Taranto Grottaglie – 28 August 2023
Grottaglie, 28 August 2023
It's not every day you get the chance to photograph Navy Harriers up close.
And even less often does it happen to photograph the only remaining TAV-8B in formation with the only AB-8B Plus Special Color. If we add to this that the photographs will be Air to Air, I would say that today's occasion is more unique than rare.
The day starts early: the flight to Bari leaves from Bergamo at 06:10 and getting up early is a must. I meet with Pier, trusted friend of a thousand aviation adventures and we head towards Orio al Serio. The airport, even at this time of morning, teeming with people moving with the very first Ryanair flights. We are going to Bari. The flight was uneventful and upon landing the car rental where we booked the car was still closed: we will be first in line. Upon opening the procedures are quick and in no time we find ourselves in our car facing south: Taranto-Grottaglie airport awaits us. Even the journey by car holds no surprises and in just over an hour we are in front of the airport.
We are the first and the place seems deserted. Since we've been fasting since early morning, we decide to go to the nearest town to have breakfast.
On our return we find our first flight colleagues and after a few minutes the very particular aircraft arrives which will allow us to take the much-needed photographs: it is the very famous Pink Skyvan, which with the members of Aviation Photo Crew will allow us to film the planes of our Navy.
Preparations are meticulous and safety explanations take a long time: Space on board is limited and all photographers must be secured with a harness. An exception is the photographer who will sit in place of the co-pilot who will be secured to the seat with seat belts: that will be my place.
At the scheduled time we finally reach the plane and everyone takes their seats. I tie myself to my seat and start looking for the best angles in which to photograph the Harriers that will come within range in a few minutes. Clearly the photographers who are in the cargo compartment will have more possibilities and will be able to photograph the planes from the cargo compartment which has no door but I am determined to do my best.
Starting up and taxiing towards the runway takes just a few minutes and before taking us to the waiting point we enjoy an AV 8B+ which practices hovering.
We finally take off: handcuffs all forward and the sound of 2 Garrett turboprops reach my ears powerfully, even if these are protected by noise-cancelling headphones. A few hundred meters are enough to be airborne and begin the climb into the torrid sky of Puglia.
We make several turns along the coast and finally I start to hear a loud hiss coming from behind: we are at 4200 feet and others 150 knots approximately indicated. The adrenaline immediately shoots to very high levels but unfortunately I am tied up and cannot turn around. Not many seconds pass and I finally see the car peeking out of the window on my right. It's a little far away but it's getting closer little by little, immediately flanked by the two-seater which has both seats occupied and which remains in the foreground. I notice the engine nozzles of both fighters in intermediate position due to the low speed at which they are forced to fly. They fly alongside us for a few minutes, constantly changing position but constantly remaining in formation, following us in the long turns we make. The light that hits them changes continuously and the background also alternates between sea and land.
I see ours 2 subjects file towards the tail and I see them reappear on the left side of the plane. That way, unfortunately, I can only film them through the rectangular window behind the pilot's side windshield. From that side it is the single-seater that remains in the foreground and I take the opportunity to film it, even if the position is really very sacrificed.
The end of the formation flight arrives on that side too and i 2 Harriers move away with a very tight turn.
All we have to do is land: I enjoy it from my decidedly privileged position.
Once stopped on the square I can finally unfasten my seat belts and take off my headphones. I'm bathed in sweat but I didn't realize it.
Time to take some photos of the stopped Skyvan and we can get back in the car to return to Bari. We are very tired but happy to have managed to take photographs, and Volo, 2 planes that are not often seen around. We don't know yet but the plane to Bergamo will have to wait a long time and will leave later 4 hours late. We will only see the bed again in many hours. But today we photographed the Harriers: that's fine.
Enjoy photos
AviaSpotter.it would like to thank: the Navy and, in particular, Lieutenant Commander Antonio ROSSI (Public Information and Communication Office of the Navy) for the opportunity granted. The crew of the Pink Skyvan and Aviation Photo Crew.
Text and Photos by/Text and images by Fabio Tognolo.
