At The Fence Line

Created by Daly Photography

The winter practice home for the Blue Angels is in El Centro, California. Each year, the team comes together for intense training. Some members are new and some have performed the previous year(s). Each day, during this training cycle, the teams take off together in an aerial dance that occurs just seconds after lifting off of the runway.

The slot pilot (#4), seen on the left, completes the "Diamond" four-ship formation by yawing their aircraft into position mere feet off of the ground. A traditional banking maneuver at this height could scrape a wingtip on the runway. It's impressive to me to see this amount of control and precision at such a low altitude, starting with the landing gear still down and locked and completed by the end of the runway.

This photograph was taken during a 97-degree winter day. Dust was everywhere that day. The smoke from the aircraft combined with the dirt on the runway created a surreal yellow hue behind the aircraft. The fence line and runway end give perspective to how low this maneuver is performed and how quickly it is completed. The ease in which it seems to come together is a testament to all of the hard work this dedicated team has put in.

The equipment used for this shoot:

Canon R5 Mark II with an EF 100-400mm lens, and EF to RF mount adapter.

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