Air International 2013-08
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News
Antonov An-26B EW-364TG named Yuriy Matviychuk, wearing the web address of Vulkan Air, at Pointe Noire in the Democratic Republic of Congo on June 26, 2013. Vulkan Air is a charter freight carrier based in South Africa. The transport previously belonged to Grodno Avkompania air company of Belarus, and was noted arriving at Cairo in Egypt on April 25, 2013, possibly on its delivery flight to Vulkan Air.
Noted at Lusaka International Airport in Zambia recently was Harbin Y-12-II AF-214 (c/n 0076) and Y-12-IV AF-221 (ex B-801L) and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21bis Fishbed AF-920 of the Zambia Air Force. The Zambian Fishbed fleet is based at Mumbwa, while the Y-12 Turbo Pandas are operated by 22 Squadron from the airport.
Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot '73' red, carrying an unguided rocket pod waits for a sortie at Voronezh-Baltimor during the Aviadarts competition.
On July 15, 2013 ten McDonnell Douglas F-15C/D Eagles of the Louisiana Air National Guard - known as the 'Bayou Militia' - landed at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk. The fighters comprised eight F-15Cs (including 78-0539/'JZ') and two F-15D two-seaters, and arrived as two flights; MAZDA 11 consisting of six aircraft and MAZDA 21, four. All are assigned to the 122nd Fighter Squadron, 159th Fighter Wing, based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, Louisiana. A pair of McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extenders provided logistical and tanker support, landing at nearby RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk. The final destination of the fighters had not been disclosed by the time AIR International went to press.
Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52 Fighting Falcon 9760 (JJ-10, ex 10-1010), destined for the Arab Republic of Egypt Air Force, was undergoing flight tests at NAS Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas, on June 21, 2013. Four single-seat F-16Cs and a similar number of F-16Ds have been delivered to date, arriving in two groups of four in late January and mid-April. A formal ceremony was held in Cairo on February 3 to welcome the variant into service. Egypt's order for 16 F-16Cs and four F-16Ds under the Peace Vector VII programme was confirmed on March 2, 2010.
Two Royal Jordanian Air Force F-16A Fighting Falcons, an F-16C from the 120th Fighter Squadron and a pair of Boeing F/A-18C Hornets from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-211), formate over Ajloun in Jordan during Eager Lion.
McDonnell Douglas KDC-10 T-264 Prins Bernhard at its home base, Eindhoven AB, on June 6, 2013 when it was officially handed back to the RNLAF after modification under the Cockpit Upgrade Programme.
Lockheed P-3C AIP+ Orion BuNo 159323/'RD-232' of VP-47 heads a line-up of three Orion variants at RAF Leuchars on June 14, 2013 prior to the start of Exercise Cable Car.
Italian Air Force 6 Stormo Tornado IDS MM7044/'6-76' arrives at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, on June 25, 2013, on its way home to Brescia-Ghedi after attending Bold Quest 2013.
The first Boeing C-17A Globemaster III for the Indian Air Force touches down at Air Force Station (AFS) Hindan in Uttar Pradesh on June 18, 2013 at the conclusion of its delivery flight. The transport (CB-8001, b/n F-253, ex 11-0101) was handed over to the service on January 22 before undertaking a series of flight tests with the US Air Force's 418th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, California. At the end of June the aircraft was used to rotate an infantry battalion to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Ten C-17As are currently on order, with two more due to arrive at AFS Hindan within six weeks of the first and another pair by the end of the year. The other five will be delivered in 2014.
Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force, RNLAF) Aerospatiale SA316B Alouette III A-301 (c/n 1301) received special markings to celebrate its 10,000th flight hour on May 23, 2013. The first to achieve this milestone, the 48-year-old helicopter is one of four of the type still serving with Gilze-Rijen-based 300 Squadron - the others being A-247, A-275 and A-292. A-301 was delivered in August 1965, one of 72 Alouettes joining the Groep Lichte Vliegtuigen (light aircraft group) between 1964 and 1969, while another five equipped the RNLAF's Search and Rescue Flight. The Alouette is expected to be withdrawn in the next few years, although no official retirement date has been announced.
The two Westland Sea King ASaC7s of 849 Naval Air Squadron at Landivisiau share the ramp with the French Navy E-2C Hawkeye, while a pair of Swiss F-18C Hornets taxi by during the air defence exercise held there.
At 10.25AM on July 4, 2013, the first BA Airbus A380-800 aircraft, G-XLEA, touched down on Heathrow's runway 27L completing its 90 minute delivery flight from Toulouse.
Bulky in-flight entertainment system boxes are fitted underneath seats in World Traveller-class onboard the new A380.
