Owen Ashurst lives in Seattle WA., USA. A life-long interest in aviation and photography have melded into an avocation that is as strong now as it was when he picked up his first 35mm camera in 1976. Owen has done free-lance work for Boat Racing Magazine and various other racing periodicals and organizations. But his heart has always been in aviation.

Owen volunteers in two areas heavily involved in aviation. First, he serves as a tenured Docent at Seattle’s Museum of Flight where he specializes in WWII aviation history and the Lockheed MD-21 Blackbird. Owen routinely conducts VIP tours for heads-of-state, cosmonauts, astronauts, and numerous other dignitaries as well as thousands of museum guests. If you find yourself in Seattle visiting the museum on a Saturday morning, ask for Owen. He’ll be thrilled to conduct an “Elvis” tour for you!

Second, as these images attest, Owen has been serving in the very select group of Pylon Judges at the Reno National Championship Air Races for the past six years. Capturing various different classes of racers presents both a unique challenge and incredible opportunity. Nothing can match the rush of Unlimited Class P-51 Mustangs, F7 Tiger Cats, and Sea Fury’s passing 50 feet over your head at speeds approaching 500mph. Even pilots who visit Owen’s pylon at “Outer 6” remark it’s “the best seat in the house!”