During World War II, the Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina flying boat became famous for its long-endurance missions over the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean against enemy ships and submarines. Only very few aircraft are still left today in flying condition. One is located not far away from its former wartime base Norfolk, Virgina, at the Military Aviation Museum just South of Virgina Beach. It represents one of the museum's collection jewels, and stands out not only due to its fully documented history.
The Junkers Ju-52 is an aviation legend, and "F-AZJU" is a true piece of jewelry for the French Amicale Jean Baptiste Salis. The aircraft is based at the Amicale’s homebase La Ferté-Alais in the South of Paris. This ‚Tante Ju‘ is the biggest aircraft in the collection of the AJBS, and currently also Europe’s sole airworthy Junkers Ju-52.
The 75th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy also brought some highlights for the aviation enthusiast. Nearly two dozen Dakotas made their way from Duxford in England over the English Channel to the Caen region to drop parachutists over Northern France just as in the morning hours of 6 June 1944, and numerous L-Birds gathered at St. André de l’Eure, close to Evreux.
Swiss Tigers are facing their extinction! 110 have originally been ordered by the Swiss Air Force. Nowadays their number is down to only 27. Apart from the F/A-18 Hornets, the F-5s are the Swiss Air Forces only other jet type, and are today only flown by reserve pilots. With the referendum for a future jet fighter on the horizon, their near future is becoming even more uncertain. They are indeed a rare breed - time to go to stunning Meiringen airbase and catch them!
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II had a remarkable 50 year long lasting career in Japan. This is a personal review of Phantom encounters in the Land of the Rising Sun. It covers the final 16 years of JASDF F-4EJ operations and stretches from Chitose in Japan’s cold North down to the tropical Naha on Okinawa.
One week of aviation photography can be easily spend around central Honshu, Japan‘s main island. This article focuses on a selection of major military airfields around Tokyo that are within the reach of a one-day drive.
The thundering noise of a Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18C fighter jet astonished the visitors of the 2019 airshow at Omaka. That is no wonder, as fighter jets are a rare view in New Zealand since 2001, when the RNZAF disbanded its last A-4 Skyhawks. The secret star of the show, which focuses on propeller-driven aircraft, was however once again the FlugWerk FW190. It celebrated a new maiden flight after its landing accident four years ago. This warbird dominated a highly diverse flying program.
With thundering afterburners four F-35A Lightning II soar into the clear blue sky of the Negev desert. They are followed by another four F-15 "Baz" of the Israeli Air Force. The jets are the vanguard of the "Blue Force" and have to protect the territory of the "Falcon State". With a fight over water and other natural resources, it is threatened by the aggressive neighboring country "Nowhereland". This can become a realistic scenario in this part of the world and was certainly not chosen by chance as a theme for the high-value exercise "Blue Flag 2019" at Ovda Air Force Base in southern Israel.
After the first edition of the American Air Day in Duxford in 2007 the event was celebrated once again this year to remember the historic links between the US Air Force and Duxford.It was supported…Read More
The same procedure as every year...For the beginng of the last Airshow season I have chosen to go to the Payerne Open Doors display. The report about last year can be read here. Hearing some…Read More
After walking up on the Axalp in deep snow two years ago and seeing the final presentation of the Mirage III RS up there I promised that this has been my last time. But how…Read More
After my visit to Duxford in July I still wanted to see a bit more this year. The choice was not difficult, because if you are a warbird enthusiast and you have already been to…Read More
Nine Balkenkreuze and three silhouettes of the Fieseler Fi 103, aka „Vergeltungswaffe 1 (V1)“ as kill markings depict this Spitfire Mk.XVI as the personal plane of Otto Smik. Smik was one of the most successfully…Read More
When talking about the "Black Spitfire", the sole example of this classic fighter to be airworthy in the Middle East region, everyone in Israel with an interest in classic airplanes or aviation history refers to…Read More
The Hispano Aviacion HA-200 "Saeta" ("Arrow") is one of the last designs fully developed by Willy Messerschmitt. It had its first flight on August, 12th 1955 in Sevilla.50 years later I have been invited to…Read More
The first three next-generation NH90 Tactical Transport Helicopters (TTH) were handed over to the German Army at Eurocopter’s Donauwörth facility in the presence of a large group of guests from the German Federal Ministry of…Read More
