Air International 2015-06
-
News
All four of the Belarussian Air Force’s Yak-130s at their induction ceremony on April 27, 2015 at the 116th Attack Air Base at Lida.
On October 1, 2015 all US Air Force combat-coded B-1B Lancer bombers will be assigned to Global Strike Command, having transferred from Air Combat Command.
Unlike the other Eagles of Oregon ANG's 123rd FS, F-15C 84-0031 wears its markings in full colour. The aircraft is seen here deploying its air brake as it lands back at Leeuwarden Air Base.
An F-15C of the 159th Fighter Squadron takes off from Leeuwarden.
Dutch F-16Cs flying beside the KDC-10 in the exercise. The Dutch tanker was cleared to refuel Dutch and Polish F-16s - but not Air National Guard F-15s which also took part in Frisian Flag.
The number of Dutch F-16s in the exercise was limited to ten this year because another eight jets and their pilots are currently deployed to the Middle East for strikes against Islamic State (IS).
The Polish Air Force took part with five F-16Cs and this F-16D, seen turning in for finals on Leeuwarden's runway 23.
A pair of F/A-18A Hornets bank away from the KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport over Iraq.
Ground crews had limited time to turn around three large tanker aircraft, including refuelling this KDC-10.
The German A310 MRTT at Eindhoven’s Apron West, with the French C-135FR and Italian KC-767A parked behind.
One of two refurbished Indian Navy Ka-31s, (IN-)583, is loaded onto Aviacon Zitotrans Ilyushin Il-76TD RA-78765 on April 22, 2015 for airfreighting back to India. Six of the Ka-31s supplied to India by the Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise in 2004 were returned to the company for repairs and the remaining four are expected to be re-delivered shortly. A further three did not require refurbishment.
Swedish Air Force Gripen C/D fleet MS20 capability enhancements will be introduced from 2016.
The MS20 programme will include the Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile already integrated on Gripen.
No modification to the Gripen C airframe or radome is required for the PS-05/A Mk4 radar.
The Dassault Rafale has won three export orders totalling 84 aircraft in a nine-week timeframe.
Airbus believes capacity constraints and the growth of what it calls aviation ‘megacities’ will fuel demand for more very large aircraft of the A380’s class.
Hercules from Eindhoven-based 336 Squadron came to Leeuwarden in the second week of the exercise, enabling the fighters to train for slow-mover escort and protection.
The Luftwaffe contributed to the missions with up to eight Eurofighters from Norvenich-based TLG 31.
Chinook HC4 ZA712 after being unveiled in centenary markings at RAF Odiham on May 14, 2015.
Unmanned Combat Aerial System Demonstrator X-47B BuNo 168064/'502’ completed the first air-refuelling with a manned tanker on April 22, 2015.
Aer Lingus has repainted A320-200 EI-DEO (msn 2486) after news that the carrier will be the official airline of the Irish rugby union team. The aircraft, named ‘Green Spirit', was previously leased to Virgin Atlantic for its Little Red operation. Aer Lingus will paint another of its A320s in the scheme in September 2015. The airline will fly Irish rugby union players, management and support staff around Europe as they compete in the RBS 6 Nations Championship and other high-profile international tournaments.
Low-cost carriers, such as AirAsia, account for 20% of the traffic in Asia-Pacific, as measured by available seat kilometres.
This Luftwaffe A310 MRTT supported Frisian Flag exercises in the past, and flew from Eindhoven as part of EART for the second time.
Novespace’s Airbus A310-304 F-WNOV (msn 498) photographed in the descent phase of a parabola during one of its initial zero-g flights.
Boeing 787-8 N803AL (c/n 40621), on finals to Everett, Washington, is one of the next Dreamliners to be delivered to American Airlines.
US Marine Corps CH-53E BuNo 161532 from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 (HMH-463) ‘Pegasus' being unloaded on April 13, 2015 from 60th Air Mobility Wing C-5M Super Galaxy 85-0010 at RAAF Base Darwin, Northern Territory. The helicopter was one of two from HMH-463 picked up by the C-5M in Hawaii and transported to Australia to support the fourth rotation of the Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D) over the next six months. They will be based at Darwin for the duration.
Virgin Australia A330-243 VH-KFE rotating from Sydney, one of Australia’s top five airports (the others being Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide) by passenger numbers. Airbus expects to see these airports' traffic double to 180 million in 20 years.
Thomas Cook Airlines is leasing A330-243 G-VYGK on an ACMI basis to conduct charter flights from UK airports.
The Hornets, KC-30A and E-7A represented the first purely air-focused task group sent overseas by the RAAF for several decades.
