Archived Articles - Global Aviation Resource - The Online Aviation Magazine

JAN182013

GAM Previews: MASDC 1969 Established at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, in 1946, the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG - as it is currently known) is now home to more than 4,400 aircraft. Some of them are destined to never leave, their reusable parts removed to help keep other aircraft in the skies. Others may go on to serve foreign air arms, and a lucky few will even return to active US service. That is the AMARG of 2013, but what was it like at the end of the ‘60s? Lindsay Peacock once again opens up his archive to show us.

JAN182013

GAM Previews: United States Air Force Airman Heritage Museum The city of San Antonio in southern Texas is famous as the location of the Alamo, the scene of a famous 19th Century battle and symbol of Texan resistance. What is probably less well known is that it is also the home of the United States Air Force Airman Heritage Museum, which can be found inside the sprawling complex that is Lackland Air Force Base, on the western side of the city. Chris Wood recently paid a visit for GAM.

JAN182013

GAM Previews: Israel Marks 45 Years of A-4 'Ayit' Operations Only four air arms currently operate the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, these being Argentina, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Israel Air Force. Of these, the latter operates the largest number with approximately 38 examples remaining airworthy. Bob Archer reports from Hatzerim as the Israel Air Force marks 45 years of 'Ayit' operations.

JAN182013

GAM Previews: FM-2 Wildcat Recovery - Lake Michigan The bottom of Lake Michigan might not be the first place you would think to look for WWII vintage warbirds. However, it is a treasure trove if you know what you are doing. Recently, a Grumman Wildcat was recovered and Rob Edgcumbe met with the team responsible for bringing it back to find out how you go about saving an aircraft that sank 70 years ago.

JAN182013

GAM Previews: Boeing's 727 at 50 Fifty years ago, a new Boeing product took to the sky for the first time. It was the company's first and only trijet design and went on to be a huge commercial success, forming the backbone of US domestic air travel for many years and scoring significant sales overseas. Paul Dunn examines the history of the Boeing 727.

JAN112013

Airshows >> USA: San Francisco Fleet Week - Review As seaside airshows go, there are worse places to hold one than the waterfront in California's most beautiful city, San Francisco. Held every year in early October, Fleet Week features an air show, a parade of naval ships and various other naval related attractions and activities. Chris Wood found himself in the City on the Bay during that weekend and reports for GAR.

JAN042013

Airports >> Russian Federation: Siberia Revisited: Part 4, Moscow-Domodedovo We were due to fly out of Moscow's Domodedovo Airport (DOM) today to finally begin out adventure in Siberia, but the weather gods weren't looking on us kindly. Paul Filmer continues his travels around Moscow before heading off to Siberia.

DEC242012

Aviation News >> Christmas and New Year Message from Global Aviation Resource With Christmas rapidly approaching, and 2013 just over the horizon, it's time to take a quick look back at 2012 and ahead to what the next twelve months has in store.

DEC212012

GAM Previews: 100 Years of Lockheed Martin From Eugene Ely’s first tentative landing on a makeshift wooden deck on the fantail of the heavy cruiser USS Pennsylvania (Armored Cruiser #4) in a Curtiss pusher biplane on 18 January 1911 to the first vertical landing of the F-35B Lightning II on the asphalt deck of the USS Wasp (LHD-1) by Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk on 3 October 2011, Naval Aviation has made astounding technological leaps over its first century. This article, written by Jeff Rhodes, is reproduced with permission from Lockheed Martin’s Code One Magazine

DEC212012

GAM Previews: Jet Provost T3A From the Cockpit 2012 saw Gareth Stringer fulfil a lifelong dream and fly in a fast jet. It all started with the JP3 at RAF Cosford, thanks to Neil McCarthy, and here's the first part of a story that will be continued next month.

DEC212012

GAM Previews: Top o' the Sears If you want to have a TV antenna serving a large area, putting it on top of the highest building for hundreds of miles makes a lot of sense. If you want to replace it though, your options are a bit limited. Rob Edgcumbe joined the team undertaking this task.

