RIAT - 55 Days to Go, The Season has Started!

Would you believe it, after the long wait of the cold winter months, we have reached May and yet it’s still as cold, however last weekend on Sunday the 6^th of May the Air show season got underway at Dalton Barracks, Abingdon. The Annual Abingdon Air And Country show featured the season debuts of many Civilian and Military acts from Around the country, such as the Breitling sponsored Breitling Wingwalkers, also the newly name changed TRIG aerobatic team who fly two Pitts Aircraft, the show also featured the RAF Hawk, King Air And Tutor season debut’s, as well as the Tucano in all its Splendour of the new Colour scheme, which is a very patriotic and suitable scheme in a year that we British Citizens are celebrating the Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The show at Abingdon was organised by Neil Porter and his team, and despite me not being there, from what I’ve heard it was a very successful event and I would like to congratulate Neil Porter on another year of Success for the Season Starter.

The main show of the Year, at least for those of us in the South of the U.K, is the Royal International Air Tattoo, which is currently held at RAF Fairford, Gloucester. This year the show is shaping up to be a cracker, the team at DBH have confirmed an excellent mix of many Aircraft from Several Air Force’s to visit the show this year, as always. The Flying display is looking to be superb if the weather plays its part, and the Static display is looking to be a great show of Types this year, with one of the three themes for the show being Airlift 2012, I would also expect to see more added in the coming weeks.

The Participants list for this year up until now has been described by many as the Best Participation the RIAT team has secured in Years, the mixture of aircraft down to display is once again very good, the flying display this year will feature 3 Eastern Teams performing at RIAT, the Saudi Hawk’s will return after making their UK debut at RIAT last year, with their 6 BAE Hawk T65’s. The United Arab Emirates team ‘ The Al Fursan ‘ ( The Knights ), will ,make their European Debut at RIAT this year, with their 7 Aermacchi MB339 Trainer Jets, painted in a Striking Black and Gold Colour scheme, with the UAE Flag on the underside of the Wings. Another Eastern Team making their RIAT debut this year will be the Republic of Korea Air Force’s Black Eagles, who fly 8 T-50 Golden Eagle Aircraft; the Team are expected to make their European Debut at Waddington the Week before RIAT; however this is not yet confirmed!

Modern Military Fast Jet solos are often considered to be the Stars of the Flying Display at RIAT, and this year’s line-up of Jets is sure to please any Air show follower around. The Belgian and Dutch F-16 Demo’s will return this year, as will the Swedish JAS39 Gripen Demo and the RAF Tornado GR4 Role Demo, which certainly provides a spectacle and an insight into modern day operations, The RAF Typhoon Demo will make its welcome return this year, after its absence last year, this year the Jet will make the Journey from RAF Leuchars, in Fife, Scotland, to display at RIAT, as the display is flown by a 6 Sqrn Pilot this year. Also making a Return this year is the Armee De Lair’s French Rafale C solo. The Pick of the Bunch of the Fast Jet displays confirmed as of yet has to be the Polish Mig 29 Demo,  the Aircraft type is an ageing one in the Air Force’s that the type still is operations in, and it will be a pleasure to see the 29’ Display at RIAT this year.

Other Display’s currently confirmed for the Flying display include the Brilliant Patrouille Suisee, who fly 6 F-5E Tiger II aircraft, the Boing MV-22B Osprey from the USMC, Vulcan XH558,  the Airbus A400m, the Russian Yak-130 company demonstrator, the Royal Jordanian Falcons with their Extra 300 Aircraft, and the list goes on.. 

RAF Participation in the Flying display this year is outstanding, with all the RAF Solo Trainer Aircraft performing displays, and also the Red Arrows will perform with their usual precision, however this year with 7 A/C. The Typhoon display and the Tornado Role Demo will appear will appear as mentioned above. The BBMF will appear, and also the RAF Falcons will parachute into Fairford for the show. Also expected is an Element of the Diamond Jubilee flypast; however this is yet to be set in stone and no details of which elements are expected have been given.

The Static display for this year is looking to be a Great one, with Aircraft such as the Armee De Lair C-135FR expected to attend. Other aircraft expected to attend for the static display this year include, A DHL 757, Dutch F-16s, A French Navy Falcon 10 MER, A German A310 Tanker Aircraft, an Italian KC-767TT a NATO E-3, and once again the list goes on…

The South American Nation of Columbia is expected to make their Airtattoo debut this year, and will send a C-130 and a T-90 Calima, both for the static. Another South American Nation expected to attend this year, albeit not for the First time, Is Brazil, who will send a C-130 for the static display.

Would you believe it, all the Aircraft mentioned, as well as others, will be available for you to witness at RAF Fairford in just 55 Days’ time, when many, many Nations join together to make the World’s largest Military Airshow! 

Haven’t got tickets yet? You can get them now from: http://www.airtattoo.com/airshow/airshow-tickets

To see the full Participation list up to now you can visit: http://www.airtattoo.com/airshow/aircraft/aircraft-confirmed

Need to contact General Aviation News? You can do so by Emailing your message to : generalaviationnews@yahoo.co.uk, many thanks, Jamie Cook.

BLOG POST : USMC to start F-35B flights next week at Eglin AFB

Sourced from Flight International, via FlightGlobal.

The US Marine Corps will start local area flights on the F-35B next week at Eglin AFB, Florida, but all is not well at manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

Workers at the company's Fort Worth, Texas, factory went on strike at midnight on 22 April after they failed to reach a contract agreement with Lockheed. "The parties are not meeting at this time," a company spokesman says. "And there is no scheduled meeting."

While it is impossible to tell how long the strike could last, Lockheed says that there will not be any disruption to the F-35 programme in the near-term. The company had planned out contingency measures two months beforehand in case of a strike, which could happen every three years during wage and benefits negotiations.

