Archived Articles - Global Aviation Resource - The Online Aviation Magazine

JAN202012

Aviation History >> London Heathrow Airport 1979 Part 2 1979 was Paul Filmer's first year at work and his first year at British Airways and, having so many pictures to show for it, we decided to split the story in half. Here he follows on from Heathrow Airport 1979 Part 1 and recalls more memories from London.

JAN182012

blogGAR: Elliott's New Year Catch-up Despite the traditional post-airshow season lull being in full effect, Elliott has still managed to spend most of his free time seeking out sparkly things with wings to photograph.

JAN132012

Aviation News >> Air Spray L-188 Electra from Honduras Air Force It's always nice to see an aircraft that everyone assumes will never fly again get a new lease of life against all the odds. This is exactly what has happened to an L-188 Electra that has been rescued from Honduras by Air Spray of Canada. Paul Filmer reports from Casper, Wyoming where maintenance issues forced an extended stay.

JAN122012

Airshows >> UK:Team Viper - Thank you and Farewell Last night's breaking news that Team Viper and its Hawker Hunters will no longer be operating on the display circuit dismayed airshow goers, many of whom expressed their disappointment but also thanked the Team for what it had done over the past three years. This morning, Gareth Stringer caught up with Viper's Gerald Williams for an exclusive chat.

JAN062012

blogGAR: Stansted - British Airways (BA) World Cargo 747-8F and Friends Following on from Karl's last blogGAR entry, he returns to London-Stansted Airport twice more in search of 747s, both new and old.

JAN042012

GAM Previews: Sydney Kingsford-Smith International Airport Handling around 35 million passengers each year, Sydney Airport is the busiest airport in Australia and the major international gateway for visitors to the country. Paul Dunn takes a look at some of the operators that can be found at this important airport.

JAN042012

GAM Previews: The Sbach 300 Paul Fiddian, a self-confessed lover of all things aerobatic, explores the development of the latest big name player to have emerged on the scene and talks to the aircraft’s designer Philipp Steinbach in the process.

JAN042012

GAM Previews: The Lockheed S-3 Viking at 40 January 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the first flight of the Lockheed S-3 Viking. Originally conceived as a carrier-borne anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft, in later years it assumed several other specialised roles and had a surprisingly long service career; even today the Viking remains in service, albeit in very small numbers. Paul Dunn finds out more.

JAN042012

GAM Previews: Learning to Fly in the UK Getting airborne and earning your own pilot's licence might not actually be as difficult as you think. Gareth Stringer visited his local flying club to talk to an instructor and find out more.

JAN042012

GAM Previews: Fleet Air Arm Museum Yeovilton The Fleet Air Arm Museum houses Europe’s largest collection of naval aircraft. Located at RNAS Yeovilton, the spiritual home of the Fleet Air Arm, the collection features more than 90 aircraft divided between the core museum and its reserve collection. Shaun Schofield pays a visit to his local for GAM.

JAN042012

GAM Previews: High-Altitude ARNG Training Site - HAATS Paul Filmer, a Colorado resident, travels into the mountains near the popular ski resort of Vail to find out about the Army National Guard’s training camp designed to teach rotary wing pilots the secrets of operating at high altitudes and in difficult surroundings. This is HAATS - High-Altitude ARNG Aviation Training Site.

JAN042012

GAM Previews: The 100th ARW and Operation Unified Protector Between March 16 and October 31 2011, the United States Air Force’s 100th Air Refueling Wing from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, UK, provided KC-135 tanker support for Operation Unified Protector - the name given to a NATO operation enforcing UN Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973, which authorised the use of all necessary means to protect those civilians in Libya under the threat of attack from Colonel Gaddafi’s forces. Glenn Beasley was given the chance to join them.

DEC292011

Aviation History >> London Heathrow Airport 1979 Part 1 During 1979 I took my first full-time job straight out of school at 16 years old, working for British Airways at Heathrow Airport. With this I suddenly gained access to the maintenance areas at the Hatton Cross complex, where I would ride by bicycle around to the old BEA maintenance area where there were often exotic biz-jets. Paul Filmer follows on from Heathrow Airport 1978 and recalls more adventures from London.

