With April 1, 2018 marking the 100 year result of the amalgamation of the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps, Jamie Ewan looks at what the Royal Air Force has planned to commemorate, in this their centenary year, under the banner RAF100. Three words - Commemorate. Celebrate. Inspire. These are the basis of the Royal [...]

On July 23, 2017 the Lightning Preservation Group’s F3, XR713, was rolled out in a fresh new scheme representing two revered squadrons that once operated the type. Having been partly funded by the Centre of Aviation Photography (COAP), a photoshoot was arranged for a limited number of photographers to capture the first public outing in [...]

When compared to so many other types it once shared the skies with, the Blackburn Buccaneer has survived in far better numbers - some 48 complete airframes are still in existence today. The first production example of the S2 variant, Blackburn Buccaneer S2 XN974, has been the focus of a near 18-month restoration effort at its [...]

The gradual drawdown of the Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 fleet hits a significant milestone in 2017, bringing an end to the Tornado fleet in Scotland, and an end to 23 years of a familiar sight around the Moray skies. March 31st will see the last RAF Tornado unit based at RAF Lossiemouth disbanding and thus [...]

Fast, sleek, agile and sporty; words which are often used to describe and sum up the Westland Lynx - a helicopter that, in March 2017, will finally reach the end of a remarkable forty-one years of service with the Royal Navy. Mark Kwiatkowski reports from the last home of the Royal Navy Lynx, RNAS Yeovilton. [...]

If social media is to be believed, 2016 was the worst year in the history of the world, with several “shock” events like the EU referendum result and the election of Donald Trump dominating headlines. In the aviation enthusiast community, it has seemed somewhat quieter. 2016 saw additional retirements from the UK military – notably [...]

On August 31, 1956 at just after 1pm local time, a new Boeing jet took to the skies for its first flight. That jet, Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker 55-3118 named ‘City of Renton’, started a story that is now 60 years old – and continuing! In 2016, the KC-135 is still the backbone of the United [...]

Wednesday 29th June 2016 saw a significant milestone for the F-35 program, as the first deployment of the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II to the United Kingdom commenced with three aircraft landing at RAF Fairford, including one of the first three examples for the Royal Air Force. Plans for the F-35 participation at the Royal International [...]

In a time where the UK’s classic jet scene is adjusting to the post Shoreham era, many in the aviation community have asked what the future will hold for it. That said, 2015 saw the formation of The Jet Provost Display Team who hope to make their mark on the circuit with the world’s sole [...]

It’s all but impossible to miss news of a United States Presidential visit to the United Kingdom, or indeed to any country – the event is always marked with significant pomp and circumstance, as befits the reception of a foreign Head of State. What normally does go unnoticed is the huge level of logistical support [...]