In April 2015 alone the KC-30A deployed in theatre flew 30 missions and transferred three million pounds (1,360 tonnes) of fuel to Australian and coalition strike aircraft.
The Polish Government has pre-selected the H225M Caracal as its future tactical helicopter.
Latin American first: the H-36 on display at LAAD.
The 12 Florida and Oregon Air National Guard Eagles currently deployed to Europe includes F-15D 85-0132.
Airbus Helicopters displayed its UH-72A Lakota during the Quad-A exhibition.
The UH-72A Lakota’s cockpit.
Airbus Defence and Space has indicated its intent to bid the A330 MRTT for South Korea's US$1.25 billion aerial refuelling tanker programme, announced in April 2015.
The KC-30A's availability underpinned the number of on-station close air support ‘stacks' provided by the RAAF Hornets.
The Royal Australian Air Force KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport undertook its first air refuelling boom contact on May 13, 2015. The three-hour sortie from RAAF Base Amberley saw the crew deploy the 17m-long Aerial Refuelling Boom System, which made 14 successful dry contacts with the refuelling receptacle of another KC-30A.
AgustaWestland AW139 l-EASJ (c/n 31608) at Varese-Venegono, Italy on April 13, 2015 during a test flight from the company’s nearby factory at Vergiate. The VIP-configured helicopter carries 'Republique de Cote d’Ivoire’ titles and is to be delivered as TU-VHY to the Ivory Coast Air Force/Presidential Flight, based at Abidjan Airport. The manufacturer announced on February 17 that four AW139s had been ordered by four unspecified West African Governments, and this helicopter is part of that order.
The first of two AgustaWestland AW139s for the Brazilian Policia Federal on show at LAAD.
Newly delivered Afghan Air Force MD530F 218 (c/n 0218FF, ex N6091X), armed with two podded FN Herstal M3P 0.50 calibre machine guns, performing a demonstration flight for the media on April 9, 2015 at a training range outside Kabul. Six of the type, the first armed variants delivered to Afghanistan, were inducted into service on April 11.
The T-344 is under development to replace the SF260 in the pilot screening role in the Italian Air Force.
US Navy SH-60B Seahawk BuNo 161554 seen on May 11, 2015 at Naval Air Station North Island, California, painted in a retro colour scheme to mark final retirement of this variant. On the same day the base held a sundown ceremony to mark the end of the type’s 30 years of service. The last active-duty SH-60B detachment, which was from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 49 at North Island, returned from a seven-month deployment aboard the guided-missile frigate USS Gary (FFG 51) to the US 4th and 3rd Fleet areas of operation on April 17. The type is being replaced by the MH-60R.
One of the three AW189s used by Bristow Helicopters at Norwich Airport, Norfolk, for operational evaluation lands at Brighton, East Sussex, on May 13, 2015. The helicopter carried out a demonstration at the Tangent Link Search and Rescue (SAR) Conference there, after undergoing fuel burn tests at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, Somerset. On the previous day it was revealed by the Maritime Coastguard Agency at the conference that deliveries of the first four AW189s are being delayed because of de-icing issues encountered during the SAR certification process.
The E-7A Wedgetail deployed to ATG 630 has provided sterling service, with nine-hour missions becoming routine.
The new J-11D prototype on its maiden flight
The first E-Fan (F-WILE) is the basis for the E-Fan 2.0, which will be assembled in southwest France.
Flight testing on a Gripen of the new Saab-funded PS-05/A Mk4 radar took place at the end of last year.
HB-VXA (c/n P01) over the Alps during its maiden flight from Buochs. The PC-24 is Pilatus' first business jet and its first all-new aircraft since the PC-21 flew 13 years ago.
TUI's Boeing 737-800 D-ATUJ (c/n 39923) has received a distinctive livery promoting Haribo Tropifrutti sweets. The aircraft is pictured at Eindhoven shortly after it was painted in the scheme.
Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet has repainted Boeing 737-7CT (C-GQWJ, c/n 35505) with a tartan tail fin to mark the May 29 2015 start of its next transatlantic route - between Glasgow Prestwick and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Glass cockpit symbology combined with touchscreen controls feature in the Bell Helicopter V-280 replica's futuristic concept cockpit.
Antonov An-178 prototype UR-EXP rotates from Kiev-Gostomel Airport on its maiden flight.
The X-56A 'Buckeye' takes off on its maiden flight from Edwards Air Force Base, California
The Diamond DA62 won 12 orders in the month after its mid-April launch at AERO Friedrichshafen in Germany.
The first Gripen E for the Swedish Air Force is in production at Linkoping.