notes.husk.org/likes images.

Mike Hahn, who created the Canon drone image, tracked down the original image he took the mountainous backdrop from.

“As bundles from the lead C-17 Globemaster III drift to the ground, a second C-17 prepares to drop more bundles to a drop zone in Afghanistan Oct. 11. A total of 62 cargo bundles were dropped from two C-17s in two passes. This was the first time a combat cargo drop of this magnitude has taken place from two C-17s in formation over one drop zone. The planes and crews are part of the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Manas, Kyrgyzstan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson) (Released)”

This photo on Flickr was, according to EXIF data, taken on October 11, 2007 using a Nikon D2X and posted to a Flickr account belonging to “trackpads”, a Not for Profit Foundation for the promotion and understanding of issues surrounding military service and the effect on families, although by it’s caption it appears to be an official US Army photograph, and released into the public domain. 

It can indeed be found on a number of official Army media sites, and the news item concerning the event can be found in Air Force News.

The Canon drone background is a crop from this original photo:

Which allows us to reconstruct it thusly:

Or indeed, like this:

Many thanks again to Mike for responding to my enquiries and helping out with this.