Taken from the unofficial viewing area on the opposite side of the airport from the official one, here we see a BMI plane taxiing out from the terminal buildings and heading to turn on to the runway. The weather was very much in my favour on the day this was taken, although the sun is falling on the wrong side of the plane so that the main body and wing on the right are in shade. Still at least I was able to get a good angle on the aircraft.

Flying is something that has always fascinated me. The above photograph shows a close-up detail of the main instruments on a 1975 Cessna 172 Skyhawk II. I was lucky enough to get to fly this aircraft from Manchester City Airport (formally Barton Airfield). This was my first flying lesson, although I had been in a Cessna a few years previously when my cousin went on a flying lesson and I sat in the back. I was a little shocked to find I would be sitting in the main pilots seat, meaning that it was my job to get the plane off the ground and then back down. Fortunately I had a brilliant instructor who talked me through everything.

I have taken many plane photographs from this spot at the end of Manchester Airport’s main runway. This one is special as it shows a British Airways plane just leaving the ground. My grandfather flew and worked for British Airways, so they have always had a special place in my heart. The combination of the plane’s position in the frame and the blur of the lights beneath really made me want to share this image.

This may not be a seaplane, but judging by the boat shaped body it looks as though it could land on water. Having been to the Southport Airshow a couple of times before I was very keen to go this year. However the traffic was so bad that we ended up diverting to Formby and had a nice walk on the beach. Not only was it overcast but it was also raining. In the rain I didn’t fancy the idea of pointing my camera to the sky all day! Whilst walking along the beach this is what I was able to capture as the plane headed a few miles north to Southport.