A Dreamy Endeavor

Palisadian Pilot Debuts Photography Book “Jet Dreams,” Encompassing Southern California

By KARINA EID | Intern

As a licensed pilot of 15 years and a self-taught photographer, Palisadian Jessica Ambats blended her two passions into one, which came to fruition in her debut coffee table book.

Ambats published “Jet Dreams” in April 2022, filled with pages of her aviation photography.

She said she landed on the title “Jet Dreams” because her photography subjects were people who dreamed of owning and flying their own jets since childhood. These shots capture their lifelong aspirations as a picturesque reality.

Her images are designed to be incredibly diverse, highlighting a wide array of jets and settings. Her photography features many California sites, including the Malibu shores, Big Sur, the Golden Gate Bridge and Catalina Island—the setting for the book’s cover.

Her favorite images, however, are often the ones of New York City, her hometown. She noted how it is special to witness the place where she grew up from an aerial view, circling thousands of feet above the streets in which she used to walk.

Ambats shared that her first exposure to photography was during her time at Pilot Getaways magazine, where she eventually became a senior editor. She later worked for Plane & Pilot magazine.

“I mostly taught myself by tagging along at photoshoots,” Ambats said to the Palisadian-Post.

In recent years, she has transformed photography into a full-time career, continuing to grow her business for which she travels around the country as well as various international locations, from Chile to France.

In regard to the photo-taking process, Ambats explained she rides in a jet, directly next to the subject plane, similar to how the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds fly in formation near each other. In the plane where Ambats sits, there are no doors and she is strapped in tightly. She also hires her own crew to ensure the utmost safety for everyone involved.

However, in her earlier years as a photographer, Ambats said she was slightly more “naive” and once had a frightening experience in the air. For instance, there are typically names for certain, pre-planned maneuvers; yet, there was a grave miscommunication between the two aircrafts. The other plane did something completely unexpected, which forced the pilot of Ambats’ plane to react quickly. Ambats recollected this event as a learning opportunity.

“Everything needs to be controlled,” Ambats said. “This opened my eyes to understanding communication.”

Ambats’ line of work requires a high degree of communication and planning. Specifically, 90% of her work revolves around logistics, allocating only 10% to the actual flying. Because of this reality, Ambats attended a formation flying course to best grasp the aerodynamics.

Overall, this process offered Ambats great insight into the self-publishing world and her own photography.

Luckily, she completed her book without many obstacles.

Ambats said she already anticipates more photoshoots to fill up her calendar, such as one in New Mexico’s White Sands National Park. She plans to continue making strides down this path and to publish many more books in the future.

For more information, visit Ambats’ portfolio at jessicaambats.com. “Jet Dreams” is available for purchase online from retailers such as the Palisades Gift Shop—at palisadesgiftshop.com—and Base Turn at baseturn.com.