Off the coast of California, 1984. An F-14A Tomcat from U.S. Navy Fighter Squadron 24 (VF-24) manoeuvres near San Clemente Island, captured inverted against a vast backdrop of cloud.

The Tomcat hangs upside down within the frame, wings swept forward as it moves through the manoeuvre. Without a visible horizon, orientation almost disappears entirely, leaving the aircraft seemingly suspended among the clouds and giving the photograph a wonderfully disorienting sense of flight.

Muted colours, soft film grain and the turbulent cloudscape add an almost surreal quality to the scene. For a fraction of a second, up becomes down and a 30-ton fighter appears almost weightless.

Part of the TOPGUN "BIO" × AVIAVAULT F-14 Tomcat posters, our collaboration with former TOPGUN instructor Dave "Bio" Baranek. Browse all aviation posters.