Loading...
USA West: The Ultimate Aviation Road Trip is thirteen days of proper aviation travel through California, Arizona and Nevada, built around locations that have an incredible atmosphere when you’re standing there, camera in hand and aviation all around you. Desert vibes, infinitely-stretching horizons, stunning airframes, active aviation environments, and the slower, satisfying sessions where you can work a scene until it all comes together.
The trip has a clear rhythm. We move between high-energy days and quieter, more immersive ones, with enough time on location to shoot with intent rather than snatching frames on the way past. It’s a small group, and that matters: you can settle into your own way of working, share the day with people who get it, and finish most evenings around a table, debriefing over good food and a drink.
It’s aviation photography-first, and run like a brilliant, active road trip. The kind of trip you look forward to all year, and talk about for years afterwards.
USA West exists for photographers who want time in strong aviation environments, the thrill of the chase and some wicked aviation action that only the western USA can deliver. It’s an unforgettable road trip with a clear aviation purpose. We know the entire region like the back of our hands and we go where it’s interesting. We give you time to work a location properly, and we keep the whole thing enjoyable from day one to day thirteen.
The best moments on USA West are often the ones you can’t schedule on paper. Late-afternoon light falling just right on a line-up. A movement you weren’t expecting. A museum session where you finally get the angles and details you’ve always wanted. The point isn’t chasing perfection. It’s having enough time, positioning and calm to let good things happen… and getting some of the best images you’ve ever shot!
Think of USA West as a properly planned road trip, not a rigid itinerary carved in stone. Each day has a clear plan, but the pace alternates across the two weeks: some days are energetic and aviation-dense, others are slower and more observational, by design. That balance stops the trip becoming a blur and gives you space to enjoy what you’re seeing rather than constantly thinking about the next stop.
You should expect full days out, regular time on your feet, and driving between key areas. We keep those legs sensible and purposeful, with breaks that feel like part of the trip rather than dead time. Evenings are where COAP trips thrive - relaxed dinners, plenty of chat and shoot debriefs, and the easy camaraderie that comes from travelling with people who are into the same niche as you.
USA West gives you a broad, satisfying sweep of American aviation atmosphere: big skies, wide-open desert backdrops, iconic museums and collections, boneyard scale, and the kind of locations that feel instantly familiar if you’ve spent years looking at aviation photographs.
Aviation activity is operational and can vary day to day. Scheduled events can be brilliant, but obviously still subject to weather and flying programmes, and this trip has two ofthe best shows on the US circuit - MCAS Yuma and NAS Lemoore. World-class museums at Pima and Palm Springs give dependable access to airframes, history and detail. Desert and boneyard environments of AMARG and the surrounding area bring that uniquely American sense of scale and context. The trip is built so that even when one element is quieter than hoped, the day still delivers because there’s always something worth seeing and photographing.
(See under Provisional Itinerary for more).
Photography sits at the centre of USA West, but the atmosphere is full-on enjoyment. The reason people often come home with some of their strongest images isn’t because anyone is “teaching” in a formal sense. It’s because the whole setup supports good photography: strong locations, time on scene, a small group so you can work your angles, and tour management that understands light, timing, and the practical realities of getting a group to the right place without fuss.
You’ll find the trip naturally improves your shooting with a team mentality. People share settings, ideas, and little bits of observational knowledge all the time: where the light is best, what background cleans up a frame, when heat haze starts to bite, and when it’s worth switching from long-lens action to wider “day feel” images. There’s no judgement and no hierarchy. If you want input,, inspiration and guidance it’s there. If you want to shoot quietly and do your own thing, that works too.
USA West is social in the best way. Long days out, then the reset of a proper meal, a cold drink, and conversation that drifts between aircraft, cameras, travel, and whatever else the day has thrown up. The small-group format is deliberate. It keeps everything easy: getting moving, finding the right spot without a circus, and actually enjoying the evenings rather than disappearing into separate corners.
A lot of people join not knowing anyone and leave with new friends. That isn’t forced. It’s just what happens when you spend nearly two weeks of immersive, enjoyable aviation with people who are naturally on the same wavelength. The shared laughs and the stories become part of what you remember as much as the aircraft.
USA West is an excellent aviation photography tour, not jut loose collection of pins on a map. Decisions are made with light, timing and practicality in mind: where we stand and why, how long we work a location, when we move, and when it’s smarter to reset for the next session rather than grinding on out of habit.