British Airways' A380 seating plan.
Bmi Regional Embraer ERJ-145EU G-EMBJ (c/n 145134, ex PT-SDO) has been painted to support the forthcoming tour of the American rock band The Killers. The words 'Battle Born', the name of the latest album from the band, have been added between the cockpit and passenger door. The regional jet is pictured at Manchester Airport on July 4, 2013.
Embraer ERJ-190AR 4K-AZ64 (c/n 19000627, ex PT-TKP) departs Palma de Mallorca on July 4, 2013 during its delivery flight as AHY306 to Azerbaijan Airlines. It left the manufacturer's facility at Sao Jose dos Campos-Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf Airport in Brazil two days earlier for Baku Airport, flying via Augusto C Severo International Airport in Nicaragua, Gran Canaria Airport and Palma. Azerbaijan has four Embraer 190s on order.
Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force) Lockheed C-130H-30 Hercules G-273 Ben Swagerman (c/n 5273) of 336 Squadron at its home base Eindhoven on July 11, 2013. It is one of two RNLAF aircraft to recently receive special markings celebrating 100 years of military aviation in the Netherlands. Boeing AH-64D Apache Q-17, which has worn display colours since 2011, also has '100' and ‘Military Aviation 1913-2013' markings applied.
Eurofighter Typhoon 31+00 with 'Hand in Hand' artwork on the starboard side of its tail, symbolising the co-operation between JG 71 'Richthofen' and JBG 31 'Boelcke'. On its port side it marked the 55th anniversary of the formation of JBG 31 in 1957, including silhouettes of the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak, Lockheed F-104G Starfighter and Panavia Tornado flown before receiving the Eurofighter.
The four F-4Fs involved in the last flight ceremony at Wittmundhafen on June 29, 2013, parked next to two of the type's replacement, the Eurofighter Typhoon.
A Mil Mi-17 Hip-H of the Force Aerienne Congolaise (Congolese Air Force) was noted at Pointe Noire in the Congo on June 25, 2013. A detachment of Congolese helicopters is maintained at the airport, although the Hip-H is believed to be the only rotary-wing type still operational with the force. The air force is thought to have received two Mi-17s, probably from Ukraine, around 1997.
Boeing CH-147F Chinook 147303 is the first of 15 that will be delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force. The helicopter is seen arriving at Ottawa International Airport, Ontario on June 25, 2013, officially entering service two days later.
AgustaWestland ICH-47F Chinook CSX81778 making its maiden flight on June 24, 2013, still in its primer.
Oryx helicopters were used to insert troops at a landing zone on the Roodewal weapons range during this year's SAAF air capability demonstration on May 9, 2013.
Oryx 1223 departs a landing zone.
Boeing 767-238ER N673BF (c/n 23402, ex N773WD) is seen departing Budapest Airport in Hungary on June 29, 2013. The aircraft has been operated by Polaris Aviation Solutions since November 2008. It was originally delivered to Qantas as VH-EAN in February 1986, before being sold for corporate use in July 2004. Polaris is based at Teterboro in New Jersey and provides private aircraft charters and management services.
Northrop Grumman X-47B BuNo 168064/'NG-502' (AV-2) makes history as it catches number three wire on the deck of USS George H W Bush on July 10, 2013.
Further to Commando II Arrives in Europe the 352nd Special Operations Group (SOG) based at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, received its first two Bell-Boeing CV-22B Osprey tiltrotors on June 24, 2013. Arriving at SWAY31, these are the initial two often that will be assigned by the end of 2014 to the 7th Special Operations Squadron of the group. Two Lockheed MC-130H Combat Talon IIs from the 352nd SOG provided tanker and logistical support for the tiltrotors (11-0057, b/n D1036, seen here, and 11-0058 b/n D1037) during the transatlantic delivery flight.
This is a previously unpublished image of OV-10G Bronco N3634U (former BuNo 155492) taken shortly before 2011 when it was upgraded to OV-10G+ standard for the Combat Dragon II demonstration.
Colourful Antonov An-74TK-100 UR-CKC (c/n 36347095905, ex ER-AUL) of Cavok Air arrives at Luqa Airport on Malta on June 24, 2013. Cavok Air is a charter freight airline based in the Ukraine and operates four Antonov An-12B/BPs as well as a single An-74.
Eurocopter EC665 Tigre HAD-E c/n 10008 outside the Eurocopter Espana facility in Albacete, Spain, on June 26, 2013. By this time it had '1st Vuelo' (first flight) and 'HAD-E Tigre' titles as well as a tiger's head under the cockpit.
