The Royal New Zealand Air Force Black Falcons team spaghetti break in their new T-6C Texan ll aircraft at the 2017 Classic Fighters Airshow at Omaka Airfield has won Nelson Mail photographer Martin de Ruyter the best Defence Photograph in the global Aviation Week 2017 Photo Contest.

A Nelson Mail photographer's carefully executed shot of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Black aerobatic team flying in formation has scooped the top spot in an international aviation photo contest.

Martin de Ruyter took the photo of the Black Falcons, the team of five Beechcraft T-6 Texan II aircraft flying together at the 2017 Classic Fighters Airshow at Omaka Airfield in April.

"The real rockstars are those guys flying the aircraft, I was just recording it," he said of the well-timed photo.

MARTIN DE RUYTER The Royal New Zealand Air Force Air Force, Black Falcons team fly over opening ceremony of the new WW1 War Memorial at Marsden Valley Cemetery.

It was awarded first place in the defence section in the Aviation Week 2017 Photo Contest and netted de Ruyter $US250 in prize money.

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"It is the combination of an excellent team and an excellent world class airshow."

Martin de Ruyter A Royal New Zealand Air Force C 130 Hercules aircraft drops flares during a display by the aircraft at Warbirds Over Wanaka.

Having photographed airshows for 35 years, de Ruyter said he knew the aircraft's formation and planned the shot, which was taken from the ground, before he got to the event.

The manouevre, called a spaghetti break, was part of the show's finale where the pilots fly directly towards the crowd, and then peel off in different directions.

Second place in the defence category was awarded to a photo of a United States Air Force Thunderbird while third place went to a photo of the United States Navy Blue Angels which de Ruyter said was "spectacular photo".

"So the Black Falcons beat the US Air Force and the US Navy, with a little bit of assistance from me."

De Ruyter has been a photographer at the Nelson Mail for more than 30 years. He has been runner-up for Photographer of the Year in the Australian Aviation Press Club awards and a finalist in the Canon Media Awards for the last three years running.

He said his keen interest in aircraft stemmed from the 75 year aviation legacy in his family. His grandparents were both aircraft builders who met in a Spitfire factory in 1942.

Royal New Zealand Air Force squadron leader Brett Clayton said the international recognition that had arisen from the photo was "certainly quite special".

It was taken during the first season for RNZAF aerobatic team for the Black Falcons. The team is made up of qualified flying instructors of the Central Flying School.

Clayton leads the Black Falcons and was flying the aircraft in the middle of the photo. He was responsible for the timing in the formation.

"It is a very well-practised and well-rehearsed manoeuvre but it is all about the illusion of chaos and carnage."

He said he was one of the "five lucky guys" who got to fly the aircraft but the team was bigger than just the pilots themselves.

"To have this recognition and the fact it has gone global, it is quite neat to be fair, it puts it all back into perspective."

The Black Falcons will hold a display in Nelson on March 11 next year.