Watch a Photographer Direct Fighter Planes During a Mid-Air Shoot

Ever wonder how head-on photos of fighter planes flying in formation are captured? All you need to do is sit on the open ramp of a military transport plane while the subjects follow close behind.

The Royal Saudi Air Force organized a photo shoot during air show rehearsals in preparation for the 90th National Day of Saudi Arabia yesterday. Saudi journalist Enad al-Otaibi Tweeted a couple of amazing behind-the-scenes videos showing well-known Saudi aviation photographer Ahmed Hader directing and photographing fighter jets:

A second video shows the photographer shooting photos of the individual planes as they peel off from the formation one by one:

The photographer, apparently sitting in a C-130, is photographing two F-15s (in the front and back), a Typhoon, and a Tornado.

Image credits: Header still frames from video by Enad al-Otaibi