DEC222011

Military Aviation >> USA: Red Flag 11-3: It's Not Always About Being On Base Back in February, Red Flag 11-3 presented an opportunity to catch some of the participating aircraft at low-level. With RAF Tornado GR.4s and USAF A-10s, both well known for getting down among the weeds, and no really exotic visitors, this would provide a good opportunity for off-base shooting. Paul Filmer reports from the wilderness of Nevada.

DEC192011

Special Events >> UK: Air Atlantique Classic Flight Night Runs 2011 Christmas nears and the weather begins to chill, setting the scene for the annual Air Atlantique Classic Flight Night Runs at Coventry Airport – now in its 4th consecutive year. Huw Hopkins froze for GAR.

DEC152011

blogGAR: The Ground Side of Airshows One of the major talking points of this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo was, ironically, not about aircraft but the concert by Alexandra Burke, which generated a lot of criticism from many enthusiasts who felt booking the 2008 X Factor winner was not the done thing for a military airshow. Mark explores 'The Ground Side of Airshows'....

DEC142011

blogGAR: Martinair MD-11 Hunting at London-Stansted Airport Schools on strike, blue skies and the chance of shooting my first Martinair MD-11; Karl heads to London-Stansted Airport - a place not noted for its plentiful photographic locations - in hope rather than expectation.

DEC092011

Aviation News: 29(R) Squadron Unveils English Electric Lighting Gate Guard 'XP765' 29 (Reserve) Squadron today rolled out English Electric Lightning F.6 XS897 in full 29 Squadron markings during a private ceremony at the Squadron's RAF Coningsby home station. The aircraft has been modified and painted to represent Lightning F.3 XP765 that served with 29 during the 1960s and '70s.

DEC072011

GAM Previews: Biofuels Examined While aviation plays an indispensible part in facilitating global business and tourism, moving more than 2.4 billion passengers annually and generating 33 million jobs, the industry is now well-aware of its impact on climate change. Gareth Stringer takes a look at the use of biofuels in reducing this impact and moving aviation of all kinds towards a position of carbon-neutral growth.

DEC072011

GAM Previews: The 250th Presidential Airlift Wing, Philippine Air Force There may not be a large number of military or government aircraft based at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila but what is there is pretty interesting. Following on from his article on the airport’s civilian operators for Global Aviation Resource, Paul Filmer reports from the Philippines on the other Ninoy Aquino residents.

DEC072011

GAM Previews: A Trip Down Memory Lane - Bill Ramsey on Sqn Ldr Ken 'Jacko' Jackson In the second instalment of our Trip Down Memory Lane column, we are delighted to hear from Royal Air Force QFI and Vulcan display pilot Bill Ramsey as he looks back on happy memories of Squadron Leader Ken 'Jacko' Jackson, a former Spitfire and Hastings pilot and Officer Commanding Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

DEC072011

GAM Previews: Cradle of Aviation Museum, Long Island, New York Tucked away in a quiet corner of a suburb of New York is a small aviation museum with a big story to tell. The Cradle of Aviation Museum is housed in a few hangars of what was once Mitchel Field, a busy Air Force Base which closed in 1961. Not far away, only 40 minutes by train on the Long Island Rail Road, is the bustling sea of humanity that is New York City. Chris Wood pays a visit.

DEC072011

GAM Previews: Miami International Airport - Gateway to the Americas These are exciting times for Miami International. The airport recently opened a new terminal and introduced enhancements to other facilities and, with further improvements to transport links scheduled to be completed in the near future, this represents significant investment from the airport owners, Miami-Dade County. Paul Dunn reports from Florida for Global Aviation Magazine.

DEC072011

GAM Previews: The Fighter Collection's (TFC) Curtiss P-40B Warhawk, 41-13297 With the first in a new series of features titled Warbird Histories, and timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Huw Hopkins details The Fighter Collection’s Curtiss P-40B Warhawk, 41-13297.

DEC072011

GAM Previews: WZ507 and The Vampire Preservation Group If you're a regular British airshows attendee, there's a good chance you'll have seen de Havilland Vampire T.11 WZ507 being displayed for your viewing pleasure at some point in the last decade. Those seven minutes of entertainment come at an awfully high cost to the individuals who maintain and operate the Vampire; a cost which stunned Elliott Marsh when he met with Vampire pilot Mark Hooton for a chat about exactly what goes into keeping this lovely vintage jet flying.

