Chris Rose had a front row seat to capture the magical moments of these warbirds coming to life under the lights.

The boom window opened up, light began to come flooding in. I looked out over 27,000ft of California/Oregon wilderness, revealing endless miles of snowy, mountainous scenery.”

Fully suited and with headlamps ablaze, we nervously ducked under the fallen tree and started walking up the snow-covered access road. Our walking sticks punched through the snow and into the mud while the wind howled through the trees above us. Our hiker train rubbernecked once we finally reached the trailhead parking lot; another journey milestone achieved.

I kept these plans to myself. Only through very cryptic messages did the most perceptive of FDA pick up on the fact that I had made my way to Switzerland. I wanted to surprise the guys with something special, as well as challenge myself by doing this on my own. With every step and every stage, the anticipation grew and the more this adventure meant to me. I put it in my mind and in my heart that I needed to climb that mountain.

As the sun started to illuminate the breathtaking Swiss scenery, we reached the top of the ski lift, it was around 7:00am, this was when the real work begun. I’d heard rumours and read about people’s experiences of the climb, this proved to be tougher than any climb for photography I’d attempted before, particularly with a heavy camera bag full of equipment.

The noise as 15 aircraft thundered into the air was not only emotional, but also a love song for the aviation geek, who has not had much luck in getting to airshows for some time.

Could it be that this lens is equal or better for the reduced cost? There is really only one way to find out and that is to try it out for myself. SIGMA America was kind enough to loan me a demo unit to put through its paces for this review, and what better way to do that than five days at EAA Airventure Oshkosh?

It gives you a small sense of stepping back in time, looking out over a couple of patrolling WWII aircraft in beautiful formation, with the glorious blues of the ocean glistening below them. It was an experience worth treasuring for many years to come.

We went to this event not knowing what to expect. We cannot say that we had the aircraft and livery variety of previous editions of the NTM, but taking into consideration the limitations caused by the pandemic, it was a positive experience. As we say in Portuguese, “everything that comes up in the net is fish”.

If this sounds reminiscent of a scene in the Pacific during the mid 1940s, then the Mid Atlantic Air Museum has done its job. Each year on the first full weekend of June, tying into the anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, the museum hosts its annual World War II Weekend event.

Having been a Lakeland resident my entire life, SUN ‘n FUN has always been a huge aspect of my life every spring. Their slogan for many years has been “Spring Break for Pilots!” and I can’t think of anything more accurate. It is the perfect way for individuals and companies from all over to travel to Central Florida for the largest airshow in the Southeastern United States

The EA-18G "Growler" is a mythical beast. We've probably all seen her; a Rhino all dressed up in Electronic Attack aircraft clothing, with stubby-looking "missiles" where the wingtip rails would be, a few bumps and bulges where a typical Rhino would be smooth, and of course, usually carrying the oddly-shaped pods-with-propellers made famous by Prowler crews on the under-wing stations.

When the FDA Northeast crew arrived, the Flood yellow and green Fleet was all lined up, Pitts S-1C, Aeronca Chief, Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser (owned by Jim Schultes) and a “smiling” RV-4. One plane was notably missing. Jason Flood would be flying in later in his Pitts S-1S affectionately named “The Red Ghost”.

And when it happens, it happens fast; a whole day will happily be spent looking for a condensed 30 seconds of good flying.

Up on deck, the stars are all here. Naval Aviation heros line the length of the deck, with legendary Army, Air Force, foreign fighters and NASA aircraft peppered throughout.

There's no doubt about it, 2020 has been a pretty big low point for the world, let alone the aviation sector/hobby. With a lack of air shows at the height of a "normal" season, people have been a bit stuck on what to do to get their aviation fix. Even once-busy civil airports seem to have receded to levels unseen for half a century, with even Heathrow seeing take offs and landings resorting to a single runway and minutes apart.

“Sidewinder low level, two ship of Raptors entering at point [static].”

Did I hear that right? The heart begins to race and the mind to wander to whether it could truly be.

Aside from the full lockdown, during which the skies around NYC became eerily quiet, there is always something flying around. Every altitude has its own treasures, and although at times it may seem like the hardest thing to do, keep looking up.

When I think of the many hours spent around the Heathrow perimeter, I had a sense of awe as these beauties launched themselves into the air. Happily snapping away, I realised just how much I enjoyed witnessing these 4-engine beasts.

This puts the uniqueness of the Demo in perspective. "Normally our missions are a lot higher than [the Demo], there's not a lot of times that we are yanking and banking the aircraft down at 200 feet," Syndrome commented. "We push it to the limit on all of our flights...it's pretty insane."