DEC212012

GAM Previews: Malaysian Airline System at 40 As described in the Singapore Airlines (SIA) article in Issue 12 of Global Aviation Magazine, Malaysian Airline System (MAS) and Singapore Airlines (SIA) were born in October 1972 as a result of the dissolution of Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA). Doug Green concludes the 40th anniversary account with the story of Malaysia's national carrier.

DEC212012

GAM Previews: Ilyushin Il-62 at 50 2 January 2013 will mark 50 years since the Ilyushin Il-62 flew for the first time. A product of the Ilyushin OKB drawing boards in 1960, the Il-62, NATO code-name ‘Classic’, was built by the Kazan Aircraft Production Association (KAPO) as a successor to the turbo-prop powered Ilyushin Il-18. Karl Drage looks back at the aircraft’s development.

DEC212012

GAM Previews: British Airways & Heathrow Terminal 5 Ever since the British Airways Board was established in 1971, London’s Heathrow Airport has always been the carrier’s main hub. Following the 14 March 2008 opening of Terminal 5, almost all of the airline’s services are now operated from this state-of-the-art facility. Company Airbus A320 pilot Dheeraj Bhasin takes us on an after-hours tour of BA’s impressive operation.

DEC212012

GAM Previews: Exercise Pitch Black 2012 Once every two years, the blue skies of Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) become a hive of military aviation activity as Exercise Pitch Black takes place. Named for the dark moonless nights in Australia’s sparsely populated north when pilots flew the first exercise missions before night vision equipment was available, the exercise brings together Australian, American and various air forces from neighbouring Asian nations in an intense series of realistic combat scenarios over a period of (usually) three weeks. Mike Yeo, Base Leg Aviation News and Photography, reports for GAM.

DEC182012

blogGAR: RNAS Yeovilton With the Fleet Air Arm Museum opening the doors to its Reserve Collection for the second time this year, it would have been rude for Shaun Schofield not to make the most of a visit to his local.

DEC142012

Aviation News >> Puma HC1 Flies Last Sortie From RAF Benson - with the Puma HC2 It was the end of an era today when the Puma HC1 flew its last sortie at RAF Benson - with the Puma HC2. Images as credited.

NOV262012

Aviation Events >> UK: Aerobility and the Paralympic Opening Ceremony Anyone who was at the opening ceremony for the Paralympics will have been awed by the opening act, a pyrotechnic flying display by a disabled pilot overhead the Olympic stadium. (Unfortunately the wider television audience were denied the chance to fully witness this, as the broadcaster was slow to catch on to what was occurring behind their presenter!) GAR’s Chris Wood caught up with Guy Westgate, of Glider FX and SWIP Team fame, to find out more about the build up to this historic moment.

NOV162012

GAM Previews: Hellenic Air Force A-7 Corsairs The sight of the Northrop Grumman (Vought) A-7 Corsair II flying over the Greek countryside has been a common one for almost four decades, but, as has now been confirmed, 2013 will see the aircraft retired. Kevin Jackson reports from Araxos Air Base on the job the ‘SLUFF’ is still performing.

NOV162012

GAM Previews: Republic's F-105 Thunderchief Gareth Stringer looks back at the life and times of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief, including memories from one Royal Air Force pilot who flew the mighty ‘Thud’, and the aircraft’s distinguished performances in the skies over Vietnam.

NOV162012

GAM Previews: Kenmore Air Seattle seaplane airline Kenmore Air has carved out a niche for itself as an important part of the city's transport network, whilst priding itself on great customer service and a warm, familial atmosphere. Paul Dunn profiles this popular operator.

NOV162012

GAM Previews: Handley Page Victor at 60 The last of the V-bomber trilogy, the Handley Page Victor saw service with the Royal Air Force in more than one role. Gareth Stringer talks to several members of the Victor community, including a very close family member, about their memories and experiences of the aircraft.

NOV162012

GAM Previews: Exercise Perspective 2012 Held between 17 and 29 September, Exercise Perspective 2012 brought together the Ukrainian military’s might in a series of scenarios designed to train, test and fulfil live firing currency requirements of both ground-based and airborne tactical platforms. Steve Comber reports from Belbek near Sevastapol, from where a number of MiG-29s and Su-27s operated.