DEC052011

blogGAR: Shaun's 2011 Airshow Season Wrap-up As winter closes in and the nights get longer, many a photographer will delve through the archives, picking out their best images from the year gone by and reminiscing over the highlights. After a season of ups and downs, Shaun Schofield does just that.

DEC022011

blogGAR: easyJet Retires Last Boeing 737s With the last of easyJet's 737s leaving service on October 31st, and living so close to Luton Airport, Huw takes a look back at where it all began for easyJet.

NOV302011

blogGAR: Two Days Around NAF El Centro If it's November it must be time for another photocall at NAF El Centro courtesy of Michelle Dee and Fence Check - Paul Filmer went along for the ride.

NOV252011

Military Aviation: IV Squadron Reborn at RAF Valley Yesterday RAF Valley was the stage for an important moment in RAF history. 19(Reserve) Squadron, the unit formerly responsible for fast jet tactical weapons training, was disbanded and, in its place, IV(Reserve) Squadron reformed to become the Hawk T2 unit and take the UK’s fast jet training forward into the future. To add to this occasion, 208(Reserve) Squadron, the unit responsible for Hawk T1 fast jet flying training, received a new Royal Standard. All images - Corporal Mark Dixon - Royal Air Force.

NOV212011

Airshows >> US > NV: Nellis AFB's 'Aviation Nation 2011' - Review November sees the end of the airshow season in the USA, and there are a number of events that wrap up the season. One of them is at Nellis AFB near Las Vegas, Nevada, where the open house, known as Aviation Nation, has become a major feature on the American airshow calendar. Chris Wood was there for GAR.

NOV182011

Air Museums: Wellington Restoration at RAF Museum Cosford With the RAF Museum Cosford’s Michael Beetham Conservation Centre open all this week, giving visitors the opportunity to view the ongoing restoration of the Vickers Wellington, Gareth Stringer took a trip down the M54 to meet Ronald Cooper, a former Bomber Command Wellington pilot, and check it out for himself. Images - Gareth Stringer.

NOV162011

blogGAR: Cotswold Airport Battle of Britain Airshow & RAF Northolt SAR Symposium Catch-up Karl shares some additional images from days out that featured in the latest issue of Global Aviation Magazine.

NOV142011

blogGAR: Fox Hunting at Yeovilton - Fly Navy Heritage Trust Fundraiser Back in June, the Fly Navy Heritage Trust held a small, private fundraising event at RNAS Yeovilton. Headlining the event was the mighty Sea Vixen, with the Royal Navy Historic Flight providing the supporting acts. Shaun Schofield looks back on a vintage day at his local.

NOV112011

blogGAR: Elliott's 2011 End of Airshow Season Wrap-up Europe's on the brink of collapse, the Middle East edges closer to all out war and the students are on the march again in the City. What better way to take your mind off the troubles of the world than by reflecting on some of the year's best airshows? Elliott Marsh takes a look back at the second half of the season in his most recent blogGAR entry.

NOV102011

Airshows >> USA > CA: NAS Lemoore Airshow 2011 - Review 2011 is the Centennial of US Naval Aviation (CoNA) and in celebration a number of US Navy establishments have opened their gates to the public. Over the middle weekend of October it was the turn of NAS Lemoore, in California’s Central Valley, to host an airshow, the first here for a number of years. Chris Wood was in attendance for GAR.

NOV072011

Aviation Events >> UK: North Weald's 'Flight Night' Photoshoot This October, on Saturday the 29th, Weald Aviation held its inaugural nightshoot at North Weald Aerodrome in Essex - aptly named 'Flight Night' to play on the Halloween celebrations on the same weekend. Huw Hopkins was there to report on this thrilling event!

NOV042011

Aviation News: Deputy Prime Minister Visits RAF Waddington to Pay Tribute to UK Armed Forces’ Role in NATO’s Campaign Over Libya With NATO declaring the end of sanctioned military operations over Libya, the Royal Air Force, Army Air Corps and Royal Navy air assets are now home from what the UK titled Operation ELLAMY. Gareth Stringer was at RAF Waddington as Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg dropped by to welcome some of them home. Images – Karl Drage.

