Golden moments in the sky

Su-30MK2 fighter squadron performs a heat trap demonstration in the sky of Ho Chi Minh City during the military parade to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification, on the morning of April 30, 2025.

The procedures to work before were not easy, but after passing the procedural barrier, I had to wait because the flight was delayed several times. Looking at the backpack containing equipment and working machines in the corner of the room, I felt restless like a soldier waiting to go to battle.

The shot of a lifetime

Reporter Pham Nguyen - Tien Phong Newspaper (right), in a Mi plane practicing in the sky of Ho Chi Minh City

And then the day came. The sound of rotor blades screeched on the Bien Hoa runway. The helicopter door opened, I stepped onto it with a few colleagues, my heart pounding. The UH soared into the air, carrying me, a photojournalist and so many hopes for precious frames.

None of us knew the flight path in advance. When entering Ho Chi Minh City airspace, the flight path kept changing, some flights went straight over the roof of Independence Palace, some just passed Landmark 81 and immediately circled... That's why we always kept our eyes open so as not to miss precious moments and frames.

When the Landmark 81 tower appeared in the golden morning sunlight, the scene was so majestic and splendid that it was overwhelming. At that moment, two helicopters flew into the frame, as if arranged by an invisible hand. One on the left, one on the right, right at the top of the building, symmetrical, balanced, perfect. I only had time to press the button without checking or adjusting the technical parameters on the camera. My intuition told me: "This is a photo of a lifetime!".

I had previously chosen a wide-angle lens, focal length 14mm, a risky but calculated choice. This is a fixed focal length lens, cannot zoom far or near, which means I have to accept the only perspective and encapsulate every moment in that frame but the moment Landmark 81 appeared, I knew I was right.

From that height, the wide-angle lens helps me capture a special scene, in the distance is Landmark 81 rising into the blue sky, below is Ba Son bridge and below is the Metro train rushing by.

A moment of intersection between present and future. A frame containing the vitality of a city that has gone through war, now strongly breaking through to rise up.

Shooting conditions do not allow for mistakes. Every operation, from focusing, metering to composition, must be handled by reflex, experience and emotion. Just a little hesitation and the opportunity will slip through the eyes.

On the roof of the Independence Palace: Emotions surge

Tens of thousands of people welcomed and cheered in the parade and marching practice program.

Three weeks later, I was on a helicopter flight, with a crew of four, flying over the roof of the Independence Palace. I deliberately chose to sit on the leftmost helicopter with the goal of gathering the other three into the same formation, right on the roof of the Palace.

My heart was pounding as the Independence Palace appeared below. I raised my camera, angled, waited for the right moment, but the lens did not allow me to capture all three helicopters in the frame. What a pity!

I was momentarily disappointed but then told myself, no need to be too greedy. Below, on the roof of the Independence Palace, there was still a UH-1 helicopter. That was the helicopter that served in the evacuation plan for President Duong Van Minh on the morning of April 30, 1975, but before it could take off, the Liberation Army had already moved in to take over. The UH-1 was a living testament to the last moments of the Saigon government.

In my frame were two helicopters flying above, carrying the national flag and the party flag, and below was the UH-1 - a historical "witness" lying quietly. It was an iconic image of victory, peace and the rise of Vietnam in the present.

Past and present coexist. That is also the flow of history that I am fortunate to witness, from the sky of my homeland.

Imprints left behind

There are things that cannot be expressed in words, because the feeling is beyond words. It is the vibration in the heart, the deep pride of being a small part of a great event, a historical moment marked in the sky.

Sitting in the heart of a helicopter flying in the sky, holding my camera tightly in the strong wind, I not only felt like I was working but also felt the heartbeat of the country, the breath of the soldiers and the echoes of an entire nation that had gone through many ups and downs.

Every time I press the shutter, I send my pride, responsibility and gratitude - as a storyteller through images, through light, through each frozen moment of history.

I am proud to be here, to witness, to record and to share those images. They are not just photos but the imprint of a moment, of a journey, where history and modernity intersect, creating the story of today and tomorrow./.

Not only in the sky, I also had many opportunities to take photos in different locations on the street and even right in the middle of the parade celebrating the day of national unification.

During the days of rehearsals and the official parade, tens of thousands of people poured into the streets to watch, creating an extremely lively and exciting atmosphere. The streets were filled with red and blue-red flags and waving arms to welcome the parade.

The wide-angle lens allowed me to capture the entire scene, but it also meant having to “go through” thousands of hands, raised phones, even sweat drops, and light reflected from the screen, to capture the most authentic and vivid moments. Each click of the camera was not only a time to capture the image of the parade passing by, but also a time to touch the arms of the people - who not only watched but also embraced the army with all their hearts. The parade did not just pass through the streets, but seemed to be walking among the love, trust and hope of an entire generation.

Pham Nguyen

Source: https://baolongan.vn/nhung-khoanh-khac-vang-tren-bau-troi-a197242.html