Paris Air Show 2017
Paris Air Show, Le Bourget, France 20th-25th June 2017 Having visited every Paris Salon since 1973 I can confirm that this event enjoyed, or suffered, the hottest weather on record. This spectacular trade show brings together all the aviation nations to showcase...
AeroExpoUK 2017
AeroExpo and HeliUK Expo 2017 Wycombe Air Park, Buckinghamshire, England 1-3 June 2017 This, the twelfth Aero Expo, was returning to Wycombe after a long stay at Sywell and what a great move. A more visitor friendly airport with improved viewing opportunities...
Gazelle commemorative Fly-in
Middle Wallop Army Aviation Centre, England 8th April 2017 The Sud-Aviation/Westland SA.341 Gazelle helicopter, whilst looking contemporary, celebrated a 50 year anniversary at Middle Wallop in Hampshire. The base is home to Apache maintenance and the Army Air Corps Museum who hosted...
Patuxent River NAS Open House
Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland, USA 29-30 October 2016 This rarely held event promises the opportunity of seeing test aircraft from the famous Navy Test Pilot School. These often modified examples enjoy bright colour schemes and rarely leave the base since...
Hahnweide Oldtimer Fly-in 2016
Oldtimer-Fliegertreffen 2016 Hahnweide Gliding Site, Germany 9-11 September 2016 This annual gathering of vintage and veteran aircraft, just south of Stuttgart, grows in popularity every year. This year it coincided with the last weekend of the local school holidays and extremely hot...
Swedish Air Force – 90th Anniversary
Malmen Air Base, Linkoping, Sweden, 27-28th August 2016 Malmen is the main helicopter base for the Swedish Armed Forces. It has re-equipped over the last decade with Agusta 109s and Sikorsky Blackhawks being the main players. These types featured heavily in the flying...
Arctic Thunder Airshow 2016
Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, Alaska, USA 30-31st July 2016 It was heavy metal that ruled the static park at this ever-popular Open House. C-130 Hercules and Boeing C-17s provide the based logistics so important at this global crossroads to Asia. With a Red...
Farnborough International 2016
It is becoming a tradition that Farnborough follows RIAT so the power of attraction concentrates the minds of military manufacturers and operators on even-numbered years. Hence, their is duplication of military items but Farnborough's civil contributors and business oriented exhibition extends it's coverage right across the aeronautical spectrum. Although the F-35 stole the headlines, it was the debut of the new airliners that opened cheque books.
Royal International Air Tattoo 2016
RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, England 8-10 July 2016
Report by Peter Davison and Colin Coulthard
Well, what a show this year. The long awaited UK debut for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that cancelled at the last minute in 2015. Not satisfied with that and with it being a Farnborough year, the organisers attracted no less than six examples for our education and pleasure. Three Air Force A models from the training wing in Luke, Arizona, two B models from MCAS Beaufort , South Carolina and the first RAF B model. Combine that with an A330 tanker from Australia and Boeing 767 from Japan and you realise the extensive reach of the Air Tattoo team and the reputation of this, the largest military airshow in the world.
EBACE 2016
Geneva Palexpo, 24-26 May 2016 This years EBACE event was marked by some significant events; the Centenary of Dassault Aviation (and the arrival of the long awaited Falcon 8X), the first visit of the indigenous PC-24 (albeit a flying visit) and the...