Dirk Jan de Ridder has been a member of MilAvia Press from the early start in March 2004. Besides publishing articles and photos in aviation magazines worldwide, he maintains this website, and he is the author of Lightroom for Aviation Photographers and co-publisher of the annual Military Aircraft Serial Review book. Based in Maarssen, the Netherlands, he has traveled around the world to visit air arms for many years.

His photographic equipment consists of high-end Canon digital cameras and lenses ranging from 24 to 400 mm.

Dirk Jan has flown air-to-air photography sorties with military aircraft for several years. His most memorable flight was in a Swiss Air Force F-5F Tiger II during an actual air combat training mission, with photo opportunities on the way to and from the training area. He was shot down twice by F/A-18 Hornets, before he could continue to shoot (photos) himself.

As of February 2011, he has flown with seven air arms, both NATO and non-NATO, and logged around 20 military flying hours.