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NEW HAS COME! :)
I am giving you a calendar completely different than in previous editions. Thanks to many suggestions from you, consultations with the printing house, as well as after my deep consideration of the matter, I decided to get rid of the black frames around the photos, which may have helped to hide the differences in photo formats and helped in cutting out photos after the end of the year, but unfortunately they made the photos (despite the large format of the calendar pages), much smaller than it and did not make as much of an impression as I hope the ones in the calendar for 2023 will make. I put everything on the presentation of photos, which makes the dates themselves very delicate so that they do not interfere with the reception of photos. However, if someone really cares about cutting out photos, I will make a special offer to buy individual prints for the buyers of my calendar, of course.
Another change in the 2023 calendar is the thickness of the paper. Due to disabling the option of cutting out photos, I went in the direction of double-sided printing. Thanks to this, I could use the thickest possible paper option, thanks to which the calendar cards will stop bending, whether in shipping or during viewing or even under the influence of its weight from long-term hanging on the wall. Calendars are more robust.
I hope that the adopted solutions will improve the quality and reception of the photos contained in the calendar. And the most important thing is that you, both my regular recipients and those of you who receive my calendar for the first time, will like these changes.

 

SELECTION OF PHOTOS FOR THE AVIATION CALENDAR 2023
When choosing photos for the calendar, I took into account your votes on my fanpage (thank you!), as well as, of course, my opinion. As for my opinion, you probably know that for me the most important photos are those that are "three-dimensional", in which the third dimension is the amount of memories and experiences that accompanied the taking of the photo itself. In addition, the photos selected for the calendar must make the greatest impression from the wall, from the distance from which you look at them, for the entire 30 days of the month! These three-dimensional, most effective, best photos I've taken recently have been selected. It wasn't easy, because the last two years were full of great sessions! Below are short explanations answering the question why I chose a particular photo for the calendar and why for this and not another month.

 

COVER
Because it's colorful, one of my favorite photos with Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, which I had the pleasure of photographing from the ramp for the first time thanks to Aviation PhotoCrew. In addition, in this photo there is a natural place to put the inscription “2023” in terms of composition. I knew from the beginning that this would be the cover of the aviation calendar for 2023!

 

JANUARY
Every aviation photographer who has had the pleasure of taking photos of Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor knows that it is a guarantee of amazing experiences every time! I have loved the Raptor for years and I had the pleasure of photographing it many times at various aviation events from the USA through Europe to Australia. On October 12, 2022, however, I had the incredible honor of conducting an air-to-air shoot from the ramp of CASA C-295 aircraft with these wonderful machines! The first session of this type in Europe and probably one of the few in the world! It was great session, and since the morning was almost windless, the power plant in Bełchatów with its clouds of steam decided to pose beautifully in the background. Is it a coincidence that I celebrate my birthday on October 12th? :) The cold and a bit apocalyptic atmosphere of this photo fits perfectly with the dark and cold January.
More from this session:
https://www.hesja.pl/galeria,904,f-22-raptor.html

FEBRUARY
This "cold" photo of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II representing the U.S. The Air Force F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team fits me perfectly for this cold month. In addition, I love the F-35 from this angle and I would like with this photo to put the lie to the popular thesis that it is an ugly aircraft. I imagine that such Lightning flying out of the wall for all 28 days of February will improve opinion about it in the eyes of many aviation fans. An interesting fact about that picture is that the first woman in the history of the F-35 Demo Team is driving this wonderful machine - Major Kristin "BEO" Wolfe.

MARCH
Things get more and more interesting in nature. The first greens appear. The same goes for the calendar. Two great fighters in the picture: North American P-51D Mustang - The Hun Hunter\Texas and Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II combining the past with the present, which is the essence of USAF Heritage Flight. Every time, at all aviation events where Heritage Flight appears, I admire how Americans wonderfully pay tribute to veterans of combat in the air. This time, again thanks to Aviation PhotoCrew, I had these two iconic aircraft literally at my fingertips. Awesome experience!

APRIL
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is not only a legend among air fighters. It is not only the machine that Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was delighted with and unfortunately also died in it. This is also the top shelf of the aircraft I love the most. I've always dreamed of doing an air-to-air session with him. I managed to do it on the occasion of the Antidotum air show in Leszno during Air-to-Air Meeting No. 16 with P-38 belonging to The Flying Bulls. The Lightning flying right behind us, with its distinctive airframe, looked not like a historical aircraft, but like some sort of Star Wars fighter ship. Totally timeless design!
More from this session:
https://www.hesja.pl/galeria,852,atam-16.html

MAY
May is a burst of green! It cannot be otherwise in my calendar. If green then mighty Dream Viper! The amazingly painted General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon aircraft belonging to the Belgian Air Force F-16 Solo Display Team, together with the originator of this painting, and also a great pilot Steven "Vrieske" De Vries, created a unique, almost perfect duo. What "Vrieske" was doing behind the ramp and around our Skywan was totally crazy! In every second of this show you could feel the over 5,000 hours that Steven, as one of the few pilots in the world, has flown in F-16 aircraft. With his flying, he proved the thesis that the F-16 pilot does not get into his Viper, but puts it on. It was not an air-to-air session, but an aviation spectacle with amazing figures, maneuvers and flares. That's why, despite hundreds of my beautiful F-16 photos from different countries, Steven "Vrieske" De Vries flies in my calendar.

