ABout Us
Our Passion for Aviation Photography
Air 2 Air Photo Tours was created from a shared passion for aviation, photography, and the extraordinary experience that happens when the two come together in the sky.
Our team brings decades of professional photography experience together with real-world aviation knowledge to create air-to-air photography experiences that are exciting, carefully planned, and unlike anything you can experience from the ground. We understand that successful air-to-air photography requires far more than putting a camera out the window of an airplane. It takes experienced pilots, precise coordination, an understanding of light and positioning, and a commitment to doing things professionally and safely.
But what truly sets us apart is the experience itself.
There is something unforgettable about being airborne with another aircraft flying in formation just outside your camera. You hear the engines, feel the movement of the aircraft, watch the light change across the subject, and suddenly realize you are capturing photographs that very few people will ever have the opportunity to create.
We design our Air 2 Air Photo Tours to put you in the middle of that experience. From passionate aviation enthusiasts and aircraft owners to photographers looking for something completely different, our goal is to create opportunities that are both photographically rewarding and genuinely unforgettable.
We don't simply take you flying.
We give you a front-row seat to aviation.
David McKay
David is a co-founder of McKay Photography Academy and McKay Photography Inc. He has been a professional photographer for over 30 years, starting his first photography studio at the age of 17.
Together with his wife, Ally, and their team, they have led over 3,000 people around the globe on photographic excursions. This includes travel to over 70 countries and all seven continents.
He has always had a love for aviation, beginning with flying gliders in 1997, and later obtaining his single-engine pilot’s license in 2000. After a 20-year break from flying, David has returned to the pilot’s seat once again. It was only natural to combine his love for aviation and photography and filming when the opportunity arose.
David has received some of the highest photographic awards in the world, including the prestigious Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman degrees from Professional Photographers of America—the leading professional photography organization in the world.
Having taught on some of the largest stages in the industry to thousands of people, both professional photographers and amateurs alike, he has a deep passion for photography and teaching. He believes that simply being a great photographer does not make you a great teacher, and that both emotion and skill must be shared and taught.
David brings his love and enthusiasm wherever he goes, and many of you can attest to this.
You may also know David from his #1 international best-selling photography book series, Photography Demystified. Each of the four books in the series has reached the #1 spot.
Keith Charlot
Keith is, quite simply, the Man, the Myth, the Legend around here. Growing up just beneath the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) flight path, he spent his childhood looking skyward, tracking every airplane as it passed overhead.
Aircraft became his obsession early on, and if Keith wasn’t pedaling his bike out to the nearest airport, he was convincing his mom to chauffeur him all across Southern California just to catch a glimpse of everything from vintage P-51 Mustangs to the latest military jets.
As the years rolled by, Keith became a well-known name across the Southern California and Arizona aviation scenes. He’s worked with an array of commercial aircraft and warbird sales outfits, and more recently, he’s dived into jet warbird restorations.
Back in 2008, Keith noticed a gap: rare, historic planes often flew by with no one around to capture the moment. So he bought his first camera and started shooting. What started as a hobby quickly took over. His first article, with photos, appeared in Air Classics magazine in 2010, and by 2011, he was shooting his first air 2 air photo mission.
Almost two decades later, Keith is considered one of the top aviation photographers in the country. He’s flown missions with the United States Armed Forces, documented a huge lineup of World War II fighters and bombers, and has basically become the default photographer for the Jet Warbird crowd. His work shows up regularly in aviation magazines across the U.S., Australia, and Europe, and he’s on contract with the globe’s largest warbird brokerage.
Keith is a crucial part of the team, always hustling to help us track down the perfect subject aircraft for our tours. In the airshow world, he’s the guy everyone knows—or wishes they did—thanks to the genuine respect he’s earned from aviators and performers everywhere.