Aviation History – ‘A life in the air – the amazing untold story of Noel Barker’
When one of my dad’s oldest friends sent me his own father’s aviation story I quickly realised that it was one of the most fascinating tales I had read for some time and, amazingly, had never before been published. Knowing it had to be shared, I asked Peter Barker, for that is who wrote the words you see below, if he would entrust Global Aviation Resource to do just that. I am eternally grateful that he said yes. So, we present to you a great, until today untold, aviation story – that of Noel Barker and his life in the air.
Classic Jets – Retirement of the NASA DC-8
Earlier in 2024, NASA finally retired its DC-8 that had provided years of service sampling the atmosphere and participating in research programs. With it gone from service but having had a chance to see it one more time before it retired, Rob Edgcumbe takes a look for GAR at the end of the career for this iconic airframe.
Military Aviation – Royal Air Force Puma Retirement (Part 4) – The 1990s and Operation TELIC
Continuing our coverage of the long career of the RAF’s Puma Force, we turn our attention to operations in the 1990s and into the 2000s. Paul Dunn talks to two former Puma pilots to get their perspective on flying the helicopter in combat.
Military Aviation – Royal Air Force Puma Retirement (Part 3) – Flying the Puma in the 1980s
The RAF in the 1980s was a large and diverse force, primarily tasked with preparing for a potential war with the Soviet Union, but also dealing with domestic problems with the Troubles in Northern Ireland being a long running and bloody conflict. Friend of the site, Ron Gridd*, was a Puma pilot in that era, having previously served on the Westland Wessex. Here he gives us a glimpse into the joys and challenges of the Puma Force in the 1980s.
Military Aviation – Royal Air Force Puma Retirement (Part 2) – The History of the RAF Puma Force
After 54 years of sterling service, the Royal Air Force’s Puma helicopters completed their final flights last week as the type headed into retirement, in the UK at least. Gareth Stringer looks back at the Puma’s history with a selection of photography from the GAR archives and friends.
Military Aviation – Royal Air Force Puma Retirement (Part 1) – The Flypast
The RAF has just retired its Puma helicopters, with a fitting tribute to a very well respected and significant type. Here at GAR, we kick off our own tribute to the Puma with a look at the final flypast which took place on the 26-27th March 2025. Words by Paul Dunn with photos by the GAR team and friends.
Vintage Aviation – Retirement of the Martin Mars
The news that Coulson was donating one of their Martin Mars flying boats to the British Columbia Aviation Museum got a ton of attention in the aviation community. Rob Edgcumbe reports.
Military Aviation – Turkish F-4E Phantom II 50th Anniversary
Over the weekend of 16th and 17th November 2024 the Turkish Air Force organised an event to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the McDonnell F-4E Phantom II in Turkish service. Chris Wood was there and reports for GAR.
BlogGAR – Son of Ares
In this brand new blog, Rob Edgcumbe takes a look at the ‘Son of Ares’, the latest in a long line of distinctive aircraft produced by Scaled Composites, now owned by Northrop Grumman.
Aviation Event – Northolt Nightshoot XXXI October 2024
The latest RAF Northolt Nightshoot, number 31, took place on Thursday 3rd October 2024. GAR’s Chris Wood broke out his tripod and popped along.
Military Aviation – KC-10 Retirement
On 26th September 2024, KC-10 79-1948, using the symbolic callsign GUCCI10 departed Travis AFB, California, bound for Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. In doing so, it became the last KC-10 to be retired to storage at AMARG, bringing to an end an illustrious 43 year career with the USAF. In the first of a series of posts, Paul Dunn looks back on the KC-10’s USAF service, with photos from the GAR team and friends.
Military Aviation – Exercise Gray Flag
Exercise Gray Flag is a relatively small scale but high tech exercise which is organised by the US Navy and focuses on operational testing and integration of the latest technology. The latest iteration took place at NAS Point Mugu during the final week of September...
Military Aviation – Exercise Anatolian Eagle
The 2023 multi national iteration of Exercise Anatolian Eagle (AE2023/2) took place at Konya Air Base in central Turkey in early May, with exercise missions being flown between Tuesday 2nd and Thursday 11th May. Chris Wood reports from central Turkey for GAR.
Military Aviation – Exercise Cobra Warrior 23-1
For three weeks in March, the skies over Lincolnshire, northern England and the North Sea reverberated to the sound of numerous jet fighters. Whilst this isn’t that unusual as half of the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoons are based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, between the 6th and 24th March there were additional aircraft adding to the noise. These aircraft were taking part in exercise Cobra Warrior 23-1…..
