Fighter Pilot Takes Selfie While Firing Sidewinder Missile

Fighter Pilot Takes Selfie While Firing Sidewinder Missile

It’s time for Ellen and her bevy of A-list friends to have a seat. This picture might be the self-portrait to end all selfies.

It started with an image released by the Royal Danish Air Force of a pilot flying a F-16. The photo was taken during an air-to-air training mission. The exercise involves the fighter pilot, Thomas Kristensen, firing a missile that has to hit a flare dropped by another plane. Danish fighter pilots are required to complete this task once every three years in order to keep their skills sharp.

Some speculated that the image was fake or altered, so the Danish Air Force responded by releasing the entire video of the mission. A GoPro camera captured the sky-high footage. The F-16 appears to fly so smoothly that at times, it looks as if the pilot isn’t even moving. Meanwhile, the camera is fairly steady throughout the minute-long clip.

The Royal Danish Air Force also uploaded a clip that shows alternative footage of the mission, including a perspective from behind the scenes. The videos have a combined view count of over 41,000.

David Cenciotti of The Aviationist mentions that while mid-air pilot selfies are far from a new notion, this particular imagine is rare because it was captured during a firing activity. He also notes that the pilot is wearing a special helmet that allows him to direct the missile by simply point his head.

Bradley Cooper’s framing skills or not, we think this one definitely takes the cake.