USA East: Miami Platinum

Miami Platinum is one of those trips that sits right at the top of what we do. Platinum isn’t a badge we stick on things. It’s how the week is built - smaller group, tight delivery, and a programme that’s designed for photographers who want depth and context, not just a list of stops. When it says Platinum, it means we’ve shaped the trip to feel immersive, curated, and worth the effort.

Florida gives us the perfect canvas for that. We open with the scale and significance of Kennedy Space Center, then pivot into heritage and detail, before Miami hits you with colour, noise, heat and the full theatre of the Air & Sea Show action. From there it’s old-school Opa-locka atmosphere with DC-3 cargo ops if the movements line up, and the chance to add modern operational sharpness with the US Coast Guard if approvals land. In between, and as this is a Platinum trip, we let Miami be Miami: street shooting, neon evenings, Cuban food, rum, culture absorption, and the kind of easy downtime that turns a great itinerary into an unforgettable week.

At a glance…

• Duration: 10 days
• Location: USA (Florida: Titusville, Miami, Opa-locka area)
• Group size: 5+
• Style: Exotic Wings Platinum: aviation-led photography with major set-pieces plus culture and atmosphere
• Key areas: Kennedy Space Center, Valiant Air Command, Miami Air & Sea Show (Miami Beach), Opa-locka DC-3 operations, US Coast Guard Miami (subject to approval), Miami Aviation Museum F-14 Tomcat (format TBC), Everglades boats, Miami street photography & culture
• Pace: Intense set-piece days balanced with smoother, absorb-the-scene days
• Photography: Space hardware and scale, airshow spectacle, operational aviation atmosphere, heritage detail, Miami colour & street life

What this trip is really about…

It’s a week of contrast stitched together by photography. One day you’re in awe of the scale and significance of the Kennedy Space Center. A couple of days later you’re on Miami Beach with aircraft, action and the full public spectacle of the Air & Sea Show. Then you’re back in the ops world of Opa-locka, chasing that old-school DC-3 cargo feel, and the true heroes of the USCG if the movements line up.

And between all of that, you’ve got Miami itself: neon, heat, street scenes, Cuban food, and evenings that turn a “trip” into a proper shared holiday with people who enjoy the same niche things you do.

Experience and pace…

Platinum means the trip hits different. There are days that are full-on aviation, but never a box-ticking marathon. We aim to arrive with intent, shoot with purpose, and stay long enough to let a location pay off, rather than any rush to the next thing. A real quality experience.

You can expect early starts where they make sense, and some long, hot aviation-filled days as well as chilled Miami vibes. The reward is a trip that feels aviation-dense, photographically-productive, and yet culturally experienced.

Aviation context and locations…

Kennedy Space Center is the opening scene. Even if you’ve been before, it photographs differently when the goal is aviation-style storytelling: there’s the scale of the place, the engineering detail, and the sense of being somewhere historically significant.

Valiant Air Command brings a different energy: heritage, shape, texture, and the slower satisfaction of working angles and details in a working museum.

Hyundai Air & Sea Show (Miami Beach) is the spectacle day (and yes, it’s as wild as it sounds). The key here is working the intense, vapour-filled action and choosing when to go tight versus when to tell the wider story of Miami Beach and the show environment. It has traditionally seen an impressively high level of US military participation. This is a free airshow, but we will be offering VIP ticketing support for a Platinum experience (these go on sale from the event, in March).

Opa-locka DC-3 operations are pure atmosphere when they happen: old school ramps and freight ops. These movements are unscheduled and subject to operator approval, so we treat them as an opportunity to be worked if and when the window is there.

US Coast Guard Miami is subject to approval. If it comes together, it’s a very modern, very sharp operational environment. If it doesn’t, there’ll be a replacement to the plan and the trip still stands on everything else you’re doing that week.

Miami Aviation Museum - here we are hoping for a dedicated session with their stunning F-14 Tomcat. The format may be standard museum presentation, or it may involve the aircraft being positioned outside the hangar. Either way, we approach it as a photography session, not a quick walkthrough.

Everglades boats are a change of gear in the best way. It’s still about engines, motion and environment, just with a completely different visual language.

Miami vibes - expect neon nights along the beach, street photography galore and culinary experiences.

The photography experience…

This is a “bring the whole toolbox” trip.

• Space Center and museums reward wider lenses, detail work, and careful composition to convey the scale.
• The airshow days warrant fast shutter action, long-lens discipline, and a sharp eye out for the vapour synonymous with this event.
• The intended operational shoots are about patience, flexibility and readiness: being in the right place, with the right lens on, when the movement actually happens.
• Miami street photography is colour, contrast, characters, and the feeling of culture.

There’s no workshop vibe and no performance pressure. People share ideas and stories alike!

The social side…

Miami does a lot of the work already and evenings matter on this trip. After a day of heat, aviation noise and cameras, you want a cold drink, good food, and the easy banter that comes from travelling with people who don’t need the hobby explained.

Expect neon evenings, Cuban sandwiches in the mix, rum if that’s your thing, and that Miami Beach energy that makes you feel like you’ve actually gone somewhere, not just “visited locations”.

Guidance and tour management…

We run the days so you don’t have to carry the friction. You’ll get clear briefings on what the plan is, why we’re choosing a location, and what the photography intent is for that session. Then you get the space to work.

Aviation and events are operationally variable and right now we’re working on additional shoots to add to the plan.

Next steps…

If Miami Platinum sounds like your kind of week, the next step is simply to book, or drop us a note if you want to sanity-check pacing, heat, and how the airshow days typically feel in practice. Platinum trips suit people who like a trip with real energy, but still want brilliant experiences add to the aviation.

It’s open for booking now, so just fill in the form below and we’ll be in touch.

Prices for this Platinum Wings trip are Land-Only and start from £3,425 for a twin sharing room, with single occupancy rooms from £4825.

Flight quotes are available from your airport of choice and the timings must align with the above as closely as possible to ensure logistical arrangements. Do not book your own flights without confirming with us first.