NOV162012

GAM Previews: Central Air Force Museum Monino One of the world’s largest aviation museums, the Central Air Force Museum in Monino is home to an amazing array of some 173 aircraft, almost all of which are of a Russian origin. Following on from his report on the Russian Air Force’s 100th Anniversary Airshow, Steve Coe takes us on a guided tour of the Monino collection.

NOV162012

GAM Previews: Air-to-Air Academy Have you ever wanted to fly on an air-to-air photo mission with another aircraft but never had the opportunity? The Air-to-Air Academy, organised by Eric Coeckelberghs and his Aviation PhotoCrew, might be exactly what you’re looking for. Frank Grealish reports from the 2012 Photo Flying Days.

NOV142012

blogGAR: 140th Fighter Wing Deployment It's early morning at Buckley AFB, Colorado and the 140th Fighter Wing is preparing to deploy to the Middle East again as part of the ongoing Overseas Contingency Operations. Paul Filmer reports.

OCT312012

Airshows >> USA: MCAS Miramar Airshow 2012 - Review One of the largest airshows on the west coast of the US, and the largest airshow organised by the military, the 2012 MCAS Miramar Airshow will surely go down as a spectacular success. Paul Dunn reports for GAR, with additional images from Chris Wood.

OCT292012

Airports >> Russian Federation: Siberia Revisited: Part 3, Vnukovo After my interesting Yak-42 flight terminated in Vnukovo it seemed churlish to waste an opportunity to shoot at this airfield. Paul Filmer continues his reports from the Moscow area before departing to Siberia.

OCT192012

Aviation News >> UK: Flt Lt Jamie Norris named as 2013 Royal Air Force Typhoon Display Pilot RAF Coningsby is pleased to announce that Flight Lieutenant Jamie Norris will be the Royal Air Force Typhoon Display pilot for the 2013 airshow season.

OCT192012

GAM Previews: The Iron Lady - '558 Bounces Back to Complete Jubilee Season Gareth Stringer talks exclusively to Vulcan display pilot Bill Ramsey, as XH558 recovers from early season difficulties to complete 2012 in style with a ‘Jubilee Tour’ of the UK. Includes stunning air-to-air imagery from Frank Grealish.

OCT192012

GAM Previews: The Buccaneer Aviation Group (TBAG) It’s been out of RAF service for almost 20 years but, as Gareth Stringer found out, opportunities to see and feel the power of the Blackburn Buccaneer in the UK are still very much available.

OCT192012

GAM Previews: Russia Revisited In last month’s GAM Steve Coe guided you through proceedings of the Russian Air Force 100th Anniversary Airshow and Parade, held at Zhukovsky on the outskirts of Moscow. Frank Grealish / irishairpics.com was one of a small number of foreign journalists granted access to a number of the airfields hosting participating aircraft as preparations for the show geared up. This is his predominantly pictorial tale of five days in Russia.

OCT192012

GAM Previews: 2012 Reno National Championship Air Races & Air Show The National Air Races have been held at Reno since 1964. This year was the first after the crash that killed 10 spectators and one participant so how the event would change this year and whether the racing would be significantly affected was a question on the mind of many. Rob Edgcumbe travelled to Reno for GAR to see.

OCT192012

GAM Previews: Bill Charney and 'The Red Rockette' Bill Charney is a man with a life-long love for one particular aircraft type: the Beech Staggerwing. Some 50 years after first setting eyes on this pretty little biplane, he was finally in the position to purchase his own. This is the story of his association with ‘The Red Rockette’ and the journey the pair is still embarking upon together.

OCT192012

GAM Previews: Air Zermatt There can be few more challenging environments in which to operate and fly than the Alps. Huw Hopkins profiles a helicopter company that has been successfully carrying out all manner of unusual operations whilst doing just that for almost 45 years - Air Zermatt.