JUNE
June is the beginning of summer. So we're going to the sea! And if to the sea, then to its most beautiful surroundings in Poland, i.e. the Gulf of Gdańsk and the Hel Peninsula. In this ideal area for aviaton photography, I had one of my best, most unique air-to-air session in my life. Session with Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft from the 161st Squadron of the Turkish Air Force. Why unique session? I was not supposed to be at this session at all. Later, two days before the session, it turned out that I was supposed to be there and ... lead it! On the spot in Malbork, due to hopeless weather conditions and weather forecasts, it turned out that the session unfortunately will not take place. But it happened! Only thanks to the wonderfully positive Polish airmen from the CASA C-295 and Turkish pilots from the F-16, with whom We are friends to this day. Their amazing flying, great atmosphere and the conditions we found in the vicinity of the Hel Peninsula, which, according to the meteo, was not supposed to be something I will never forget. This photo is one of my most "three-dimensional" photos from the last period. It's no coincidence that it's been my laptop wallpaper for over a year now. It couldn't be missing from the calendar!
More from this session:
https://www.hesja.pl/galeria,856,nato-eap.html

JULY
Organizing this air-to-air session with the ORLIK Aerobatics Team flying PZL-130TC-2 Turbo Orlik aircraft before the International Aviation Exhibition FLY FEST 2022 organized by the Aeroklub Ziemi Piotrkowskiej in Piotrków Trybunalski was not easy at all. And again, only thanks to the good people from the Aeroklub Ziemi Piotrkowskiej, from the 8th Airlift Base in Krakow and finally the leader and pilots of the team itself, everything went perfectly. Getting beautiful summer weather for the session at the Sulejów Reservoir was a much easier challenge. The perfect photo for a holiday on beautiful Polish lakes in July!
More from this session:
https://www.hesja.pl/galeria,897,atam-23.html

 

AUGUST
Just at the beginning of the session, right after the opening of the CASA C-295 ramp and the formation of two Lockheed Martin F-16 Jastrząb aircraft from the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask joining us, I saw the Bełchatów power plant below us, in the background, beautifully illuminated by the afternoon light. Right away, although it wasn't in the plan, I suggested to the pilots: Gentlemen, let's do a cross break on 3.. 2.. 1… Break! Of course, our pilots did everything without delay and perfectly, and at the beginning of the session I was overjoyed knowing that it would be a great photo! It turned out great. It was a beautiful session that took place a few hours after the session with the Raptors. On the same beautiful day - October 12, 2022. On my birthday. I can't imagine a better celebration! Thank you all :)
More from this session:
https://www.hesja.pl/galeria,904,f-22-raptor.html

SEPTEMBER
It was the end of the session in the mountains with CASA C-295M and PZL M28 Bryza aircraft from the 8th Airlift Base in Krakow. When planning this break in the turn, I did not suspect that it could turn out so perfectly! But I should have, because in the planes there were the best of the best. Pilots thanks to whom so many of our sessions took place in recent years. It's a great feeling to be able to take pictures of pilots and aircraft that usually do a lot of hard work during air-to-air sessions on the other side of our lenses. Such a tribute and photographic thanks for their activities. Couldn't miss this photo from the calendar!
More from this session:
https://www.hesja.pl/galeria,858,8.-bltr-krakow.html

OCTOBER
We are on the Baltic Sea again. This time with the beautiful Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 aircraft from the 22nd Tactical Air Base in Malbork flying right behind us and basking in the warm light of the sunset. One of the brilliant features of our air-to-air sessions is that, if only for a moment, we are in the sky offices of pilots' work. I confirm - they have offices with the most beautiful views outside the window! The warm colors of this photo perfectly match the autumn, October climate.
More photos from this session:
https://www.hesja.pl/galeria,902,itaf-malbork.html

 

NOVEMBER
This cold month, I decided to lightly warm up with the flames of the afterburners of the Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 aircraft from the 22nd Tactical Air Base in Malbork. This is one of my favorite photos of this machine seen from one of my favorite, very combative angles. I love the silhouette of the MiG-29 aircraft and I am sad that the days of service of these beautiful aircraft, considered by many to be the most beautiful aircraft in the world, are numbered. That's why I enjoy every opportunity to take pictures of them and that's why this is another photo with the MiG-29 in my calendar.
More photos from this session:
https://www.hesja.pl/galeria,902,itaf-malbork.html

 

DECEMBER
The December darkness will be best illuminated by a salvo of flares fired from McDonnell Douglas EF-18M of the Spanish Air Force patrolling the waters of the Baltic Sea off the coast of Lithuania as part of NATO Baltic Air Policing. Our ancestors celebrating the Festival of Lights at the end of December would be delighted. I wonder if as much as I was and am delighted with this session with Spaniards over Lithuania? I am delighted because it was my probably the best air-to-air session! And it's not even about the F-18s, which I love. It's not about flares, sea and sunsets either! It's about the people who participated in that session. Both about the photographers on the ramp and the pilots of the Lithuanian C-27J Spartan, and finally about the most important - the wonderful pilots from the 12th Wing of the Spanish Air Force, who from our first contacts, then at the briefing, later during the session itself, but also to this day they were and are sensational and trouble-free, probably according to the principle of their Wing: "NO LE BUSQUES TRES PIES AL GATO" which more or less means that you should not complicate what is clear and simple.
More from this session:
https://www.hesja.pl/galeria,898,vilkas.html