BA's first 787-8 G-ZBJB touched down at Heathrow on June 22, 2013, followed a day later by the second, G-ZBJA. Both were delivered direct from Boeing's facility at Everett, Washington.
Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner ET-AOP landing at London-Heathrow on June 30, 2013. The aircraft caught fire at the airport on July 12.
BA's World Traveller Plus-class seats on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
British Airways' Boeing 787 Dreamliner seating plan.
Rooivalk attack helicopter, serial number 673, fires its 20mm F2 cannon.
The prototype Antonov An-2-100 completed its maiden flight on July 10, 2013.
The Lufttransportdienst des Bundes (LTDB, Federal Air Transport Service) of the Swiss Air Force officially took delivery of Dassault Falcon 900EX T-785 (c/n 195, ex HB-JIO) on June 5, 2013. It followed the aircraft's arrival at its home base at Bern-Belp Airport on May 21. The 2008-built jet, formerly operated as 3A-MCC by the Monaco Government, replaced 32-year-old Falcon 50 T-783 (c/n 67), which will be sold. Between March 13 and May 17 the Falcon 900EX was temporarily registered as HB-JIO while being fitted out for use by the Swiss Air Force. It made its first flight in LTDB service on June 10, and was seen four days later at Volkel AB in the Netherlands.
Bombardier Global 6000 C-GOEB during the ceremony on June 17, 2013 to mark delivery to Groupe Bollore. This example has the distinction of being the 500th Global series aircraft.
Viking Air Twin Otter 400 C-GVTU (c/n 872) in the colours of the Vietnamese People's Navy.
Airbus A330-243CJ UP-A3001 (msn 863) of the Kazakhstan Government arrived at Manchester Airport on June 12, 2013 for repainting by Air Livery. It was rolled out six days later with a new blue, white and yellow stripe along the fuselage and tail. The aircraft departed the same day.
Cessna 208 Caravan, serial number 3005, equipped with an ARGOS turret, orbited the 'battlefield' to provide reconnaissance and surveillance during the mock operation.
EADS Cassidian displayed a model of an unnamed MALE unmanned air system at Istanbul, Turkey, during IDEF 2013 held in May 2013. The concept has been proposed for use in uncontrolled airspace, equipped with a synthetic aperture radar, forward-looking infrared and a countermeasures suite. It is one of a number of MALE UAVs offered for national procurement programmes by European companies, few of which have actually been ordered into production.
Raytheon Sentinel R1 ZJ692 (c/n 9131, ex C-FZWW) has been given a red tail featuring a maple leaf - as depicted on the unit's badge - as part of the celebrations for No.5(AC) Squadron's centenary. The aircraft is shown on July 7, 2013 prior to take-off for its participation in the RAF Waddington International Air Show in Lincolnshire, during which it flew in company with the Rad Arrows aerobatic team. It was painted with the special markings about two weeks prior to its appearance at the airshow held at No.5(AC) Squadron's home station. The unit was formed at Farnborough, Hampshire, on July 26, 1913, flying a variety of types. Although the fives Sentinels are officially due to be withdrawn at the end of 2014, as announced in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), RAF sources are confident that its service career will be extended until the next SDSR in 2015, when a decision will be made on its long-term future.
The first Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Shimshon during the official had over ceremony at Marietta, Georgia, on June 26, 2013.
Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules 730 (c/n 5730) is the first for the Republic of Korea Air Force. The transport was rolled out on June 11, 2013 at Marietta, Georgia, and will be delivered next year Korea's order for C-130J-30s was announced on December 2, 2010.
Boeing E-4B 73-1676 (c/n 20682) of the 1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron of the 55th Wing, based at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, on approach to RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, on June 18, 2013. The E-4B has recently undergone the Block 1 upgrade to improve its survivability and mission capabilities. It includes the blanking of all fuselage windows to improve resistance to electromagnetic pulse, and to shield those inside from the thermal effects of nuclear detonations. The recent visit of 73-1676 to the UK, in connection with the 39th G8 Summit held at Lough Erne Golf Resort in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, was the first since the upgrades had been integrated on the airframe.
Wehrtechnische Dienststelle 61 (WTD 61, Technical Testing Facility 61) will retire the final examples of the McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom II on July 24, 2013 at Ingolstadt-Manching in Bavaria, having flown the final pair of F-4Fs (37+15, ex 72-1125; and 38+13, ex 72- 1223) in German service. The unit undertakes airframe and systems evaluation for the German defence ministry. F-4F 38+13 was painted at Jever in a black and orange scheme with the legend 'Don't let me die, I want to fly!' on the tail and wings. It departed Jever on June 25 and completed fly-bys of Wittmundhafen and Leeuwarden AB in the Netherlands before landing at Ingolstadt-Manching. It was displayed at the ‘Phantom Pharewell' air show at Wittmundhafen on June 29. Phantom 38+13 is destined to become a gate guardian while 37+15 will survive as an instructional airframe.
