Operational Reports

RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire is a key strategic forward deployment base for the United States Air Force Global Strike Command. Deployments of strategic bombers to the European theatre are considerably rarer today than they were only a decade ago. During June 2014, Global Strike Command deployed a number of assets for [...]

Its 7am on a Thursday and, whilst most people are busy thinking about heading off to work, the operations room of the 351st Air Refuelling Squadron is already a hive of activity. With multiple flights due to head out during the morning on various sorties, the crew of Quid42 are [...]

Every year, the US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) undertakes training exercises incorporating their assets and Government agencies. One of these exercises is named GLOBAL LIGHTNING. Adam Chittenden looks at what aircraft are involved and what this exercise is designed to achieve. "Global Lightning 14 is designed to provide training opportunities and [...]

Exercise Joint Warrior 2014 Serial 1 was the latest in the long-running series of multinational exercises of the name that have run in the UK, and also the largest tactically focused military exercise held in Europe during 2014. Over 13,000 personnel, 33 ships, 3 submarines and multiple ground, troop and [...]

Externally similar to the widely used and highly successful Lockheed P-3 Orion, the CP-140 Aurora is in fact a different machine entirely. Named after the Greek goddess who restored Orion’s eyesight, Canada took delivery of the first of its 18 strong fleet of CP-140 Auroras in May 1980 (with the [...]

Laughlin AFB is one of USAF's five major primary training airfields, located in remote Del Rio, Western Texas it's is ideal for training flights. It is home to the 47th Flying Training Wing (FTW) that forms part of the Air Education Training Command (AETC). Ian French and Mark Forest visited [...]

Originally designed as a civilian airliner in the 1960’s the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar later become a vital asset to the Royal Air Force transport fleet. March 2014 brings to an end the RAF service of the famous ‘trijet’. History In the late 1960’s American Airlines released a specification for a [...]

San Diego, California is located on the West Coast of the United States and home to the headquarters of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW) at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar. Formerly a Naval Air Station (NAS), Miramar is probably the most famous NAS in the world after shooting [...]

The 352nd Special Operations Group at RAF Mildenhall has been visibly upgrading their aircraft and capabilities over the last year (see 352nd SOG welcome the CV-22B and MC-130J). With new types becoming operational, the older aircraft are now being phased out in turn. February 2014 saw the final MC-130P Combat [...]

In October 2013 AeroResource was invited to visit the ramp of the Texas Air National Guard (ANG), the 149th Fighter Wing (FW) "Lone Star Gunfighters" based on the vast complex which is Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio Texas. History On the 21st August 1946 the 182nd FS was activated. [...]

In part 1 of a series of F-35 articles for AeroRescource, Mark Forest & Jason Grant take a look back at the development, Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) competition and early production of the F-35 Lightning II along with the different characteristics of the three variants. Development During 1983 the Defence [...]

On Monday 24th June 2013, the 352nd Special Operations Group took delivery of the first batch of CV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, marking the start of a large expansion and modernisation program at RAF Mildenhall. Ben Montgomery visited the 7th and 67th Special Operations Squadrons at Mildenhall to learn more about [...]

It’s not often that the general public have an opportunity to go behind the scenes within the aviation industry but, on the 23rd March, KLM UK Engineering hosted an open day event at their UK Headquarters. Adam Duffield and Duncan Monk attended on behalf of AeroResource. Tucked away at Norwich [...]

Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi based  on the Texas coast  is home to four United States Navy (USN) Training Squadrons. These training squadrons perform basic, intermediate and advanced flight training for Navy and Marine Corps students. During October 2012 Mark Forest and Paul Newbold had the opportunity to get [...]

AeroResource’s Mark Forest and Paul Newbold  get up close with the  T-45 “Goshawks” of Training Air Wing two  (TAW-2) at NAS Kingsville Texas and visit the heritage park on base. History and Design The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing T-45 Goshawk is based on the BAe Systems Hawk . This navalised and highly [...]

We’ve all seen display teams in action at airshows across the world but what actually goes on when they aren’t in the air? Adam Duffield spends a day with top aerobatic display team The Wildcats to find out. Its 10am on a cold but clear November morning and everything is [...]

The United States Air Force have 60 B-1B Lancers in service, split between two Bomb Wings at two Air Force Bases. AeroResource's Jason Grant and Mark Forest visited the B-1Bs of the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, situated just outside Abilene, Texas, to finds out how developments and upgrades [...]

In May 2012 Mark Forest and Jason Grant joined HSM-40 Air Wolves (Helicopter Maritime Strike) at NAS Mayport to discover their history and development of their Naval Air Station and squadron. There is evidence of continuous occupation of the naval station site by Native Americans, Spanish, English, and Americans since [...]

Several gems of aviation history sit securely in steel clad hangars, forming part of a 17 acre complex on the western side of RAF Scampton.  This is no museum however, and these pedigree aircraft have an active role within the military sphere of operations.  Steve Smith and Mark Graham went [...]

Marine Corp Air Station Beaufort (Merritt Field), known as "Fightertown East" is located in South Carolina, USA. Hosted by VMFA-312 "Checkerboards", Paul Newbold and Stuart Skelton present this report for AeroResource. The base is exclusively home to the Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) F/A-18 Hornet.  The Hornet first flew on November [...]

"NKAWTG!" reads the sign upon entering the 351st Air Refuelling Squadron, 100th Air Refuelling Wing - and it's true: Nobody kicks ass without Tanker Gas. Michael Buckle and Ben Montgomery joined the crew of "Quid 42" to find out more. The 100th Air Refuelling Wing & the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker [...]