NOV022011

GAM Previews: Castle Air Museum, CA, USA Located just outside the city of Atwater, California, Castle AFB had a long association with Strategic Air Command’s heavy bomber fleet. The USAF left the airfield in 1995 and it is now in civilian hands as the Castle Airport Aviation and Development Center. Part of the legacy of the former air force base is the Castle Air Museum, which is open to the public daily. Paul Dunn visited for GAM/GAR.

NOV022011

GAM Previews: Airliners of the Future Mark Broadbent examines a number of future airliner concepts – new aircraft and technologies promising greater efficiencies and higher speeds. In this feature Mark focuses on the Airbus 2050 Concept Cabin, ZEHST (Zero Emissions Hyper Sonic Transport) and A2 proposals.

NOV022011

GAM Previews: A Trip Down Memory Lane - Gulf War 1 - A Letter Home - Flt Lt Martin Wintermeyer In the first of what will become a regular column in Global Aviation Magazine with a different contributor sharing a favourite or memorable story each month, former Royal Air Force navigator Martin Wintermeyer shares a letter he sent home from Dhahran during Gulf War 1 where he was flying operationally with the Tornado GR1 force……

NOV022011

GAM Previews: Avro Lancaster from the Cockpit - Flt Lt Roger Nichols, RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight When the opportunity arose to interview Flt Lt Roger Nichols about flying the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Avro Lancaster, PA474, at Cotswold Airport’s Battle of Britain Airshow, Karl Drage grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

NOV022011

GAM Previews: The William Tell Overture - Tyndall AFB, FL I’m sure that most readers will be familiar with the name William Tell. Many will automatically associate it with the legendary 14th Century Swiss marksman. In that era, the crossbow was the weapon of choice, but several hundred years later, the name William Tell became synonymous with excellence in air defence, being adopted for the fighter weapons meet held at Tyndall AFB that involved use of cannon and missile armament in competition. Lindsay Peacock delves into the archive for GAM.

NOV022011

GAM Previews: 20 Years of the Airbus A340 Twenty years ago, Airbus carried out the first flight of the A340. To celebrate that anniversary, Rob Edgcumbe casts a look back over the life of the A340 and looks ahead to what may lie in its future.

NOV022011

GAM Previews: RAF Northolt SAR Symposium - Marking 70 Years of Royal Air Force Life Saving 2011 is the 70th anniversary of Royal Air Force Search And Rescue (SAR) operations, and when Phil Dawe, who runs events to generate funds for the restoration of RAF Northolt’s Battle of Britain Sector Ops room (The Sir Keith Park Building / Building 27, to use the two names it most commonly goes by), was offered a Polish Navy Mil Mi-14 for the next of his ‘Night Photoshoot’ events, Northolt’s Station Commander, Gp Cpt Tim O’Brien, offered up the Station as the venue for a SAR Symposium to celebrate this significant landmark. Karl Drage was there for Global Aviation Magazine.

NOV012011

blogGAR: Runway 09R Departures at London-Heathrow Airport Blue skies, easterly winds and a clear slot in the diary seldom all align together, so when it does it's essential that you take advantage of it! Karl takes a break from putting the magazine together to head out for a day of civvy shooting at Heathrow.

OCT252011

Airshows >> USA> CA: Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake 2011 - Review 2011 sees the United States Navy celebrating 100 years of naval aviation, dubbed the Centennial of Naval Aviation, or CoNA for short. CoNA has been a feature of many US airshows this year, there have been a number of dedicated CoNA events and a few Naval establishments have opened to the public for the first time in a number of years. One of these is the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake in the Mojave Desert in California, which opened its gates to the public for a few hours on October 15th. Chris Wood reports.

OCT212011

Airshows >> UK: Duxford Autumn Airshow 2011 - Review The 2011 UK airshow season drew to a close in style with Duxford’s Autumn Airshow on Sunday 16th October, with a varied and well-structured flying programme featuring an appealing cross-section of historic and modern types. Elliott Marsh reports from the ‘tank bank’ for GAR.

OCT132011

Battle of Britain Motorbikes - A Tribute to The Few In something a little bit different from GAR's normal output, Graham Platt travels to RAF Coningsby to catch up with the owner and creator of two rather special automotive tributes to the heroes of World War II.

