitland of the Biggin Hill displays is to be presented with a momento by members of  the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team. We look down upon three pilots' backs (known as the Reds) who are lined up in their famous red flying suits during the ceremony and as speeches of thanks are made. A scaled model of a Hawk jet aircraft is hidden from view behind Flight Lieutenant Dave Slow's back before being handed to Mr Maitland as thanks for his contribution to the air show calendar. They stand at ease on the grass of this famous World War II airfield which saw much enemy action during the Batttle of Britain, patiently and relaxed with hands behind backs before leaving to perform their display routine in front of thousands of spectators.
    Red_Arrows727_RBA.jpg
  • Banking slowly left over the agricultural Lincolnshire countryside are the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, who have commenced an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. They turn at a gentle angle trailing white organic smoke  before reforming in front of a local crowd at the airfield and working through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. Their objective is to appear perfectly spaced from a ground perspective. Freshly-ploughed English fields with properties, roads and hedgerows are seen below. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.   .
    Red_Arrows682_RBA.jpg
  • Joining with the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team on the far left, are the smoke trails of forty leading European display aircraft: Spanish Patrulla Aguila; Italian Frecce Tricolori; French Breitling Jet Team and the Swiss Patrouille Suisse. All flew together in the clear, blue alpine skies on a spectacular fly-past at the Payerne Air 04 show, Switzerland. The two-day festival at the Swiss airfield is home of the Swiss Air Force who host the cream of international aerobatic display flying every September to 275,000 spectators over a weekend. European display teams and air forces gathered to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Swiss military aviation. Flying on the far left here, the Red Arrows have performed over 4,000 shows in 52 countries since 1965. .
    Red_Arrows673_RBA.jpg
  • Pilots belonging to the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, walk in line from their parked Hawk jet aircraft during their two-day visit to the airfield at the Payerne Air 04 show, Switzerland. It is a perfect day for aerobatics with blue alpine skies during the teams' two-day visit to the Swiss airfield. Payerne is home of the Swiss Air Force who host the cream of international aerobatic display flying every September to 275,000 spectators over a weekend. European display teams and air forces gathered to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Swiss military aviation. The team walk towards waiting transport wearing the red flying suits, synonymous with an ambassadorial role for the UK and recruiting tool for the RAF's pilots of the future. SInce their birth in 1965, they have performed over 4,000 shows in 52 countries. .
    Red_Arrows667_RBA.jpg
  • A pilot of the French Air Force walks looking down along the fuselage of his C-130 Hercules oblivious to nine Hawk jet aircraft of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, who come screaming behind and 'breaking to land'. This set procedure prepares them to split up as a group, peel off seperately and land safely at the Payerne Air 04 show, Switzerland. It is a perfect day for aerobatics with blue alpine skies during the teams' two-day visit to the Swiss airfield. Payerne is home of the Swiss Air Force who host the cream of international aerobatic display flying every September to 275,000 spectators over a weekend. European display teams and air forces gathered to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Swiss military aviation. .
    Red_Arrows663_RBA.jpg
  • A member of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, sells Rolls-Royce-sponsored charity posters of their workhorse Hawk jet aircraft for £5 (?10) each on the beach at Clacton-on-Sea after the Air Show on West Greensward on the sea front. It is a hot summer's afternoon but wearing black heavy-duty RAF regulation boots and the distinctive, specially-tailored  blue overalls, is a member of the team's support ground-crew (known as the Blues). Their jobs might include engineering, operations or administration work. Secondary duties are asked of them too and here we see the lower body of photographer Senior Aircraftman (SAC) Matt Reid who holds a hardened folder containing the scaled artwork while standing on the soft sand. The crowd mingles in the background and a lady dressed in only a bikini returns to her possessions. .
    Red_Arrows623_RBA.jpg
  • A large man with a shaved head and hairy back is seen from behind as he watches a display by the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team at Weymouth, England. A heart shape which grows from his bald head has been drawn with red smoke in the sky two Hawk jet aircraft taking part in the town's annual air show along the sea front. Such a tough-looking male specimen contrasts with the romance of this valentine symbol helping to make this picture's quirky juxtaposition touching. The Red Arrows use smoke to emphasize their flight-path, help the spectators see their manoeuvres and to make more of an enjoying spectacle. In blue sky they use white smoke for The Heart and red when overcast. We watch the man from below and see him craning his neck skywards, the skin on his thick neck wrinkling as he looks heavy from this angle.
    Red_Arrows614_RBA.jpg
  • Squadron Leader Spike Jepson, leader of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, demonstrates the Corkscrew manoeuvre to his group of pilots and visitors in the briefing room at their RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire headquarters. Using two scaled model Hawk jet aircraft he shows how their formation is to be flown on their next training flight. Five autumn and winter months are spent teaching new recruits manual aerobatic display flying while the older members (who rotate positions) learn new disciplines within the routine. Their leaning curve is steep, even for these accomplished fast-jet aviators who had already accumulated 1,500 hours in fighters. By Summer they need every aspect of their 25-minute displays honed to perfection. In this meeting room they meet before and after every flight discussing safety, merits and failures.
    Red_Arrows610_RBA.jpg
  • An old fashioned pair of public address speakers have been attached to a no access sign overlooking the Northumberland countryside at the Kielder Air Show. Here, the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, are to perform and the squadron's commentator - known as Red 10 - will be describing the 25-minute routine performed in front of a few hundred people, probably the smallest of the Red Arrows audiences. The Hawk aircraft will be flying over the borderland between England and Scotland during this display which has attracted a local crowd to this pretty landscape. This primitive method of amplification makes for it charmingly quirky. Tangled electrical wires and an extension reel is low-tech and makeshift, vastly different to other shows where digital sound quality reproduces audio to many of thousands of spectators.
    Red_Arrows542_RBA.jpg
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