The grand finale of the Wednesday evening air show at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture 2019 in Oshkosh featured a mushroom-cloud-like fireball named “Dun-Diehl SuperNuke” by creator Dion Diehl, president of DTG Pyrotechnics. Extra Aircraft’s just-released Extra NG next-generation aerobatic aircraft sits in the foreground.
Commercial First Place
Santiago Borja Quito, Ecuador
A storm cleansed the atmosphere over Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil, Ecuador, providing this unusually clear view of the city merging with the lights of the AirbusA319 cockpit.
Commercial Second Place
Maciej Hatta Cold Lake, Alberta
A Boeing 787 lined up for final approach to Runway 24R at Los Angeles International Airport ahead of an autumn full Moon.
Commercial Third Place
Art Harman Fairfax, Virginia
Chasing the sunset to California, the pilot flew between two layers of clouds, giving the Sun an easel on which to create its spectacular artwork.
Space First Place
Michael Seeley Melbourne, Florida
When this United Launch Alliance Atlas 551 AEHF-5 communications satellite launched at 6:13 a.m., 35 min. before sunrise, the downrange plume caught the rising sunlight perfectly, with just a hint of crepuscular rays emanating from the horizon. This 251-sec. exposure was captured from Palm Shores, Florida, looking across the Indian River Lagoon.
Space Second Place
Walter Scriptunas II Charleston, West Virginia
A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy lifts off from Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg AFB, California, with the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office.
Space Third Place
Alexis Bechtel Chatsworth, California
Smoke and fire from a launch abort engine rocket hot-fire test lights up the Mojave Desert at sunset. Four of these Aerojet Rocketdyne engines provide the thrust for the crew-escape system that is designed to carry astronauts to safety in the event of a launch anomaly on Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft
Defense First Place
Avgar Idan Rehovot, Israel
The afterburner of an Israeli Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35i Adir kicks in over the desert at sunset.
Defense Second Place
Avichai Socher Givat Shmuel, Israel
Symmetric in all aspects, this Israeli Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-15I “Thunder” is having its exhaust plates inspected by two technicians—one in each engine exhaust. Everything checks OK.
Defense Third Place
Andreas Zeitler Manching, Germany
Two German Luftwaffe Eurofighter Typhoons sit ready for takeoff before a night mission.
General First Place
Peter Lewis Bruetten, Switzerland
This former Swiss Air Force Hawker Hunter, now flown by the Hunter Association St. Stephan, pulls vapor trails over the Alps. It is flown by Ueli Leutert, the last commanding officer of Fighter Sqdn. 15, whose logo was a paper airplane.
General Second Place
Peter Lewis Bruetten, Switzerland
A Mathys Aviation C-47 is en route to St. Stephan Airfield in Switzerland, just ahead of a major storm front.
General Third Place
Johnson Barros Brasilia, Brazil
As the stars circle the south celestial pole, creating a beautiful shape in the sky, an RV-8 from the Fox Squadron awaits dawn for its next flight.
Enter the Aviation Week Network 2020 Photo Contest
The Aviation Week Network Photo Contest is the premier global competition for aerospace photography. Every year, hundreds photographers from dozens of countries submit their photos. We offer cash prizes of up to $500 and are adding a fifth category this year: The COVID-19 Challenge for telling the story of the pandemic’s effects on our industry.
