A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off to deliver the Telstar 18 Vantage satellite to orbit from Cape Canaveral on Sept. 10. The rocket’s reflection is traced in the distant waters of Mosquito Lagoon in this long-exposure image.
Commercial First Place
KentaroMishima Matsue, Japan
An All Nippon Airways Boeing 777-200ER breaks cover as it takes off from Osaka International (Itami) Airport.
Commercial Second Place
AvichaiSocher GivatShmuel, Israel
A Boeing 737-900 cockpit on a night flight over Europe is a mesmerizing orchestra of light and shadow.
Commercial Third Place
Angelo Bufalino Lakeland, Tennessee
A massive thunderstorm moving west to east lights up the night sky behind a FedEx Express Boeing 757-200F. The photographer captured this burst of lightning even without a tripod.
Space First Place
Ed Whitman Laurel, Maryland
The Parker Solar Probe sits atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 37.
Space Second Place
Bill Jelen Merritt Island, Florida
Streaks from the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch, reentry and landing, photographed from Cape Canaveral’s Exploration Tower on Jan. 8. The mission was carrying the classified Northrop Grumman-built Zuma satellite.
Space Third Place
Ben Cooper Orlando, Florida A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off at sunset from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 41 with Air Force Space Command-11 for the U.S. Air Force on April 14.
Defense First Place
Steve Zimmermann Broomfield, Colorado
Five Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Black Falcons demonstration team members fly their new Beechcraft T-6 Texan II turboprop trainers in formation behind the RNZAF C-130 photo platform over Lake Wanaka during the run-up to the 30th annual Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow.
Defense Second Place
Yissachar Ruas Bet Shemesh, Israel
A U.S. Marine CorpsNorthrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler from Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Sqdn. 3 (VMAQ-3) does a “flare dump” over the Atlantic following a refueling mission. VMAQ-3 was decommissioned in May.
Defense Third Place
Peter Lewis Brutten, Switzerland
Swiss BoeingF/A-18C Hornets eject flares over Davos in the buildup to the World Economic Forum in January. The Swiss Air Force provides combat air patrol for the eastern portion of the country during the summit.
General First Place
Richard Larocque Rimouski, Quebec
A 20-sec. exposure captures the flightpaths of two performers during the Experimental Aircraft Association Night Air Show over Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
General Second Place
Steve Zimmermann Broomfield, Colorado
Owner/pilot Cam Hawley leads the photo formation in his Beechcraft Staggerwing, with Adam Butcher piloting the de Havilland Dominie on his wing. Captured from a de Havilland Fox Moth over Lake Wanaka in New Zealand’s Southern Alps.
General Third Place
Ed Hicks Bristol, England
A Waco Aircraft Corp. YMF-5F runs across one of the many lakes that make Lakeland, Florida, a seaplane paradise.
The Best of the Best winners in this year's Aviation Week Photo Contest conveyed excitement and depth in photographs that captured the mood of night flights, weather events and military maneuvers, as well as the thrill of space endeavors and native pride fanfare as captured in the run-up to the World Economic Forum in Davos, in which Swiss F/A-A8C Hornets deployed flares.
