Wingin’ It! Celestial Magic at Breakneck Speed

With special glasses planted firmly on their heads and cell phones and other cameras carefully in place, people in North Texas and beyond spent a few minutes capturing the extremely rare and spectacular total solar eclipse that occurred the afternoon of April 8. 

The event – where the moon passed between the Earth and the sun creating a shadow that made it seem like it was evening – was unique as it was the only total eclipse visible in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico in this century. Plus, the next total solar eclipse available outside of Alaska will be in 2044.

Millions of everyday people took off from work or school to view the event and create images of the event. Meanwhile, a pair of aerobatic pilots and three photographers combined their talents to capture a distinctive look.

While Kevin Coleman and Pete McLeod flew by the rare event, photographers Peter McKinnon, Dustin Snipes, and Mason Mashon were clicking away from the ground in Sulphur Springs. This came after spending many hours studying lighting solutions, plane formations, and best positions with the result being three special photographs.

Flying at 1,500 feet above the ground and in tight formation about five feet apart, the crew lined up the sun, moon, and themselves allowing everything to be in the same shot. Another pilot – Luke Aikins – guided Kevin and Pete from the ground. 

“Normally, this would be a manageable maneuver, but when you have the darkness from the eclipse, a flight angle that needs to be perfectly lined up with the sun, and only four minutes to take the shot while moving at 180 mph, it makes it incredibly challenging,” Kevin said in a press release. 

“I loved being able to solve these ‘impossible shots’ with our team and create something that no one has seen before,” Dustin added. “To get the planes, the sun, the moon, and the lights all within one exposure was an extreme challenge, one I haven’t faced yet.”

The planes made three passes within the four-minute window and captured the images on their final attempt. 

“This is one of the hardest photos that I’ve ever tried to capture,” Mason said. “There are known settings to capture an eclipse, but when you need to figure out the height of the planes above ground level to frame and scale them perfectly with the eclipse, during totality, it’s a totally different game.”

To address the darkness, reflective vinyl was applied to the planes. 

“Unlike the high adrenaline and aerobatics I’m used to, this project is all about exact precision and planning,” Pete said. “It’s all about teamwork to make this happen so it’s been incredible to be a part of it.”