I attended the 2011 Great Tennessee air show on May 7, 2011 with fellow Smugmug photographer and friend Jon Berry. As you can see from the photos, the weather ranged from low, heavy overcast with rain to brilliant sunshine. The event featured a first-rate lineup including the Thunderbirds, 2 flight demonstrations by the mighty F-15E Strike Eagle and a Legacy Flight consisting of an F/A-18C Hornet and a pristine Corsair. Civilian performers included Mike Goulian & Rob Holland along with Jason Newberg. I have to add that the Thunderbirds were super-sharp for a show this early in the season and Major Mike Maeder amazed me with incredible power and athletic moves of the F-15E Strike Eagle. Photography was exceptionally challenging all day long. By the time the flying started, aircraft were flying directly in front of the sun with bright clouds threatening to blow out the images. Of course by the time the best part of the flying was underway it was dark and gloomy with a low ceiling and intermittent rain. Just when the Thunderbirds began to taxi for takeoff, one had to contend with bright, backlit clouds again. In fact, most of the shots you see with blue in them were taken when the aircraft flew near an open patch of blue sky. The aerobatic box is a long way from the runway at this show. I would advise having a 300mm telephoto as a minimum for flying shots. 400mm and up would be helpful. With the strong backlighting, your best bet for well exposed shots of high flying aircraft is during the initial approach or departure to the box. That said, very low passes can be successfully captured at show center. Despite the crazy weather, this was a fun and enjoyable show. Great job to all involved.

Photos were taken with Nikon DSLR bodies and lenses. All photographs by Chris Buff of Aviationbuff Photography, located in Suwanee, Georgia USA.