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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Stunning images of planes

Is it a bird? No, it's a plane! Stunning images by world's best aviation photographers reveal unique glimpse of life in the skies

  • Photograph collection released to mark 10th anniversary of West Midlands-based Airteam Images
  • Highlights include Red Arrows performances and a Boeing 757 flying low over the heads of Dutch sunseekers
  • Director Derek Pedley's aircraft fascination started when he lived near Birmingham Airport as a young boy
By Lucy Crossley
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Swooping low over sunbathing holiday makers, or flying high with the birds, this stunning collection of images captures both the drama and the serenity of aircraft in flight.
Although many of us boarding a plane without a second thought and see an airliner glide through the skies above us almost every day, the collection gives a unique glimpse into the aviation world.
The dramatic photographs have been released by a specialist photography service and image library Airteam Images to celebrate its 10th birthday.
Flying Low: A US Airways Boeing 757 flies over the heads of sunseekers at St Maarten, Princess Juliana, Caribbean. The stunning image is one of a vast collection released by Airteam Images to celebrate its 10th anniversary
Flying Low: A US Airways Boeing 757 flies over the heads of sunseekers at St Maarten, Princess Juliana, Caribbean. The stunning image is one of a vast collection released by Airteam Images to celebrate its 10th anniversary

Is it a bird? A flock of birds surround a Boeing 777 at London's Heathrow airport
Is it a bird? A flock of birds surround a Boeing 777 at London's Heathrow airport

On display: The world-famous Royal Air Force display team the Red Arrows put on a patriotic show at Fairford, complete with red, white and blue plumes
On display: The world-famous Royal Air Force display team the Red Arrows put on a patriotic show at Fairford, complete with red, white and blue plumes

Light side of the moon: A British Airways Airbus A319 takes to the skies over Heathrow
Light side of the moon: A British Airways Airbus A319 takes to the skies over Heathrow

Over the past decade the photographs have been seen in publications and personal photo albums around the world, as the company, based in Coleshill, West Midlands, sell hundreds of their pictures to both commercial business and the general public.
Among some of the more exciting photographs in the collection are the flock of birds surrounding and Air Canada Boeing 777, a US Airways Boeing 757 coming into land seemingly just metres from a packed beach at St Maarten, Princess Juliana, The Netherlands, and a mid air display by the famed Red Arrows.
 
Director Derek Pedley said: 'We are the largest supplier of aviation images in the world.
'We have 200 photographers which I have handpicked and we have a portfolio of images that tell the whole history of aviation right back to the 1900s.
Take your breath away: A Boeing 747 takes off with the early morning sun in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Take your breath away: A Boeing 747 takes off with the early morning sun in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Dark skies: Against the backdrop of dark rain clouds this Boeing 777, as well as another departing aircraft stands out even more
Dark skies: Against the backdrop of dark rain clouds this Boeing 777, as well as another departing aircraft stands out even more

Rainbow bright: A Boeing 747 owned by Dutch carrier KLM flies through a rainbow in the skies above Amsterdam
Rainbow bright: A Boeing 747 owned by Dutch carrier KLM flies through a rainbow in the skies above Amsterdam

A Boeing 777 Air India flight in international air space.
Airbus planes coming into land at London Heathrow
Comings and goings: A Boeing 777 Air India soars through the skies, while a flock of  Airbus planes come into land at Heathrow Airport

'10 years is a great milestone to get to - we took off with the Internet revolution and we haven't looked back.
'Happy birthday Airteam Images.'
Mr Pedley's love of aircraft began when he was a child, making his love for the job even stronger. 
He said: 'I have a real fascination with planes, which was probably kickstarted by me growing up next to Birmingham Airport.
Memories of the past: The Airteam image library contains photographs documenting every aspect of the world of aviation, from the biggest super jumbos to this Aviat Christien Eagle II flying in Argentina
Memories of the past: The Airteam image library contains photographs documenting every aspect of the world of aviation, from the biggest super jumbos to this Aviat Christien Eagle II flying in Argentina

Red Stripe: The extensive Airteam Images library includes this Boeing 777 with its distinctive tail fin captured on camera at Heathrow
Red Stripe: The extensive Airteam Images library includes this Boeing 777 with its distinctive tail fin captured on camera at Heathrow

Breaking barriers: A Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet visibly breaks the sound barrier above San Francisco, USA
Breaking barriers: A Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet visibly breaks the sound barrier above San Francisco, USA

Air stream: The emissions from this Boeing 747 seem to be glowing all the colours of the rainbow as the plane cruises through international airspace
Air stream: The emissions from this Boeing 747 seem to be glowing all the colours of the rainbow as the plane cruises through international airspace

'I would go with my friends and play football behind the fences which ran alongside the runways. 
'When photography came along it helped to keep the interest going, and here I am today.'
Airteam boasts more than 130,000 images within its online portfolio alone, and it comes as no surprise that manufacturing giant Boeing is their biggest client.
Have a heart: Cutting through a heart-shaped gap in the clouds seems particularly apt when you consider this 747 is taking off from Paris - the city of love
Have a heart: Cutting through a heart-shaped gap in the clouds seems particularly apt when you consider this 747 is taking off from Paris - the city of love

Up close: This image of a Boeing business jet is one of more than 250,000 pictures in the Airteam collection
Up close: This image of a Boeing business jet is one of more than 250,000 pictures in the Airteam collection

In control: A peek inside the cockpit of an Airbus A321 in Rome, Italy as the pilots bring the aircraft into land
In control: A peek inside the cockpit of an Airbus A321 in Rome, Italy as the pilots bring the aircraft into land

The library contain's photographs documenting every aspect of the world of aviation - both civilian and military, taking in the very early days of aeroplane flight to the modern airliners and executive planes.
'I never thought I would make a living out of planes,' said Mr Pedley.
'It started out as a hobby and snowballed to the size it is now. 
'It's quite a unique collection but it's a one-stop shop for anything to do with aviation.'
Great and small: Pictured together this larger Embraer ERJ190 and the smaller Boeing 777 almost appear to be a family unit as they taxi in Amsterdam
Great and small: Pictured together this larger Embraer ERJ190 and the smaller Boeing 777 almost appear to be a family unit as they taxi in Amsterdam

Through the mist: A Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777 cuts a swathe through the fog in Oslo, Norway
Into the mist: A Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777 cuts a swathe through the fog in Oslo, Norway

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