Behind the scenes, transport, timings, the day-to-day plan, and the countless small details are handled so you can focus on enjoying the aviation and the photography, and still have the energy to enjoy the evenings. It’s a holiday, but it’s a holiday that runs smoothly and one that results in superb images and unforgettable experiences.
USA West runs with a small group, and that’s part of what makes it work. If the idea of a properly planned aviation road trip through the American Southwest sounds like your kind of two weeks, get in touch and we’ll talk it through. We’ll happily explain what the days typically feel like, what the driving rhythm looks like, and how the mix of locations tends to land for different shooting styles.
It’s open for booking now, so just fill in the form below and we’ll be in touch.
Prices for this trip are Land-Only and start from £2155 for a twin sharing room, with single occupancy rooms from £3195.
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 flights without confirming with us first and, if you do book your own flights, the timings must align with those of the main group.
Because this is a road trip, the exact order can flex to suit conditions, opening times and the best use of light. The structure below shows the intended plan across the 13 days.
Day 1, Thursday 12th March - You meet Los Angeles (LAX) and after picking up your transport for the trip, drive East to our first night stop in Palm Springs.
Day 2, Friday 13th March - A drive a little further East to spend time ‘on the fence’ at NAS El Centro before travelling onto Yuma for the night.
Day 3, Saturday 14th March - An all day visit to the MCAS Yuma Air Show and the amazing flying displays it offers, including the famous Tora,Tora,Tora Pearl Harbour attack demo and the whole US Air Show Experience!
Day 4, Sunday 15th March - You will travel to Tucson during the morning on Day 4 and spend two days in the city immersing ourselves in the aviation nirvana that is AMARG (the Boneyard), Davis Monthan AFB and the famous PIMA Air and Space Museum.
Day 5, Monday 16th March - A second day in the Tuscon area - there is just so much aviation to see and shoot!
Day 6, Tuesday 17th March - After two full days in Tucson, you will travel back north towards Phoenix and spend several hours around the perimeter at Luke AFB monitoring the activity of the five F-35 fighter squadrons based there.
Day 7, Wednesday 18th March - Start with a return to Palm Springs and a visit to the incredibly photogenic Palm Springs Aviation Museum which is backdropped by the Santa Rosa Mountains and adjacent to the airport’s active runway. The museum also boasts a dedicated hall housing Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk ‘Black Devil’.
Days 8 & 9, Thursday 19th and Friday 20th March - Road trip north and to Lemoore. During this portion of the journey, we will travel via the airliner storage site at Victorville as well as the US Air Force Plant 42, better known as the Lockheed ‘Skunkworks’ and then finally the Mojave Air & Space Port, home to Virgin Galactic, Stratolaunch Systems and Scaled Composites, as well as an airliner storage and recycling area. All three of these fascinating locations have good vantage points to capture photo opportunities of the on-site activity.
Days 10-11, Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd March - Two days at the NAS Lemoore Air Show, a US Navy Master Jet Base and home to Strike Fighter Wing Pacific. The show will include the Blue Angels as well as numerous military aircraft displays, aerobatic performances, and ground exhibits of numerous other types.
Day 12, Monday 23rd March - Youu will travel back to LAX with the opportunity to grab a burger and some final images at the iconic In-N-Out Burger location at the end of the runway before departing for home that evening. We arrive in London the following day (Tuesday 24th March).
Included
Not included
Gear notes
This is a road trip with outdoor shooting, desert light, and a mix of active environments and museums. Bring layers for early starts and temperature swings, plus comfortable footwear for long days on your feet. For camera kit, a long zoom is the workhorse for active aviation and distant subjects, backed by a mid-range zoom for wider “scene” frames. A wide option is useful for museums and big-airframe context shots. Lens cloths and a simple dust cover are worth having in desert environments.
Travel notes
If you book on a twin-share basis and don’t have a named roommate, we’ll try to match you within the group. If matching isn’t possible, a single room option applies (details TBC).
This trip is Land Only. Flights can be quoted on request.
Please don’t book flights until the trip is confirmed as going ahead and your timings are aligned with the group plan.
Travel documents and travel insurance are your responsibility, and appropriate insurance is required.
Is this trip right for you?
This tends to suit you if:
It may not suit you if:
.jpeg)
.jpg)