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Bahrain-based photographer Phil Weymouth was once again commissioned to be one of the official photographers of the fabulous Farnborough Airshow and his stunning images offer a brief glimpse of what is to come at this year’s Bahrain International Airshow.
Australian Phil, 56, was headhunted for the job six years ago after he worked at the Bahrain iteration, which is held in association with Farnborough.
Executives took a shine to his work and invited him to England for the 2012 show, and he recently returned from his fourth event behind the lens.
He said: “It was a fantastic experience, as it always is. The trade aspect was impressive, with so many designs and concepts available. The weather was perfect … it was nice to be in the heat wave that was embracing the UK at the time compared to two years ago when torrential rain and thunder meant the show had to close early on some days.”
The Farnborough Airshow, which takes place in the English county of Hampshire, consists of a week-long event, with the first five days - Monday to Friday - dedicated exclusively to a trade exhibition, while the two weekend days are open to the public and is when the majority of aerial displays take place.
This year, the highlight was UK defence secretary Gavin Williamson unveiling a concept version of the Royal Air Force’s next-generation fighter jet, the Tempest, which will eventually replace the Eurofighter Typhoon.
The Tempest will be able to fly unmanned, according to plans released by the MoD, and will have next-generation technology on board designed to cope with modern threats. This will include swarming technology that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to hit its targets, as well as directed energy weapons (DEW), which use concentrated bursts of laser, microwave or particle beam energy to inflict damage.
Phil had the enviable task of snapping numerous examples of aircraft as they flew in for accreditation to build anticipation and help promote the show.
He explained: “One of the best parts of the experience is seeing these wonderful machines up close. This includes the old Second World War Spitfires and Hurricanes but also the more modern creations like the Red Arrows display aircraft and the F-35, which takes off vertically.
“The other aspect I like is seeing and capturing the celebrities that attend. This time I took pictures of British Prime Minister Teresa May and astronaut Tim Peak. Overall, it’s a real privilege to have this job. It is hard work and certainly challenging, but it’s all worth it when I look back on the shots I took.”
The trade aspect of the show is the biggest temporary exhibition of any type in the UK, drawing business from across the globe to invest in aviation paraphernalia from toilet seats, to pilot helmets, to the planes themselves.
According to Phil, the public days had almost a carnival feel to it, with more than 200,000 attending to celebrate the best in aeronautical engineering.
The Farnborough Airshow, just like its Bahrain counterpart, takes place in even-numbered years. Phil hopes to be there yet again in 2020, and readers interested in his work can spot his Bahrain Life images which appear regularly in GulfWeekly or visit https://philweymouth.wordpress.com for more examples of his work.
The Bahrain International Airshow is set to take place on November 14-16.
