Latest Articles
Army Air Corps Apache AH-64D retirement
© Ian Harding | Army Air Corps | Westland Apache AH1 On March 25, 2024 following 23 years of service, the Army Air Corps officially retired the AgustaWestland/Boeing WAH-64D (Apache AH1) from service whilst also declaring the Boeing Apache AH-64E Guardian v6 operationally ready. As has become standard practice nowadays, the Army Air Corps and 4 Regiment, 656 Squadron based at Wattisham in Suffolk, marked this occasion with an extensive farewell tour and flypast. In a tour lasting some ten hours, two Apache AH1’s and two AH-64E’s, flew in formation over various United Kingdom locations relevant to Apache operations. AeroResource co-editor [...]
Northolt Nightshoot XXX
There is always an air of anticipation and excitement when Phil Dawe MBE, Building 27 Restoration Team Manager, and RAF Northolt (Home to 32 Squadron) located in Greater London announce the date, timing and potential attendees for its next ‘RAF Northolt nightshoot’. It was no different on the occasion when AeroResource were present for the 30th edition (RAF Northolt Nightshoot XXX) of this event on March 7, 2024. Pleasingly for everyone, the weather played ball and it did not rain; no mean feat in the current climate! Rather than simply reporting on the event, it is important at times to [...]
Poland AW101 Merlin Mk614
As tension surrounding the invasion of Ukraine by Russia builds, it is no surprise that Poland continues to sign various contracts with European and US companies to strengthen the country’s air defence capability. This process commenced in January 2020 when Poland and the US State department signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance valued at $4.6 billion for the acquisition of 32 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II 5th generation fighters. Latterly, attention has turned to the re-equipment of Poland’s rotary force which includes the acquisition of 32 Leonardo Helicopters AW149 battlefield utility helicopters in July 2022 (valued at 8.25 billion [...]
What a M-STAR!
The sharply painted M-STAR, a 1981 built Boeing 727-2X8 began its final series of flights from Dubai to the Cotswolds on 31st January 2024, for a somewhat unknown future. Westleigh Bushell was on hand at Cotswold Airport to witness what could be the aircraft's final landing. History…. Having always been in the VIP/Business jet role, M-STAR is believed to be the lowest flight hour Boeing 727 still airworthy. The aircraft is line number 1784 and rolled off Boeing's Renton production line in 1981 wearing the test registration N4523N. The first owner flew it as N721MF from 1982 and it stayed with [...]
Westland Gazelle AH1 Swan Song
On Monday October 23rd 2023, three 665 Squadron, 5 Regiment Army Air Corps Westland Gazelle AH1s departed RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland for a short tour of UK landmarks. This brings to an end this chapter of the aircrafts UK military service life with the official end of service date being October 31st 2023. Ian Harding was on hand at one of the locations to capture the final operational moments of what many refer to as 'the chicken leg'. Additional supporting images have been provided by Mark Empson. The formation of Westland Gazelle AH1's departed at approximately 10AM local time [...]
Northolt Nightshoot XXIX
As we start the transition from long summer evenings to the shorter, colder winter nights it brings with it the start of the nightshoot season. October 5th 2023 saw one of the first, RAF Northolt XXIX Nightshoot. Mark Empson and Nick Thompson were on hand to report on the event. Much to the delight of the approximately 200 gathered photographers this event saw no cancellations from the expected participation list. That said, it was hoped that the special RAF 40th Anniversary Chinook would attend the event. Although never on the official list of attendees the aircraft went unserviceable earlier in [...]
Baltic Bees Jet Team
Lying in the west of the Baltic State Latvia, the newly refurbished Jurmala Airport resides near the small historical town of Tukums. Since their inception in 2008, the Baltic Bees Jet Team have based themselves [...]
Jurmala Airport Air Zoo
Just 40 miles west of the Latvian capital Riga in the small sleepy town of Tukums sits Jurmala Airport. Once a Soviet air base, the site is now home to an interesting yet largely unknown [...]
Lightning Preservation Group – ORP Scramble
With the 2017 ‘offseason’ in full swing, November 4th saw the turn of the Lightning Preservation Group and their English Electric icons to provide an aviation solace with their annual Twilight run. Billed this year [...]
Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 (VRC-40) ‘Rawhides’
“Here we go, here we go, here we go!” - No, not the chant from fans at a football match, but the cries emanating from the two loadmasters of VRC-40 ‘Rawhides’ sat at the rear [...]
Joint Base Andrews Air Show 2017
Situated just across the Potomac River from Washington DC, Joint Base Andrews is home to a number of units that include the Presidential Airlift Group. Over the weekend of September 16-17 though, the base opened [...]
East Kirkby Season Finale
With the sun slowly sinking and its last light picking out the features of Lincolnshire’s flat plains, AeroResource’s Jamie Ewan made his way into the heart of ‘Bomber County’ for an evening with an aeroplane [...]
Northolt Nightshoot XXIII
Once more, as summer makes way for autumn on its way towards winter, the nightshoot season draws ever closer. Perhaps the most well known of event of its type, RAF Northolt once again opened its [...]
NAS Oceana Airshow 2017
Home to the United States Navy’s east coast strike fighter squadrons, Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana is one of the largest navy bases in the United States. Every year in mid-September, the base opens its [...]
Royal International Air Tattoo 2017
Tracing its roots back to North Weald in the year of 1971, the first Air Tattoo saw just 100 aircraft from across Europe descend on the Essex found airfield – the idea of the show [...]
Lightning XR713 56 Sqn scheme
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 [...]
USS George H W Bush – CVN 77
USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77), the tenth, and final Nimitz Class nuclear-powered Aircraft Carrier for the United States Navy (USN), is currently on its third deployment since entering service in 2009. On it's return [...]
RNAS Yeovilton International Airday 2017
Back in 1947, the very first Yeovilton air show took place at its namesake’s Royal Navy Air Station (RNAS) found in Somerset. Now, some 7 decades later and the RNAS Yeovilton International Airday 2017 is [...]
