A group of photographers had the opportunity to get a close-up, mid-air view of several aircraft leading up to the Abbotsford International Airshow this week.

The team from Aviation Photo Crew was in Chilliwack for four days with its Skyvan Photoship, an airplane customized for 'air-to-air' photography.

This means that photographers aboard the Photoship capture images and videos of other aircraft scheduled to fly in close proximity to the Photoship.

On Wednesday, August 7, a photographer with Black Press Media took to the skies with nine other photographers from around the world.

Each day the Photoship was in town, there were about three to five flights for the same group of photographers, with each flight featuring different aircraft to photograph.

Although all the flights took off from and landed at the Chilliwack Airport, the photo sessions took place over Washington State.

Most of the Aviation Photo Crew is from Belgium, and they have a few planes located around the world, including in the U.

S.

The aircraft they own are Short SC7 Skyvan 3-100s, which used to be short-haul cargo ships or military planes that they converted specifically for aviation photographers.

The rear hatch door of the Photoship is open for the duration of the flight – except for takeoff and landing – giving photographers a wide, unobstructed view of the other aircraft.

Pilots of the aircraft being photographed will fly their plane right up to the hatch and also beside the Photoship.