OCT192012

GAM Previews: The Airbus A330 at 20 The Airbus A330 is a common sight at airports throught the world, and 2 November 2012 marks the 20th anniversary of the first flight of this popular wide-bodied aircraft. Paul Dunn takes a look at the history of this graceful machine.

OCT182012

Aviation News >> Changes afoot at GAR as Global Aviation Magazine celebrates its first birthday. As Global Aviation Magazine celebrates its first birthday. we take a brief look back at the past 12 months and reveal some important changes and additions to the GAR team. Images as credited.

OCT182012

Air Museums >> USA: American Air Power Museum Situated only a few miles from the bustling heart of New York City, under the flightpath into the city's John F Kennedy International Airport is a small airport with a lot of history. Chris Wood visits the American Air Power Museum.

OCT162012

Airports >> Russian Federation: Siberia Revisited: Part 2, Yak-42 Flight to Krasnodar In part two of his new series on Siberia, Paul Filmer goes flying again, and after an excellent trip on a Yak-40, it was time to source another flight on a Yak, this time its bigger brother, the Yak-42.

OCT102012

Aviation Events >> Pilots With Diabetes Set National Speed Record On Saturday 1st September 2012, six pioneering pilots set out in their aircraft in an attempt to set a national speed record between the cities of Derby & Southampton whilst flying in formation. GAR’s Thomas Pitts went flying with them as part of the support crew.

OCT082012

Balloons and Blimps >> Grass Roots Balloon Meet 2012 Kev Sullivan guest reports for GAR from the Grass Roots Balloon Meet held at Sackville Lodge Airfield near Bedford.

OCT032012

Airports >> Russian Federation: Siberia Revisited: Part 1, Yak-40 Flight to Vologda In the first of a brand new series, Global Aviation Resource's Paul Filmer returns to Siberia for the first time since 2009. The series starts with a flight on a Yak-40.

SEP272012

Airshows >> USA: California Capital Airshow - Review Northern California does well for airshows, with a variety of events happening in the area over the year, all within striking distance of San Francisco. One of the newest events is the California Capital Airshow (CCA), which takes place at the former Mather Air Force Base, on the outskirts of Sacramento, in early September. Chris Wood was in the area for this year’s show and reports for GAR.

SEP262012

Airshows >> UK: Goodwood Revival 2012 Review As your author’s first time attending the Goodwood Revival, nothing can quite prepare you for the small world that lies beyond the ticket gates – it is as near as one can get to travelling back in time! I was overawed, but just to top it off, as myself and fellow GAR staff members Elliott and Greg Marsh arrived in the car park, The Fighter Collection’s (TFC) contingent for the weekend of P-47G Thunderbolt 'Snafu' and TF-51D Mustang 'Miss Velma' arrived and proceeded to display. The Revival made quite an impression from the off!

SEP242012

Aviation News >> USA: High Park and Springer Fires in Colorado In June, Colorado saw two hugely destructive fires in quick succession, and, while he was not in the country for the whole time these fires burned, Paul Filmer was able to capture some interesting movements at Jeffco Tanker Base.

SEP212012

GAM Previews: South African Air Force Museum Ysterplaat The South African Air Force Museum has a large collection of aircraft spilt between several sites throughout the country. Paul Dunn visits the museum at AFB Ysterplaat, in the suburbs of Cape Town.

SEP212012

GAM Previews: Singapore Airlines at 40 40 years ago, on 1 October 1972, the airline then known as Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA) was split in two, with one element becoming Singapore Airlines (SIA). The division prompted a rapid expansion that in December 2010 saw SIA credited with being the second largest airline in the world when measured in terms of market capitalisation.

SEP212012

GAM Previews: Russian Air Force 100th Anniversary Airshow 2012 sees the Russian Air Force celebrate its 100th anniversary. To commemorate this momentous occasion in the organisation’s history, an international airshow was held at the famous Zhukovsky Airfield on the outskirts of Moscow. Steve Coe provides a very rounded story of his visit to the show; essential reading for anybody considering visiting Russia!

