BY GRETTA THORWARTH
Glinting in the golden evening light, the burgundy and gold Bonanza leads the formation into position as the subject aircraft settles perfectly into the viewfinder. From light and angle to background and timing, everything has to be just right.
In the cockpit, owner and pilot Mike Turner isn’t just flying — he’s orchestrating a moment. This combination of precision flying and artistic creativity defines Turner’s unique Beechcraft V35A Bonanza — better known as the “Photonanza.”
Turner’s aviation story stretches back over four decades. Like many pilots, he started flying just for the joy of it. Eventually, it became a business tool for travel. Renting a flight school Arrow on weekends for more than 250 hours quickly made it clear that ownership was the better option for Mike. But his first aircraft purchase was anything but modest.
“My first airplane was a pressurized 210 — that was a horrible idea,” he says with a laugh.
Plagued with perpetual maintenance, Turner’s trusty mechanic Nate helped keep the 210 running. But a single flying experience changed his worldview on aircraft ownership forever.
“I flew with Nate in his Bonanza from the right seat once and after that I knew that I had to have one.”
Finding the right one, however, took patience and a bit of luck. Turner and his mechanic plane-shopped for six months across the country but were repeatedly disappointed. Then one day on the ramp just outside of his shop at Hampton Roads Executive Airport (KPVG) in Norfolk, Virginia, Nate spotted an opportunity.
“Nate and I were in the golf cart heading down the FBO flightline, and he made a hard U-turn — almost threw me out of the cart — and pulled right up to this plane with a for sale flag on the prop. As soon as he stopped, he said, ‘you need to buy this airplane.’”
A client’s plane for several years, the 1968 V35A already had the Nate seal of approval, no pre-buy needed.
“It took less than a week, and I owned the airplane,” Mike recalls.
Since he bought the Bonanza in 2005, he has flown it more than 4,300 hours, traveling all over the country and to the Bahamas dozens of times.
“It’s not a hangar queen,” he says. “I have flown the heck out of it.”
A Plan Comes Into View
While Turner had long been interested in photography, having taken courses in college, it wasn’t until he began flying formation with his Bonanza that the idea of combining the two took hold.
“When I started, we tried doing some video stuff with early GoPro-style cameras, and from there, I decided to do air-to-air photography,” he says. “I have several friends who are photographers, so it kind of worked out.”
Turner realized that he could do much more with the Bonanza. To fully realize its potential, he decided to add STC’d custom photography windows. They are similar to a pilot vent window but mounted in the aft cabin window.
“You can open and close them in flight, and there’s no noise, no wind — you don’t even feel it,” he explains.
The result is a comfortable environment that allows photographers to operate without the need for harnesses or equipment tethers.
“There’s no worry about a photographer or camera going out of the airplane,” he says. “It’s extremely safe.”
Bringing the concept to life wasn’t quick.
“It took two years to get the STC,” Turner notes.
But the result was worth it.
Why it Works
At first glance, a Bonanza might not seem like the obvious choice for a photo ship. But Turner quickly discovered its advantages.
“One of the best things is the V-tail,” he says. “It opens up your field of view and gives the photographer a much bigger area to shoot.”
The aircraft’s performance flexibility allows Turner to work with an impressive range of subjects, from RVs and Lancair Evolutions to the Blue Angels. The largest?
“The biggest was the B-29 ‘FIFI,’” he says.
His portfolio also includes Harriers, helicopters, warbirds, and a variety of light general aviation aircraft.
Turner never charges for flights. It’s purely a labor of love, fueled by his passion for aviation and the people he gets to share it with.
Flying the Mission
A photo mission involves far more than simply snapping pictures.
“It’s a pretty in-depth briefing safety-wise,” he explains.
Join-up, maneuvers, and termination are discussed in depth. Coordination is critical, especially when working with owner/pilots who may not have formation experience. In those cases, experienced formation pilots are brought along to fly the subject aircraft. Once airborne, the pace varies depending on the subject.
“With the Blue Angels, you get eight, 10 minutes max — and they’re gone,” Turner says. “Other shoots are 45 minutes to an hour.”
For those, “we just take our time and make sure the photographer gets the shots he wanted.”
For Turner, some of his favorite images aren’t just about the subject, but the perspective.
“I like shots where you can see the window with the airplane framed inside it.”
Fly-ins provide a natural setting for Turner’s work, offering access to a wide range of aircraft and pilots.
“I’ve done air-to-air at every Beech Bash,” he says, referencing the popular Beechcraft gathering in Madisonville, Kentucky. Events like the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo also rank among his favorites for opportunities, while EAA AirVenture Oshkosh — though a popular destination — presents too many logistical challenges.
“It’s so big and hectic,” he says. “You’re just not going to get back to your campsite if you leave for a photo flight.”
Looking Ahead
Even after years of experience and an extensive portfolio, Turner still has more goals he hopes to achieve.
“I would love to shoot a rocket launch from the air,” he says.
He came close once, with plans to photograph a launch from Cape Canaveral, only to have the mission scrubbed at the last minute. “I was just stoked about that – but it didn’t happen.”
For Turner, despite the wide range of shoots he’s already participated in, the appeal of aerial photography hasn’t faded.
“Flying formation, getting to work with people, you know, it’s kind of neat to get to do that,” he notes. “I fly so much formation that when I fly by myself, I get bored.”
In the Photonanza, that’s rarely a problem. Every trip offers the potential for new friends, new opportunities, and another chance to chase the perfect shot.
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