This year the Aviation PhotoCrew teamed up with the Airpower Zeltweg organisation for the first time — and with Pink Skyvan's chief pilot being Austrian, we secured the finest airspace we've ever flown for our join-ups. Staging from Trieben Airfield, we headed north between the Northern Styrian Alps, framing our subjects against breathtaking backdrops like the Grimming, still dusted with September snow on its flanks. We flew for three full days and the weather rewarded us, clearing on Wednesday and Thursday to scatter beautiful cloud between the peaks.
The flying was extraordinary. Red Bull's historic fleet was keen to form up over its home turf, while Austrian photographer Dietmar Schreiber brought in vintage aircraft from Austria, Switzerland and Germany — a Hurricane, Corsair, Mitchell, Trojan, Taifun and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 among them, with a venerable Rapide as our oldest join-up and a Fouga Magister tucked alongside a Eurofighter. The Austrian Air Force turned out in force: a four-ship of SAAB 105s at first light with cloud still filling the valleys, Black Hawks in battle formation with German NH90s, two Eurofighters, and two of their classic Pilatus PC-6s. We were joined once again by the Frecce Tricolori, who painted the Italian flag across the sky in a graceful arc, and by solo acts including a specially-marked Austrian Eurofighter and the Swiss Hornet — whose display pilot rounded off his three-year tenure with beautifully executed rolls and cobras. In all, more than thirty types formed up with us, many en route to the static show, from a Swedish Historic Flight Draken and an Italian F-35A Lightning II to a Luftwaffe P-3C Orion and a US Navy P-8A Poseidon.
The most moving moment belonged to Spain's Patrulla Águila, who flew a missing-man formation in tribute to a team-mate lost in an accident the week before — a deeply emotional pass, not least for our photo-director, who is also the team's photographer. Godspeed, clear skies and tailwinds, Cmdte. Marín. Our thanks go to everyone who made the project possible: the aircrew, ATC, the Airpower organisation, Pink Skyvan and every photographer who joined us in Austria. As a famous Austrian-American once said in his unmistakable accent: "We'll be back!"