On the 10th January 2018, I had the chance to visit the air wing of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) to take pictures of some of their aircraft in night time conditions. I was super excited since I had never tried night photography before. As we gathered for a quick briefing we got to know that the aircraft that we would be able to take pictures of included the Alouette III, the Hawker Beechcraft B200 King Air, and AgustaWestland AW-139, in the order cited.
First in line was the Alouette III of the AFM, still soldiering on despite its many years of service with the Armed Forces of Malta. It is nearing its retirement and thus it was extra special to be able to capture some photos of this beauty in night time conditions.
Second in line was the Hawker Beechcraft B200 King Air of the AFM, serial AS1126. This is the first B200 King Air delivered to the AFM, back in 2011.
The Hawker Beechcraft B200 King Air then taxied next to the AW-139, in order to give us the opportunity to get shots where both aircraft are close to each other with their engines started.
Third in line was the AgustaWestland AW-139 of the AFM, serial AS1429 delivered in December 2014. Following the photo shoot the helicopter left to perform some training ops involving winching exercises.
Following the takeoff of the AW-139, the B200 King Air taxied back onto the apron, first stopping in a secluded area used to wash itself from any salts present on its airframe. Due to the salty water environment in which these aircraft operate, it is of vital importance that these aircraft are washed in order to prevent wear and tear and corrosion of the aircraft. This provided us with the best photo opportunities of the night, with the water sprouts creating their own effects on the images.
All in all, it was a fantastic event and kudos to the Malta Aviation Society for organising such an event. In addition, a greater thanks goes to the AFM for hosting us and helping us get the shots we wanted. Hopefully, such an event will happen again in the neat future!
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