SEP212012

GAM Previews: Swiss F/A-18 Hornet from the Cockpit The F/A-18 Hornet is a multirole fighter aircraft currently operated by eight nations around the globe. Gareth Stringer sat down with the current Swiss Air Force Display Pilot, Captain Ralph ‘Deasy’ Knittel, to get the low-down on displaying the aircraft.

SEP212012

GAM Previews: B-29 Superfortress - 'Fifi' There is only one Boeing B-29 Superfortress that is still airworthy and it travels across the United States providing opportunities for people to experience an icon of the Second World War. GAM caught up with “Fifi” while she was on tour, and Rob Edgcumbe reports on what it takes to keep this unique aircraft flying. Images as credited.

SEP212012

GAM Previews: The Airbus A300 at 40 28 October 2012 is the 40th anniversary of the first flight of the Airbus A300. Chris Wood takes a look at the aircraft that spawned a whole new family of commercial aircraft and challenged the American dominance of the world’s airliner market.

SEP212012

GAM Previews: AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin at 25 Gareth Stringer looks back at the history, development and operational usage of the AgustaWestland AW101, with help from Richard Luck, retired Royal Air Force Wing Commander and a hugely experienced rotary wing pilot.

SEP212012

Airshows >> UK: RAFA Shoreham Airshow 2012 - Review The Royal Air Forces Association Shoreham Airshow once again lived up to its reputation as one of the premier “family friendly” air displays on the UK airshow calendar, delivering the usual pleasing mixture of vintage aircraft, modern military assets and civilian aerobatic displays that make this event so popular with the masses. Elliott Marsh was there for GAR. Additional photography by Chris Wood.

SEP142012

Airshows >> IWM Duxford Airshow 2012 The Imperial War Museum-organised air displays at Duxford airfield have long been considered some of the best ‘all-round’ aviation events in the country and recent years have seen some stirring line-ups assembled. The Duxford Airshow 2012 was no exception, with a tantalising mix of rare historic aircraft, perennial crowd-pleasers and a welcome return by some old favourites. Elliott Marsh reports from the ‘tank bank’, with additional photography by the GAR team.

SEP072012

Airshows >> UK: Little Gransden Families Air and Vintage Vehicle Show - Review If a certain well known Danish brewery did an airshow, it would probably be held at Fullers Hill Farm in Bedfordshire. Fullers Hill Farm is the home of Mark Jefferies and his back garden is better known as Little Gransden airfield, which has been home to an annual airshow for the last 20 years. Chris Wood reports from this year’s event, with additional imagery from Elliott Marsh.

SEP052012

Airshows >> UK: Cold War Jets Open Day 2012 - Review The Cold War Jets Collection at Bruntingthorpe held its second open day of the year over the traditional August bank holiday. Shaun Schofield donned his ear defenders and paid a visit.

SEP042012

Airshows >> UK: The Shuttleworth Pageant - Review There was cause for excitement amongst the aviation community at this year’s Shuttleworth Pageant, held on 2 September 2012 at Old Warden aerodrome in Bedfordshire, with the public flying début of The Vintage Aviator Limited’s wonderful Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 and Albatros DVa reproductions. Elliott Marsh was there for GAR, with additional photography by Thomas Pitts.

SEP032012

Aviation Events >> Saunders Roe Princess 60th Anniversary Starting on 22 August 2012, residents of the Isle of Wight began celebrating the 60th anniversary of the first flight of the Saunders-Roe (SARO) SR.45 Princess flying boat with a ceremony and flypasts by a Cessna 182 Amphibian. GAR’s Karl Drage got airborne to capture some of the commemorations from above.

SEP012012

Aviation News >> Pilots With Diabetes To Set National Speed Record At 11 a.m. on Saturday 1 September 2012, six pilots with insulin treated diabetes will launch UK Diabetes Formation Flight from Nottingham Airport, aiming to set a new national formation speed record from Derby to Southampton and create history.

AUG312012

Airshows >> UK: Airbourne At Eastbourne 2012 - Review This year saw the Sussex seaside town of Eastbourne holding its hugely popular Airbourne airshow for the twentieth time. Chris Wood was there to capture the action for GAR.