Plane-spotting made easy: Photographer perched on LAX runway captures the side of aircraft least often seen


These images may appear to show toy aeroplanes for children, but in fact they are commercial aircraft caught mid-flight.



A photographer braved the roar of jet engines to capture the underside of planes as they came in to land.



The stunning pictures show the vehicles' fuselage in pinsharp detail, revealing the extraordinary diversity of the aircraft populating our skies.



New perspective: Photographer Jeffrey Milstein has taken pictures of planes taking off from LAX; pictured are an American Airlines Boeing 767-200, and a Learjet C-21A belonging to the U.S. Air Force



Fun: One of the planes features is an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-400 decorated with Disney insignia, left; right is a red McDonnell Douglas DC8-73F

Innovative: One of the more unusual subjects of the series is a Goodyear blimp, left, while an AirTran Boeing 717-200 is pictured right

The series by Jeffrey Milstein is entitled 'AirCraft: The Jet As Art', and features craft ranging from the Boeing 747 to a Goodyear blimp. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Next Top Gun in the 21st century: New U.S. stealth drones... Share this article Share His subjects also include a Sikorsky SK-64E Helicopter, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 emblazoned with Disney characters and the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor, a $137million plane known as 'the most fearsome jet fighter in history'.

Mr Milstein captures the images by positioning himself at the end of the runway at Los Angeles International Airport and pointing his camera upwards. Vintage: This image shows a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, developed in the 1930s and deployed over Germany in the Second World War

Deadly: The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor, left, is known as 'the most fearsome jet fighter in history'; America West's Boeing 757-200, right, is less dangerous

Danger: The photographer waited on the busy runway to take his pictures of aircraft such as the Dessault Falcon 2000, left, and this Air Canada Boeing 767-300, right

Colourful: Some planes, such as the EVA Boeing 747-400 and the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 pictured here, are decorated with eye-catching designs

'As a child, I was drawn to aircraft,' he said. 'I built and flew model airplanes and earned my pilot's licence while still a teenager.

'A favourite pastime was hanging around the end of the runway at the Los Angeles International airport. I loved having the aircraft fly so low overhead that I could almost reach up and touch them. 'As an adult, I returned to the runway at LAX with a camera to recapture those moments. Over time the work evolved into a series of highly detailed, formal symmetrical portraits, exploring the typology of aircraft. Antique: This Beech C18S dates back as far as the 1930s, and is similar to military aircraft used in the Second World War

Variety: A Sikorsky SK-64E helicopter, left, was captured by Mr Milstein during his photography sessions, and a Swiss Airbus A340-300 is covered in colourful swirls, right

Bizarre: Many of the planes - like the AA McDonnell Douglas MD-82, left, and the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-400, right - look almost like toy aircraft for children



Military: This Beech 18 (SNB-2) was used as a navigation trainer by the U.S. Navy during the Second World War Airline: Two memorable Boeing 737-700 aircraft operated by Southwest, which is known for its strong brand identity

'I am underneath the aircraft while they are landing so they have minimal power at that point. They definitely make noise but it's not super loud. In some spots there is an eerie whistle as the wake blows across power lines.'

Mr Milstein has collected the extraordinary images into a book published a few days ago.

It is not the only project of his which has focussed around air travel - another series, entitled 'Flying', consists of aerial images of American airports, showing the mind-boggling complexity and strange beauty of these utilitarian facilities. Coming in to land: By positioning himself on the runway, the photographer captured an unusual perspective on an ordinary phenomenon Plane-spotting: The vessel on the left is a Boeing 777-200 owned by Asiana Airlines, while a Qantas Airbus A380 is pictured on the right

Rivals: A US Airways Airbus A319 is on the left, while Mr Milstein's picture of a British Airways Boeing 747-400 is on the right