Military Aviation – Falcon Strike 2022, Udon Thani, Thailand
During August 2022 China’s Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) conducted a joint exercise in the northern part of Thailand called Falcon Strike 2022. Paul Filmer supplies images for this piece.
Military Aviation – US Army Chinooks at Lydd, April 2023
On Wednesday 5th April the skies around Lydd (London Ashford) Airport in Kent reverberated to the sound of some unusual visitors when a flight of six US Army Boeing CH-47F Chinooks passed through. Chris Wood was in the area and popped along for GAR.
Aviation Event – Northolt Night Photoshoot 16th March 2023
The latest in the long running series of night photoshoots at RAF Northolt took place on the 16th March 2023. Chris Wood was there for GAR.
Aviation Event: Northolt Night Photoshoot – October 2022
This autumn’s night photoshoot season has been a busy one. After a three and a half year hiatus as a result of runway resurfacing and the Covid 19 pandemic, October saw the welcome return of the Northolt night photoshoot, . Chris Wood was there and reports for GAR.
General Aviation – Formating Fourniers
For the last two years a small group of (mostly) middle aged men have been meeting surreptitiously at a location in the Cotswolds, and occasionally at other locations across England. Chris Wood tells us more……
Military Aviation – NATO Tiger Meet 2022
The 2022 iteration of NATO’s Tiger Meet took place at Araxos Air Base in western Greece between 9th and 20th May. Chris Wood reports.
Military Aviation: The last F-15 Eagles in Europe have flown the nest
Since May 1977 the F-15 Eagle has been a familiar sight in European skies. Alas it is a sight that is now no more, with RAF Lakenheath’s 493rd Fighter Squadron (FS) ‘The Grim Reapers’ having being replaced by the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II with the newly reactivated 495th FS. Gareth Stringer takes a look at the history of the F-15 Eagle in Europe, with images from the GAR team.
Military Aviation: Exercise Iniochos 2022 – Andravida Air Base, Greece
Organised and conducted by the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) Air Tactics Centre (Kentro Aeroporikis Taktikis – KEAT), Exercise Iniochos 2022 took place at Andravida Air Base, Greece from the 21st March to the 10th April 2022, Tom Gibbons reports for GAR with additional photography from Kevin Wills and Chris Wood.
Military Aviation – More F-35A arrivals for the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath
The 495th Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, received their second batch of F-35A Lightning II fighters on 10th February 2022. Glenn Beasley was there for GAR.
Aviation Event – Eviation Alice Taxi Trials
The Eviation Alice development team continue their progress towards first flight. Taxi trials have been underway and Rob Edgcumbe was there for GAR to see the latest progress.
Aviation Event – Eviation Alice Heading For First Flight
The development of electric aircraft is a hot topic in the industry at the moment. One of the more advanced projects is Eviation’s Alice aircraft. It is getting close to first flight and Rob Edgcumbe made a visit to Arlington Municipal Airport for GAR to check out whether testing progress was being made.
Aviation news – 48th Fighter Wing F-35A delivery 15th December 2021
The first four Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs for the 48th Fighter Wing arrived at RAF Lakenheath, UK on 15th December.
Aviation news – Second F-15QA delivery via RAF Mildenhall
Monday 13th December saw the departure from the Boeing facilities at St Louis International Airport, Missouri of the second batch of Qatar Emiri Air Force F-15QAs on the initial part of their delivery flight. Chris Wood was there to catch them when they landed at RAF Mildenhall.
Air Task Force – Romania. Enhanced Air Policing with the Royal Canadian Air Force
In a quiet corner of Eastern Europe, a new Cold War has been playing out since 2014. Chris Wood reports from Constanta, on Romania’s Black Sea coast, on NATO’s assurance and deterrence measures in the area.
Aviation News – Qatar Emiri Air Force F-15QA delivery
Yesterday afternoon the first four F-15QAs for the Qatar Emiri Air Force arrived at RAF Mildenhall at the end of the second leg of their delivery flights. Chris Wood reports.
Air Museums – One Less Aviation Museum in Hawaii
The number of aviation museums in Hawaii was recently halved with the closure of the Naval Air Museum Barbers Point. Hayman Tam guest reports for GAR on the current state of the museum and the disposition of the collection.