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Luchtmachtdagen 2016
After a year of absence in 2015, the annual Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) Luchtmachtdagen returned this year to Vliegerbasis Leeuwarden, in the North of the Netherlands. Whilst the theme of the show was once again Operatie Luchtsteun (which literally translates to Operation Air Support) it was clear that for this year at least the show had a rather particular aim. Love it or hate it, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II will be here to stay and for 2016, the Koninklijke Luchtmacht's task was to ensure that the Dutch public loves this new aircraft. With a display centerpiece built [...]
First F-35 Lightning IIs arrive in United Kingdom
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 Air Tattoo (RIAT) and the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) have been known publically for some time - but following the "will they/won't they" saga in 2014 (a planned appearance in that year stopped short by a fleetwide grounding following an engine fire on a USAF [...]
Anatolian Eagle 2016
Large multi-national air exercises where combined air operations can be executed against strategic and tactical targets provide excellent training opportunities for all participants, but the requirements to host this type of exercise are such that there are only three training centres in the world where they can take place. Of these, the only one located outside North America is the Anatolian Eagle Training Centre (AETC) in Turkey. This year’s Anatolian Eagle 2016 exercise ran from 30 May until 10 June. The first Anatolian Eagle exercise was held in 2001 after the need for an indigenous training facility arose as a [...]
Exercise Tac Blaze 16 – Carlisle
With the sleepy airfield at Carlisle converted into a forward operating base for some serious helicopter hardware, AeroResources’ Kevin Paterson decided it was time to dust off the cameras, charge the radios and head for the fence line for Exercise TAC BLAZE 16. Each year, Carlisle Lake District Airport in Cumbria goes through a rather drastic transformation for two to three weeks as the airfield becomes home to a helicopter detachment from the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The airfield that comprises of two paved runways is normally home to a number of general aviation flying schools but is also no stranger [...]
Hangar 11 P-51D ‘Tall In The Saddle’ Unveiling
It had long been rumoured that Peter Tiechman, owner of the Hangar 11 Collection based at North Weald, would repaint his P-51D into a new and authentic scheme. It was already known that the Mustang (serial 44-72035) had served with the 332nd Fighter Group, more famously known as The Tuskegee Airmen. To this day the aircraft still carries evidence of its wartime service in the form of patched bullet holes across the fuselage. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators and became commonly known as the ‘Red Tails’ after they started painting the tails and bands on the [...]
Shuttleworth Fly Navy Air Show 2016
When the Shuttleworth Fly Navy show was first announced, anticipation for what could form the display lineup was high. In fact, almost before the first display item was announced, some were pegging it as a potential season highlight. Adam Duffield was there for AeroResource to see if it could live up to the expectation. Formed in 1909 as the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) before eventually becoming the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) in 1924, naval aviation in the UK is something not normally celebrated at airshows. However, the team behind Shuttleworth decided to redress the balance with a Fly Navy [...]
