Air to Air Photography - 2017 Year in Review

Air-to-air photography continues to be a serious hobby and ongoing passion for me. 2017 was filled with fun travel across the country chasing photo opportunities, most organized by photo pilot Scott Slocum (www.air2airadventures.com).

Each year, as a way to share my work, stay in touch with friends, and say "thank you" to all the pilots and crews, I produce a calendar of some of my photos from the year. Here are the photos in this year's 2018 calendar, along with some information about each aircraft.

You can see more of my photos on instagram at @mattbootyphoto and on my blog www.mattbooty.com.

Curtiss P-40E Warhawk, Texas Flying Legends Minot, ND

The P-40 Warhawk is a fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in the late 1930s and fought in World War II. Limited performance at high altitude reduced its effectiveness over Europe, but it played a critical role in North Africa, the Pacific and China. The American Volunteer Group in China, more commonly known as the Flying Tigers, made the shark mouth paint scheme famous. More than 13,000 were manufactured, making it the third most produced fighter of the war after the P-51 and P-47.

McDonnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk, Collings Foundation, Houston, TX

The A-4 Skyhawk is a lightweight and agile carrier-based attack aircraft developed for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. It figured prominently in the Vietnam War, was used in the Navy TOPGUN program as an adversary aggressor aircraft, and flew for the Blue Angels from 1974 to 1986. The Skyhawk was the first U.S. military aircraft sold to Israel where it served until 2015. The TA-4J model shown here was built as a dedicated two-seat trainer.

Hawker Sea Fury FB.11, Walter Bowe, Vacaville, CA

The British Sea Fury is one of the fastest production single piston-engine aircraft ever built, thanks to its 18-cylinder, 3,000 horsepower Bristol Centaurus engine and iconic five-bladed propeller. After entering service just after World War II, the Sea Fury saw action as a fighter-bomber in the Korean War and remained in military service until the late 1950s.

Supermarine Spitfire Mark IXe, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British fighter and interceptor that was used primarily by the Royal Air Force in World War II. Well known for its role in the Battle of Britain in 1940, the Spitfire fought against German fighters such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109E and flew with several air forces worldwide well in to the 1950s.

Aero L-29 Delfin, Jason Somes, Camarillo, CA

The L-29 Delfin is a military jet trainer built by Czechoslovakian aviation manufacturer Aero Vodochody. It was the standard trainer for the Soviet Air Force and other Warsaw Pact nations during the Cold War from the 1960s onward. A handful of L-29s are privately owned in the U.S. and some have flown in the Reno Air Races.

Vought / Goodyear FG-1D Corsair, Texas Flying Legends, Minot, ND

Built as a fast fighter rugged enough for carrier operations during World War II, the Corsair was designed around a Pratt and Whitney R-2800 18 cylinder, 2,000 horsepower engine turning a 13 foot diameter propeller. It was the first single engine U.S. fighter to fly faster than 400 mph. Visibility and landing problems made it unsuitable for its intended carrier mission, so the Corsair saw the most action with the U.S. Marines operating from land bases in the Pacific. Development of new landing techniques solved the carrier issues and the Corsair went on to achieve an 11-to-1 kill ratio and continued to fly through the Korean War. 

Mil Mi-24 Hind, Cold War Air Museum, Lancaster, TX

The Hind is a large Russian helicopter gunship and troop transport that first entered service in the 1970s. The cockpit for the pilot and gunner as well as the main rotor are armored with titanium, contributing to the Hind’s nickname of “flying tank.” Hundreds of Mi-24 helicopters were deployed in the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s.

Yakovlev Yak-3, Commemorative Air Force, SoCal Wing, Camarillo, CA

The Yak-3 is a Soviet World War II fighter. Light and agile, it was an exceptional dogfighter at lower altitudes and many pilots considered it comparable to the P-51 Mustang or the Spitfire. The aircraft shown is painted in the scheme flown by Captain Marcel Albert of the Free French fighter squadron which fought on the Eastern Front alongside the Soviet Air Force against the Germans.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 and North American F-86 Sabre, Planes of Fame, Chino, CA

The Mig-15 and F-86 became the first iconic adversaries of the jet age as they tangled in the skies above the Yalu river during the Korean War.

Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero, Planes of Fame, Chino, CA

The Zero is a Japanese long-range fighter, and was one of the most formidable fighters early in World War II. But as the war progressed, the Zero was outclassed by Allied fighters in the Pacific with greater speed, armor and firepower. The aircraft shown here is currently the only fully authentic Zero with an original Nakajima engine flying in the world, and it has appeared in the movies “Tora Tora Tora” and “Pearl Harbor.”

de Havilland DH-98 Mosquito, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA

The Mosquito was a British twin-engine multi-role aircraft, often nicknamed the “Mossie” or the “Wooden Wonder” due to its construction almost entirely of wood. During World War II, it flew a wide range of missions, from bombing raids against factories and railroads to night fighting and reconnaissance. Only three airworthy Mosquitos exist today, and the aircraft shown is painted in the colors of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II, Collings Foundation, Houston, TX

The Phantom is a supersonic fighter and interceptor originally designed for the U.S. Navy but ultimately flown also by the Air Force and Marine Corps. It was used extensively in the Vietnam War and was flown by both the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds. The F-4 was officially retired by the U.S. Air Force in 1996 and it took an act of Congress in 1999 to allow the Collings Foundation to acquire the F-4 shown here and restore it to flying condition.

All of these photos are dedicated with appreciation to the museums, staff, volunteers, pilots and crews who bring airshows to life and keep history flying. Special thanks to Scott Slocum, photo pilot, professional aviation photographer and instructor, for organizing the shoots.

You can see more of my photos on instagram at @mattbootyphoto and on my blog www.mattbooty.com.

All photos (c) 2017 by Matt Booty.