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PHOTOS: 'Photoship' soars through Chilliwack days before Abbotsford Airshow

Photographers from around world get close-up view of aircraft in flight leading up to international airshow

A group of photographers got a close-up, mid-air view of several aircraft leading up to the Abbotsford International Airshow this week.

The team from Aviation PhotoCrew was in Chilliwack for four days with its Skyvan Photoship, an airplane customized for "air-to-air" photography, meaning photographers aboard capture images and videos of other aircraft scheduled to fly in close proximity to the Photoship.

On Wednesday, Aug. 7, a photographer with Black Press Media took to the skies with nine other photographers from around the world. Each day the Photoship was in town, there were about three to five flights for the same group of photographers, each flight featuring different aircraft to photograph.

Although all the flights took off from and landed at the Chilliwack Airport, the photo sessions took place over Washington State.

Most of the Aviation PhotoCrew is from Belgium, and they have a few planes located around the world, including in the U.S. The aircraft they own are Short SC7 Skyvan 3-100s and they used to be short-haul cargo ships or military planes which they converted specifically for aviation photographers.

The rear hatch door is open for the duration of the flight – except for takeoff and landing – giving photographers a wide, unobstructed view of the other aircraft.

Pilots of the aircraft being photographed will fly their plane right up to the hatch and also beside the Photoship.

Aviation PhotoCrew is in town for the Abbotsford International Airshow which runs Aug. 9 to 11.

READ MORE: RCAF 100th anniversary flight among highlights of Abbotsford Airshow



Jenna Hauck

About the Author: Jenna Hauck

I started my career at The Chilliwack Progress in 2000 as a photojournalist.
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