It all started with endless hours of planning and preparation. The trio of photographers had to juggle unique challenges to capture the eclipse in all its glory. To make the outlines of the planes more visible despite the darkness created by the eclipse, reflective coating was installed on the wings, illuminating the planes in the dark sky.
But that was only the beginning of the challenges. The pilots had to fly in close formation, just 1.2m apart and at an altitude of 450m, in order to align the sun, the moon and the two planes in the same frame. A task that even under normal circumstances would have been demanding, but became extremely difficult with the sudden darkness of the eclipse.
“ Normally, this would be a manageable maneuver, but when you have the darkness of the eclipse, a flight angle that must be perfectly aligned with the sun, and only four minutes to take the photo while moving at 280km/h, this makes the project incredibly difficult said Kevin Coleman.
Despite these challenges, the photography team did not back down. Dustin Snipes expressed his enjoyment in solving these “impossible shots”, saying that capturing the planes, sun, moon and lights in a single exposure was an extreme but exciting challenge.
Leading up to eclipse day, the team conducted numerous rehearsals, testing different lighting solutions and developing a meticulous capture plan. They precisely calculated the positioning angle of the pilots to get the perfect shots.
For Mason Mashon, this experience was one of the most difficult of his career as a photographer. “There are known parameters for capturing an eclipse, but when it comes to determining the height of the planes from the ground to frame and scale them perfectly to the eclipse, during totality, it's is a completely different matter“, he stressed.
Ultimately, this project was not only a demonstration of technical skill, but also a celebration of collaboration and creativity. Pete McLeod highlighted that it was a remarkable team effort where precision and planning were paramount.
Beyond the usual adrenaline rush of aerobatics, this aerial feat demonstrated the masterful fusion of art and science, capturing the fleeting wonder of a rare celestial event in a way that will be remembered for years to come.
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