Defense Air-to-Air 2016 Aviation Week Photo Contest Finalists

The Reds provide close formation display at start of America's Cup qualifying at Porstmouth, England.

The Frecce Tricolori are world renowned for their smoke, and I found myself perfectly positioned for the horizontal nine-ship break.

The French Ramex Delta display team made their last appearance at RIAT this year.  Here the two Mirage 2000Ns are seen breaking for landing in some very damp conditions at Fairford, UK.

A Polish air force F-16 Viper, fitted with conformal fuel tanks and painted in a special tiger paint scheme, as seen in the skies above RAF Fairford, UK. The Viper was arriving for The Royal International Air Tattoo, the world's largest military air show. 

A U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle pilot based out of RAF Lakenheath in England, in the air prior to arrival for the 2016 Royal International Air Tattoo.

An F-15C Eagle is followed close behind by an F-15E Strike Eagle, both based at RAF Lakenheath in England, as they arrive for the 2016 Royal International Air Tattoo. RIAT is the world's largest military air show.

F-18's of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flying team in a vertical climb.

Ten Sukhoi fighter jets (four Su-27, four Su-34 and two Su-35) fly in formation over Moscow's hippodrome during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade to celebrate the 71^st anniversary of the victory in World War II in Moscow,

A Dassault Rafale dances with the clouds.

Based at Wittmund in Germany and operated by Discovery Air Defence Services, providing dissimilar air combat targets for the Luftwaffe.

My last cross-country training flight in the U.S. Air Force got off to a rocky start. We had a problem with our jet and I was worried we wouldn't be able to go. After an hour delay we had the problem fixed and we were on our way. The delay was fortuitous as it put us over Grand Junction, Colorado, near the end of the golden hour. Everything worked out better than I could have planned.

F/A-18F Super Hornet entering Rainbow Canyon, Death Valley, California.

EF 2000 Typhoon of TLG 71 Richthofen low over the North Sea.

Polish F-16D en route to the KLu Open day at Leeuwarden, Netherlands.

This F-16 Fighting Falcon enters a high-G maximum performance turn during a demonstration at the California Capital Airshow.

Blue Angels Six extracts a cloud of vapor from the humid Hawaiian air as it pulls up in a climb during a performance at the Kaneohe Bay Airshow.

A Royal Navy F-35B Lightning hovering thunderously at RAF Fairford in England during its first ever appearance in Europe.

A Royal Navy F-35B Lightning hovering thunderously at RAF Fairford in England during its first ever appearance in Europe.

A U.S. F-22A Raptor dominates the skies over southern Britain.

A U.S. F-22A Raptor dominates the skies over southern Britain.

Celebrating the German air force's 60th anniversary, a brightly painted Eurofighter rocks through the gray skies.

A U.S. Navy F/A-18D Hornet rolling gallantly with violent thrust.

F-16 Aggressors.

Northrop F-5E/F Tigers, Swiss air force

Flying the backup jet, 2016 CF-18 Demonstration pilot Capt. Ryan 'Roid' Kean pushes his CF-18 to the edge of the speed of sound during a very damp morning practice at 19 Wing CFB Comox, British Columbia.

A CF-18 from 401 TFS 'Rams' carries out an impressive pullup in the closed pattern after returning to 19 Wing CFB Comox, British Columbia, following a local sortie.

Carrying a full QRA load out, a CF-18 from 409 TFS 'Nighthawks' in the lefthand closed pattern following an impressive low approach before landing at 19 Wing Comox, British Columbia.

A three-ship of F-15C's from the 67th Fighter Sqdn. at Kadena AB, Okinawam split away from their formation and release flares, on Jan. 13, 2016.

The 173rd Fighter Wings flagship F-15C was painted in a stunning paint scheme to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ORANG on June 23.

An F-15C from the 123^rd Fighter Sqdn. from the ORANG in Portland, Oregon, climbs high over the training range and releases flares on Dec. 10, 2015.

Two F-35A's from the 62nd Fighter Sqdn. at Luke AFB orbit high over the southern Arizona desert on Nov. 10, 2015.

The Oregon Air National Guard's 75th anniversary jet makes a low pass into Hillsboro, Oregon, with Mount Hood in the background.

A pair of McDonnell Douglas QF-4 Phantom II aerial targets take off for a final public appearance, before they faced destruction a few weeks later during air-to-air combat training over the western desert.