OCT122011

Airshows >> UK: Duxford Autumn Airshow 2011 - Preview So...the nights are drawing in, the airshow DVD pile is being dusted off in anticipation of another long, cold winter and the heating bills are set to creep up again but, wait – there’s still one more display to go! Duxford’s Autumn Airshow is the traditional season-closer and, as in years past, the 2011 offering looks set to be another very high quality event. Paul Fiddian previews the event for GAR.

OCT112011

Airshows >> Europe: Festa al Cel de Barcelona 2011 - Review Festa al Cel de Barcelona is Spain's oldest and largest airshow, attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators to the city's gorgeous beaches for the annual international event. While this year's line-up was marginally less impressive than in recent times, with good weather pretty much guaranteed it seemed too good to miss. Peter Reoch guest reports from the 2011 show, with additional photography from Trevor Reoch.

OCT102011

Airshows >> Europe: Malta International Air Show 2011 - Review Held over the weekend of 24th and 25th of September, the 19th Malta International Air Show certainly lived up to its reputation of providing an entertaining and spectacular weekend for aviation enthusiasts and general public alike. Kevin Wills was there for GAR.

OCT072011

Airshows >> UK: Shuttleworth Collection Autumn Airshow 2011 - Review As the 2011 British airshow season winds down, Elliott Marsh travels to Bedfordshire for the Shuttleworth Collection's Autumn Airshow 2011, an event blessed by superb weather and a cracking flying display programme. Additional photography by Shaun Schofield and Huw Hopkins.

OCT052011

Aviation News: Global Aviation Resource launches Global Aviation Magazine Global Aviation Resource has today launched a brand new product to the world of aviation publishing – Global Aviation Magazine.

SEP292011

Civil Aviation >> Mauna Loa Helicopters, Hawaii Mauna Loa Helicopters operates across the Hawaiian Islands providing flight training and pleasure flights. Rob Edgcumbe paid them a visit to find out more about the company's operations and to experience the island of Kauai from the air.

SEP282011

Airshows >> UK: Shuttleworth Uncovered Flying Display 2011 Top class displays and unique formations of aircraft twinned with some mellow evening light and the opportunity to wander around the vintage aircraft unrestricted – it could only be Old Warden in Bedfordshire. Huw Hopkins reports from Shuttleworth Uncovered.

SEP262011

Airshows >> Europe: Hahnweide Oldtimer Fliegertreffen 2011 - Part 3 In the third and final part of GAR's Hahnweide Oldtimer Fliegertreffen 2011 review, Elliott Marsh looks back at the surprises offered by Monday's departures day, while Huw Hopkins and Paul Fiddian offer their final verdicts on the event.

SEP212011

Airshows >> UK: RAF Leuchars Air Show 2011 - Review Tom Gibbons heads north for GAR to report on the 2011 RAF Leuchars Air Show, the first to be held since the retirement of the Tornado F.3 from Royal Air Force service.

SEP202011

Airshows >> Europe: Hahnweide Oldtimer Fliegertreffen - Part 2 In part one of GAR's Hahnweide Oldtimer Fliegertreffen coverage, the team instantly fell in love with the beautiful surroundings, tremendous aircraft and exceptional hospitality offered by this most unique of events. In the second instalment, the spectacle unfolds as Paul Fiddian and Huw Hopkins review Saturday and Sunday's flying displays, with additional photography from Elliott Marsh.

SEP152011

Military Aviation >> Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose - Then & Now GAR staffer and former Royal Navy Sea King pilot Chris Wood recently paid a nostalgic visit to his old stomping ground of RNAS Culdrose in west Cornwall, 25 year after he left. Here he describes how things have changed.

SEP142011

Airshows >> Europe: Hahnweide Oldtimer Fliegertreffen 2011 - Part 1 On 1st September 2011, three members of the GAR team headed to Southern Germany for a five day excursion at the 16th Hahnweide Oldtimer Fliegertreffen. Long established on the European airshow calendar as a biannual gathering of vintage aircraft and warbirds, Hahnweide offers visitors a truly immersive aviation experience unlike any other in the United Kingdom and Europe. In part one of three, Elliott Marsh recounts the team’s initial perceptions of the event during the main arrivals days, with additional photography from Paul Fiddian and Huw Hopkins.