19 июля 2013г. компания Northrop Grumman сообщила, что ВМС США получили первый беспилотный вертолет MQ-8C Fire Scout, предназначенный для проведения испытаний. В отличие от предыдущей модели MQ-8B, новый "беспилотник" создан на базе коммерческого вертолета Bell 407.
MQ-8C Fire Scout BuNo 168455/'NG' arrives at Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu, California, on July 8, 2013. VX-30 uses the tailcode 'BH' - 'NG‘ stands for the Fire Scout's prime contractor, Northrop Grumman.
Airbus A319-113s 5N-FNE and 5N-FND (fore) at Dublin International Airport on June 14, 2013, prior to delivery to First Nation Airways of Nigeria 15 days later.
Noted departing Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport in Germany on July 1, 2013 was B-9957 (msn 5674, ex D-AVZZ), the first and only A321-211 to date ordered for Juneyao Airlines. It routed from Finkenwerder via Tolmachevo Airport in the Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia, to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in the People's Republic of China as DKH9957. The airline currently flies 31 A320-214s.
New Slovakian startup Go2Sky Airline, based at Milan Rastislav Stefanik Airport in Bratislava, provides non-scheduled passenger, mail and cargo transport. The new carrier is headed by pilot and investor Daniel Ferjancek, together with two partners. Mr Ferjancek was previously a shareholder in another Slovakian charter carrier, AirExplore, which continues to operate out of Bratislava. The airline and Triton Aviation Ireland signed an operating lease agreement for Boeing 737-4Q8 OM-GTA (c/n 24332) in March 2013, and the airliner was delivered on June 30. It was previously operated by China's Hainan Airlines and underwent a C check and refurbishment before entering service with Go2Sky. It is operated in a single-class configuration for 168 passengers. Until mid-September it will fly out of Bergamo Orio al Serio in Italy on behalf of Mistral Air. It visited Palma de Mallorca on July 7, where it is seen departing back to Bergamo Orio al Serio.
Former TNT Boeing 737-3T0(F) OO-TNA (c/n 23569, ex N13331) at Maastricht Aachen in the Netherlands on June 30, 2013 during its delivery flight to West Atlantic at Coventry, Warwickshire. The British registration G-JMCO has been reserved for the freighter, which joins two others already in service with the carrier.
The mock-up of the Sagita Sherpa displayed at the recent Paris Air Show.
An artist's impression of the Bell SLS with which the company plans to re-enter the light, single-engined helicopter market.
Eurofighter Typhoon T3s 317/ZK085 (CT007) and 318/ZK086 (CT008) line up on the runway at Warton, Lancashire, at the start of their delivery flight to Taif on June 27, 2013. The aircraft are the second pair of two-seaters for the Royal Saudi Air Force to be delivered this year. They first flew on February 12 and March 14, respectively.
Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II BuNo 168733/'NJ-101' arrives at Eglin AFB, Florida, on June 22, 2013.
With the E170 not being part of the upgrade, the E175-E2 will be the smallest new E-Jet.
Leasing firm ILFC is one of the E-Jet E2's earliest customers.
Pakistan Naval Aviation has received a second ATR 72-500. Former Air Botswana airliner A2-ABS (msn 788, ex F-WWEG) was refurbished at Las Palmas on Gran Canaria and departed on its delivery flight to Pakistan via Palma de Mallorca on July 8, 2013. The first example was handed over to Pakistan in March. Both will be used for pilot training and as utility transports with a mixed freight and passenger configuration.
Former Aer Arann ATR 72-500 EI-REP (msn 797, ex F-WWEZ) arrived at Dublin Airport in Ireland on June 26, 2013 after being repainted in Yangon Airways' colours at Dinard in France. The Myanmar-based airline already operates two ATR 72-212s and will take delivery of this example imminently.
ATR 72-600 TMUA T.C.B.701, wearing the test serial CSX62290, landing at Torino-Caselle in Italy at the conclusion of a test flight on July 1, 2013. It is expected to be delivered soon.
Embraer A-29B Super Tucano 192/5T-MAW (c/n 31400192) was displayed at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget between June 17 and 23, 2013. An order for an undisclosed number of aircraft for the Mauritanian Islamic Air Force was announced on March 28, 2012 and the first example was handed over on October 19. The aircraft are equipped for counter-insurgency missions.