Breeze Airways Inaugural Flight At Dayton International Airport 2026

​Combining Commercial Photography & Aviation Photography

On October 9, 2026, Breeze Airways had its inaugural flight out of Dayton International Airport (KDAY/DAY). I was on hand on behalf of the airport to document the festivities. For the event, there was to be elected officials, airport officials, and David Neeleman, founder and CEO of Breeze Airways. The total assignment was 3 hours, but I was so excited that it seemed about 10 minutes long.

As a longtime aviation photographer and lifelong aviation enthusiast, I couldn’t have dreamed of a better experience. Not only did I get to photograph and video all the cool assignments below, I also by passed TSA and got full access to the airport ramp at the gate. It was truly incredible. Thanks to my handler, I did not have to follow the usual airport rules for passengers. I left my bags unattended in at the gate – a truly weird feeling.

As part of the event, I was on the ramp to photograph the Airbus A220 on taxiway Mike as two airport fire trucks performed a ceremonial water cannon salute. This is a tradition for retiring captains, final aircraft flights, and inaugural flights. While I have seen several in plane spotting videos, I had never seen one in person let alone being one of only 2 people outside on the concrete below the jet bridge. It was so peaceful hearing the plane and the arcing water coming from the trucks. My handler and I ran around the corner, where I could stand behind the air marshaller as she guided the plane to a stop.

My Aviation Photography Assigments

• Meet & greet with elected officials, CEO of Breeze Airways David Neeleman, airport officials
• Water cannon salute for the arrival of the A220 via taxiway Mike on the north side of DAY
• Taxiing and parking of the A220 directly behind the aircraft marshaller
• Short speeches by officials and CEO
• Tour of the Breeze Airways Airbus A220 that was waiting to leave for Ft. Lauderdale FLL
• Quick photo session with the Breeze Airways CEO
• Ribbon cutting
• Christening of the aircraft while on the ramp

Adding My Personality To My Aviation Photography

Part of my assignment was to photograph David Neeleman, CEO of Breeze Airways. Because I consume a great deal of aviation YouTube, aviation podcasts, and aviation news, I knew how I wanted to photograph him. He and the invited guests were heading off the A220 after a quick talk from David. I was able to get him for 20 seconds where I photographed these two airline CEO portraits with him in the aisle. The results were so exciting for me and only made possible by all the experience I have as a professional photographer.

While photographing the aircraft parking at the gate was not on the shot list, I found it added great value to my photography services. I know how to photography aircraft, and I know how to ramp agents and outdoor operations teams work when servicing airplanes. With the access that was granted to me, I made sure to capture every second I could until I was required to head back inside.

This was an amazing bucket list opportunity that I couldn’t miss. Getting to bypass TSA security, be walked around by an awesome DAY airport employee, and go onto the ramp twice was spectacular.

See My Dayton Corporate Photography Posted By Clients

One of the coolest parts of being a corporate photographer is seeing what my clients do with their new digital assets I created. It is nice to see my work in action, but I really like to see how it helps the client. Sometimes I find things on social media. Often, I see my work on the clients’ websites and in print. I work efficiently to bring quality corporate photography and videography to all of my clients.