Jerry Ferguson Captured A Beautiful Image Of A Massive Sandstorm Nearby From Inside A Helicopter.

Jerry Ferguson, a veteran photographer and reporter is known for photographing special weather conditions was in a news helicopter flying to Arizona, USA, to cover the seasonal monsoon rains in Phoenix when a massive sandstorm unexpectedly appeared in front of them.

As the helicopter moved away from the sand wall created by the storm, Ferguson captured some compelling images of the storm engulfing the city.

Ferguson, who has 20 years of professional photography experience and six years of helicopter photography, took these photos with his smartphone, the Google Pixel 2. He says this:

We had a DSLR in the backseat, but I usually use my Google Pixel 2 for wide-angle shots because it takes nice, clean, high-quality photos, and I wanted to get this picture out as breaking news soon as possible.

These winds are expected during Arizona’s monsoon season (June 15 to September 30). On average, two storms of this type occur every week in the summer.

These winds separate from superstorms and form hurricanes that can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Sandstorms can harm airplanes by producing solid and turbulent winds and reducing the pilot’s visibility.

“As long as you’re away from those kinds of storms, you’re safe, but if you try to fly near one, it can destroy your little helicopter in just a few seconds,” says Ferguson.

In the image below, you can see what a helicopter looks like in front of a massive sandstorm.

Ferguson says:

It’s hard to imagine comparing our little helicopter to a massive wall of sandstorms until we’ve been in front of one. Recently, we passed to the top of one of the sandstorms and measured its height, which reached more than 6,500 feet. We were flying almost 800 feet above the ground and the sandstorm was moving thousands of feet above us.

Fortunately, the helicopter that Ferguson was in had a top speed of over 100 miles per hour, which allowed him to escape the danger zone of the storm, which was moving at speeds between 20 and 40 miles per hour.

Ferguson and the helicopter’s pilot, Dominic Galindo, landed at the nearest airport and, after stabilizing the aircraft, found a shelter to escape the approaching sandstorm.

According to Ferguson, Arizona’s weather can be very variable and suddenly change completely. Photographing these changes from inside the helicopter is one of the most exciting ways to record them.

Ferguson is known for taking the most famous photos from inside a helicopter. In 2016, another of his pictures of a storm in Phoenix, Arizona, caused quite a stir.