Michael Prophet guest page
My name is Michael Prophet (68) and currently I have a guest page on ‘Oldjets.net’, due to the demise of my personal website last year in 2024.
I am a free-lance Aviation photographer/journalist based at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
My passion for aviation started early on in life. I was born on the Island of Curacao, Dutch Antilles and at the age of 5 we moved to The Netherlands. As a small boy I was always interested in aviation, drawing WW2 fighters and bomber during my early school days.
I managed to complete my technical school as a mechanical engineer. During summer holidays I started working as a ramp baggage loader at Schiphol Airport. During those days I started taking pictures of airplanes.
After graduating from school I started working at KLM Engineering department, as a junior mechanic in the heavy Inspection team. I remember very well the shift work at inside the hangers, working on the DC-10s, DC-8s and the giant B747 jumbo jets.
Several years later I started working as an aerospace design engineer in the interior department at Fokker Aircraft. Some years later I was involved with the new Fokker 50 and Fokker 100 twinjet series in the design office. During this period my interest for aviation photography grew stronger and stronger.
During the summer of 1982 a friend handed me a new aviation magazine from the UK called ‘Propliner’. This black & white magazine featured lots of pictures off classic turbine and piston airliners which got me interested in the propliner scene.
A year later I purchased a photo-book which was called 'Sky Truck' and after seeing this, I was hooked on the vintage prop-driven airliners. The author ‘Stephen Piercey’ infected me with his evocative photo style, combined with his typical English humour. From that point on I knew that I would also follow the trail of the vintage piston airliners and jets across the globe.
Over the years I have written numerous aviation reports and articles covering my global travel adventures. These international magazines such as: Logbook (US), Skyliner Magazine (German), and Airliner world, Propliner (UK) have featured my articles.
My latest journalistic highlight, was the publication of my Douglas DC-3 book in December 2022, called “The Legendary Douglas DC-3” – A pictorial tribute”, which is still available in the bookshops.
Over the years I have expanded my photographic ambitions, which include non-aviation themes’ such as: Travel, Urban, landscape, Night photography, Vintage Model and Wedding pictures. (check out some sample pictures below)
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