A call came through to us as we were driving over the Scottish Highlands after a late summer tourism shoot in Lossiemouth: "Can you do a stills and video shoot in Holland in two weeks time?"
Our immediate reply was:"Yes!"
Time to get organised. The shoot had to be kept very much under wraps; an aircraft was to be delivered to MAAS Aviation's hangar in Maastricht and then repainted with an extremely detailed, multi-layer, livery before being flown to the Dubai airshow. Nothing about project "Tech Eagle" could be leaked before the unveiling. This particular aircraft is a showpiece for Brazilian manufacturer Embraer, known as the E195-E2 Profit Hunter, and it's a work of engineering genius. Using the most up to date aerodynamics, composite materials and fuel efficient engines it promises revolutionary efficiency. If you haven't heard of Embraer yet, you will do soon.
This is the third repaint project that we've been involved with for our client AkzoNobel Aeorospace. Having previously worked at world-class painting facilities in Estonia and Lithuania, this one was a little closer to home and allowed us to drive out with all the required kit to get the job done. There's a lot to organise on an assignment like this; import/export carnets are required for every piece of equipment, we use 6 time-lapse cameras, go-pros, stills and video kit, bags of lenses, lighting, gimbals, piles of lens filters that are replaced after each spray paint application, cling film to protect camera bodies, apple mac desktop computers and enough batteries to power a small city.
We documented every aspect of the repaint, from the aircraft landing to the tiniest detail of paint being applied and everything in between, concentrating on paint application. We also took portraits of the crew involved, asking to shoot their portrait is a fantastic way to break the ice and overcome language barriers. The new livery was the most complex design that we've filmed, with many masking layers for the "tech eagle" face on the nose of the plane, which involved painstaking attention to detail by the crew and graphics team. The images here should give an idea of just how much work was involved and the skills applied to give an absolutely flawless end result.
The aircraft was delivered on time to the Dubai airshow and is a remarkable example of what can be achieved with craftsmanship, team work and the best aerospace coatings in the world.
Embraer Tech Eagle Video
A few behind the scenes shots. We have to wear a considerable amount of PPE and also protect the kit. Not the easiest working environment for cameras, lenses and lighting.
Maastricht is a beautiful city to visit and work in, absolutely recommended.