Catching the Thunderbirds: The Story Behind "Diamond over Hoover Dam"

If you were anywhere near the valley or the Colorado River yesterday morning, you probably felt the ground shake before you saw them.

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds roared across our desert skies on a cross-country transit to Washington, D.C. for the upcoming holiday celebrations. For aviation enthusiasts, a transit flight is exciting. For a photographer, it’s a high-stakes challenge.

Our primary creative force, Phil Schmauder, was out early tracking the flight path, determined to catch the team at a truly iconic landmark: the historic Hoover Dam.

Slicing the Desert Sky

Catching six F-16 Fighting Falcons moving at hundreds of miles per hour requires more than just high-end Canon RF glass—it requires perfect timing and a bit of luck. Right as the team soared over the dam, they were locked in their signature, razor-sharp 6-ship Diamond formation.

Phil captured the moment flawlessly. The brilliant red, white, and blue of the jets against that deep, pure Nevada blue sky creates an incredible geometric contrast, balanced by the crisp, billowing smoke trails cutting diagonally through the frame.

I’ve spent the afternoon working alongside Phil to fast-track this image straight from his camera sensor to the digital gallery. We’ve cleared every speck of desert dust from the file, ensuring the gradient of that sky is perfectly immaculate for print.

Headlining the Friday Drop

Because this image captures such a powerful, historic moment, we knew it couldn't wait. We are incredibly excited to announce that "Diamond over Hoover Dam" will officially headline our brand-new Open Editions Collection, launching this Friday!

To give this specific piece the fine-art treatment it deserves, it will be available as a borderless, full-bleed print on premium archival paper with a smooth matte finish—perfect for bringing the raw energy of the Thunderbirds straight to your walls.

Even better? Friday’s collection drop also marks the start of a major site-wide storefront sale at peseditions.com.

While I put the finishing touches on the storefront layout, you can head over to our archive at peseditions.art to explore Phil’s broader portfolio of military aviation and southwest wildlife.

Sign up for our newsletter to get an alert the second the sale goes live this Friday. You won't want to miss being the first to own this piece.