Watch a Photographer Direct Fighter Planes During a Midair Shoot

Ever wonder how head-on photos of fighter planes flying in formation are captured? All you need to do is sit on the open ramp of a military transport plane while the subjects follow close behind.

The Royal Saudi Air Force organized a photo shoot during air show rehearsals in preparation for the 90th National Day of Saudi Arabia yesterday. Saudi journalist Enad al-Otaibi Tweeted a couple of amazing behind-the-scenes videos showing well-known Saudi aviation photographer Ahmed Hader directing and photographing fighter jets:

📌 "عين الصقر" توثق " الصقور" 🇸🇦💚#اليوم_الوطني_السعودي90#همة_حتى_القمة #اليوم_الوطني pic.twitter.com/OzGsWxaJHX

— عناد العتيبي 🇸🇦 (@ENAD_Alotaibi) September 22, 2020

A second video shows the photographer shooting photos of the individual planes as they peel off from the formation one by one:

📸🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/ehF4Uohvt2

— عناد العتيبي 🇸🇦 (@ENAD_Alotaibi) September 22, 2020

The photographer, apparently sitting in a C-130, is photographing two F-15s (in the front and back), a Typhoon, and a Tornado.

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Image credits: Header still frames from video by Enad al-Otaibi