1. Photographer captures Arizona monsoon from helicopter using his smartphone
2. Tiny helicopter meets threatening walls of dust - pictures are breathtaking
3. Cameraman shares his dust storm pictures right from the helicopter over breaking news and weather
4. Photographer and pilot risk strong, turbulent winds for breathtaking pictures
5. When Phoenix meets a dust storm, photographer and pilot challenges themselves going to work in the sky
When the immense dust storms, also known as haboob, occur in Arizona, people stay at home, but not Jerry Ferguson. The photographer challenges himself going to work then.
While sharing breathtaking pictures of weather events right from the sky Ferguson often risks his tiny helicopter be thrown into the ground within seconds.
The haboob can be dangerous for aircraft due to their strong, turbulent winds and low visibility for pilots.
The helicopters Ferguson rides can fly at over 100 mph. It lets him to retain visibility and easily outpace the storms (20-60 mph).
Being professional photographer for 20+ years, Ferguson says he frequently captures weather events using his Google Pixel 2 smartphone. "It shoots beautiful, tack sharp raw images for quick sharing right from the helicopter over breaking news and weather." he says.
"If we were to fly into a storm, it could throw our small helicopter into the ground within seconds.” Ferguson says.
Thankfully, the helicopters Ferguson rides can fly at over 100 mph, allowing them to easily outpace these storms, which generally sweep across the desert at 20-60 mph.
Ferguson has been shooting professionally for 20+ years and from helicopters for 6 years.
Ferguson and his pilot are waiting out the storm before taking to the skies again.
Here's an aerial photo of a strong microburst that dumped rain and high winds in south Phoenix in 2017.
Jerry’s impressive collection also includes images of spectacular lightning.