                                                       Image Copyright US Air Force (C)

Lockheed is using salaried employees with manufacturing skills to keep production going. "We're continuing operations," the spokesman says.

The union also has about 150 workers each at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, and Edwards AFB, California, who are also on strike. Limited flight operations at the two flight test facilities are continuing by drawing upon the skills of salaried workers and military personnel.

Meanwhile, local area flights at Eglin AFB, Florida, are on-going with the F-35A conventional take-off and landing version. But on 1 May, the USMC's F-35B models should be joining the F-35A in the air once Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) gives its consent.

"[We] expect to be flying on or about 1 May," a senior USMC official says.

Information sourced from Flight International via Flight Global.

BLOG POST : Handover of service-bound A400M engine kick-starts ramp-up

Information Credit to Flight Global and Flight International (C)

Europrop International is working to halve the time needed to assemble and test the TP400-D6, having delivered the first production-standard example of the A400M transport's turboprop engine to Airbus Military.

At an event marking the programme milestone at MTU Aero Engines' Munich facility, EPI president Simon Henley said the engine consortium was "well on track" to bring the assembly and test programme down to 30 days, from 60 days.

                                                   Image Copyright to Europrop (C)

The production engine will power the first A400M entering service early next year with launch customer the French air force. All four of this aircraft's engines are to be delivered by 7 May.

In total, 12 engines for French A400Ms will be delivered in 2012, plus two spares. Production will ramp up to 50 engines next year, with maximum annual capacity of 120 to be reached in 2015.

Airbus Military-led negotiations on in-service support of French A400Ms are under way with the nation's air force. The engine maker has proposed that the service perform repairs down to module level, with more detailed repairs going back to the consortium, which comprises ITP, MTU, Rolls-Royce and Snecma.

To maximise efficiency, a single production line is operated for the TP400-D6, at Munich. The engines undergo pass-off testing at another MTU facility, at Ludwigsfelde, near Berlin. Series production follows delivery of 28 flight-test engines. Earlier this month, engine flight-test hours surpassed 10,000. Engine running hours exceed 20,000.

                                              Image Copyright MTU Aero Engines (C)

The TP400-D6 gained civil certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency last May. In January, EPI delivered the engine reports required for aircraft certification to Airbus Military. Work continues on a "qualification piece" for military certification of the engine.

The final release of the engine software, incorporating maintenance capabilities, is due later this year. Further hot-weather testing is also scheduled for later in 2012.

Sourced from Flight International via Flightglobal : http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/handover-of-service-bound-a400m-engine-kick-starts-ramp-up-370838/

Welcome!

On Behalf of the whole Admin team, I Jamie Cook ( Admin member and creator of the Blog ) would like to wish that you enjoy the blog and the new website, the link to the new website is : http://www.wix.com/jamiecook1313/generalavnewsairshowcentral#! , cheers All!

BLOG POST : Red Arrows to Fly over the Olympics opening Ceremony!

The Red Arrows will fly over Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London to celebrate the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

The team, based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, will return to flying with nine aircraft for the flypasts.

The team has been learning to fly as a seven for the 2012 season following the departure of its first female pilot.

The flypasts will be in the famous Big Battle formation which is used for important ceremonies.

Richard Baker, a photographer who produced the book Red Arrows after spending nine months with the team, said the chosen formation would be fitting for the occasion.

'British statement'

"It's their famous flypast formation shape," he said.

"They put on their red, white and blue smoke so it's a streak of red, white and blue as an arrow coming towards you.

"It's a very British statement of who they are and what they stand for."

Two of the Red Arrows died last year.

Flt Lt Jon Egging, 33, was killed at the end an air show in Dorset and Flt Lt Sean Cunningham, 35, was killed when he was ejected from his plane while on the ground at RAF Scampton.

The team's first female pilot then moved to a ground-based role earlier this year.

The team started learning to fly with seven aircraft, rather than eight, because the formations are more balanced as an odd number.

The Olympic flypasts will take place on 27 July before the opening ceremony begins. Organisers said it would symbolically link the whole of the United Kingdom.

Sqn Ldr Jim Turner, officer commanding the Red Arrows, said: "The Red Arrows are honoured to have been invited to take part in the London 2012 Olympic Games celebrations to represent both the Royal Air Force and the very best of British.

"My whole squadron, pilots and ground support staff alike, share the pride and privilege of being part of such a special occasion."

Sourced from the BBC Website : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-17753576

The UK’s first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II made its inaugural test flight on 13 April. The aircraft, a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B model named BK-1, underwent a series of functional flight checks during the sortie. Lockheed test pilot Bill Gigliotti was at the controls during the 45min flight.


The new aircraft will have to complete a series of company and government test flights before it is accepted by the UK. This particular aircraft will be used for training and operational tests at Eglin AFB, Florida, beginning later this year, Lockheed says. The base is the home of the US Air Force’s 33rd Fighter Wing; the first US training wing for the F-35.

"Not only is this a watershed moment for the Joint Strike Fighter programme, since BK-1 is the first international F-35 to fly, but it also brings us one step closer to delivery of this essential fifth-generation capability for the UK, " said Gp Capt Harv Smyth, the Joint Strike Fighter UK national deputy.

The fact that this first UK F-35 is a B-model aircraft is slightly awkward, however. The UK in late 2010 switched from the STOVL model to the US Navy’s F-35C carrier variant, but its Ministry of Defence is now considering reversing that decision. The cost of refitting at least one of the Royal Navy's future aircraft carriers, which are currently under construction, with catapult launch and arresting gear have been proving to be greater than the UK government had anticipated.

Information Credit Flightglobal (C)

Image (C) Lockheed Martin