Even as air travel begins to show tentative signs of returning, the majority of the world’s fleet of commercial aircraft remain grounded, a fact not missed by photographer Tom Hegen. Taking to the skies in a specially commissioned helicopter, the aerial photographer documented Germany’s parked aircraft, resulting in The Lockdown Series. Lingering on the tarmac with nothing to do, Germany’s planes were sat ripe for the picking, with Hegen capturing them in their neatly stored, symmetrical rows.
It was when he was hovering above Germany’s airports that Hegen realized what he was seeing was the perfect symbolism of the effects of Coronavirus on the world. The planes’ pleasing, graphic arrangements belie the fact that the aviation industry is in a chaotic mess, unlikely to return to its former self anytime soon – if at all. Tom Hegen is a photographer and graphic designer based in Munich, Germany and you can see more of his work here and from our archives.
Images © Tom Hegen