August 23, 2026
France 360 Air Project June 2026
There is a first time for everything, and this was certainly a first for me and the first time a helicopter without doors made a continuous journey around France. Our weeklong aerial 'Tour de France' began near Montpellier. From there, we traveled clockwise around the country, fueled by a passion for photography, a sense of adventure, curiosity, fun, and above all friendship.
We traveled approximately 3,000 miles, following the dramatic French coastline from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic and along the English Channel before turning our attention to the Alps. We targeted more abstract locations such as river mouths, sand dunes, beaches, vineyards and gorges.
Flying over towns, cities, harbors, boatyards, lighthouses, and racetracks, we had a birds-eye view. The extraordinary colors and patterns of oyster farms, salt flats and the turquoise lakes of the Alps greeted us.
We saw Paris and Versailles from a restricted distance, as well as countless beautiful châteaux and gardens from above. One of our favorites was Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire, which was hosting its annual flower festival.
We circled Mont-Saint-Michel at low tide, with beautiful sand patterns stretching out beneath us. Flying over spectacular beaches filled with sunbathers, surfers, umbrellas and hang gliders, it was easy to get lost in the amazing swirls of sand and surf. I saw the beaches of Normandy and the American war memorial for the first time. This journey was never simply about photography. It was also about history, place, and perspective.
From above, the poetic abstractions created by agricultural patterns spoke to me. The landscape looked like a quilt stitched together by nature: winding waterways, geometric shapes, unexpected colors, and fragments that seemed to form something recognizable. We flew over lavender fields, their scent filling the helicopter and surrounding us with endless purple patterns.
Perhaps one of the reasons I love to photograph from above is that the earth becomes an abstract language that I feel a connection with.
The altitude we flew changed constantly, and so did the temperature. On the ground, Europe was experiencing record temperatures hovering around 100 degrees. High above the clouds and mountains, it was quite cold. We were literally eye-to-eye with the snow-covered summit of Mont Blanc, wearing every layer of clothing we had, which still was not enough.
We circled the summit at 14,200 feet: maximum torque, maximum temperature, maximum compression. The helicopter was at its limit. Without doors or windows, I resisted the temptation to look down into the valleys thousands of feet below. Telling myself that the snow might provide a soft landing was not particularly comforting!
We flew through clouds that were close enough to touch, with mountain peaks poking through. We followed the wind like birds, rising and falling over hills and valleys, and soaring over ancient dormant volcanoes. Every few hours, we stopped to refuel or for a village lunch. Our course had been carefully charted before we set out on this journey.
Our pilot, Maxime, made safety the priority at every turn while somehow keeping us moving precisely on schedule. Our helicopter slept in fields near to the chateaux we lodged in. We enjoyed excellent local food and wine in the evenings, exhausted from flying all day.
The amount of planning and coordination required from our leader, Jonathan, and our pilot, Maxime, was apparent at every turn. We never missed a cue, stayed on schedule, and always arrived at our next destination exactly when we needed to.
Seeing a country from above was an extraordinary privilege. I realized during this journey that, despite having traveled to France many times, I hardly knew France at all. Sometimes changing your perspective is all it takes to see a landscape differently.
From above, all the individual slices of the country began to connect. It was as though someone had finally put the pieces of a puzzle together for me. This journey reached far beyond photography. It was fueled by adventure, curiosity and an artistic perspective. It made clear that nature is the greatest artist and storyteller. What I saw looking down at Earth's palette in France could not have been seen on foot. Earth's patterns revealed unexpected colors and designs and opened my photography to new possibilities.
And it all began with a casual conversation about a year ago: What if we tried this...?
The dream became reality, and it was spectacular in every way. And yes, we are still all friends, bound together by another great journey. We met by chance, in Iceland, years ago and somehow that chance meeting led us here, to the skies of France.
Looking back, I think that is what I love most about these adventures: you never really know where a simple "what if " might lead you. Until the next adventure...
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