Blue Angels 2-16-2016

Tracking military jet demonstrations takes fast reflexes and a steady hand, especially when the flight team tightens up into close formation. Seeing the Blue Angels punch through clear blue skies while trailing dense white smoke never gets old. You have to anticipate where the lead pilots are banking because these aircraft cut through the airspace in a split second, giving you only a brief window to lock focus. This was taken at the New England Air Show in 2015.

This shot catches four F/A-18 Hornets angled sharply across the frame in a tight diamond formation. The deep blue and bright yellow paint schemes contrast cleanly against the light sky background. Thick diagonal smoke plumes trail each jet, adding strong directional motion and underscoring the extreme precision required to keep these multi-million dollar airframes flying wingtip to wingtip.