Flights of fancy: a colourful new photography book documents our obsession with aviation

From flight simulators, to plane spotters and the glamour of pilots, humans have long been obsessed with aviation. For Belgian photographer Thomas Nolf, flight is synonymous with escape, a romantic quest for freedom and a breaking of routine.

It is a concept he began to explore five years ago. At home in lockdown, he revisited his childhood dream of being a pilot by installing Microsoft Flight Simulator on his computer. Inspired by his virtual journeys, he sought out others finding other ways to indulge their unfulfilled aviation fantasies.

In a solo exhibition at ​Belgium’s Be-Part Waregem, and in a companion book, Rolf documents his travels around the world, including meetings with flight simulators in their homes. The resulting images, stylised and almost surreal, are reminiscent of video games, films and advertising in their saturation of colour and composition.

‘I try to immerse myself in the work, both visually through archival material from my youth and by adding journal fragments from the creative process,’ says Nolf. ‘These are cinematic passages that offer a glimpse of myself, my own quest, but also that of the individuals I have met and observed. It is from that dialogue that I have tried to portray the fleeing Western individual. Fleeing, without exactly knowing why or where to, as Arnon Grunberg describes so well in his book. In sharp contrast with the true refugee, who flees from war.’

As well as capturing this flight in a virtual world, Nolf delves into the world of plane spotters, visiting websites which advise on the best spots to observe planes taking off and landing, resulting in surreal, otherworldly images taken on the Maho Beach in Sint Maarten.

Thomas Nolf 'As Real As It Gets' from March 15 – May 18, 2025 at Be-Part Waregem, Belgium. ​The exhibition at Be-Part Waregem is accompanied by the publication of a book by Art Paper Editions.

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