Red Bull Matadors Air to Air

The Red Bull Matadors were in Ireland for the Bray Air Show and Red Bull took the opportunity to take some publicity images over Dublin City & Dublin Bay and they kindly asked me to take the pictures.

Friday 23rd July was the day for the photoflight, before the flight departed there was a briefing with Paul Bonhomme and Steve Jones as well as Susie Dardis from Red Bull Ireland to discuss what shots were required and how we were going to take them.

Radio communications between the aircraft was going to be an issue due to the fact that we were flying in controlled airspace and the Matadors did not have a second radio so a system of hand signals was agreed upon for the likes of smoke on / smoke off.

Eddie Goggins kindly agreed to fly for some photos as well so that was an added bonus, his Extra had a second radio, as did the Cessna 172 photoship, so hand signals were not required for Eddie's photos.

Red Bull wanted to take pictures of the Matadors over Dublin city and also with the Poolbeg chimneys, an inital idea was to have the Matadors fly between the chimneys but that didn't come to pass unfortunately so we settled for some flypast's of the chimneys instead.

As soon as we took off from Weston the Matadors formed up with the Cessna and the photoflight began. It's just as well they did that as the light just after take off was the best of the whole flight, Dublin city being covered by lots of cloud.

We flew east over Dublin city centre, just south of the river Liffey, to Dublin Bay where the aerobatics could begin. Once over Dublin Bay Steve & Paul flew in various formations as we flew in a circular orbit around the bay, the main objective being to get a different pose every time Dublin city and the Poolbeg chimneys were in our field of view.

Once all the shots were taken Eddie joined up in his Extra for some formation shots before the Matadors called fuel and returned to Weston.

Eddie then proceeded to throw the Extra around the sky as we flew a few more orbits around Dublin bay. Once we were finished over the bay we proceeded to head back to Weston with Eddie in close formation and of course as is typical in Ireland the sun comes out once we were finished! At least I got some shots of Eddie in nice light.

A big thank you go to...