The DLR Falcon trailing behind the NASA DC-8 as part of the test flights studying particle emissions from biofuel.
NATO’s Airborne Early Warning Force (NAEWF) equipped with E-3 Sentries, all registered to Luxembourg, are based at Geilenkirchen Air Base, Germany.
NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission was recently manned by the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18A, serial number A21-16, has been painted with colourful tail markings to mark the 75th anniversary of No.2 Operational Conversion Unit, the Hornet training unit. The tail markings comprise a stylised tiger head and stripes.
HMAS Canberra's hangar with an MRH 90 Taipan, two ARH Tigers and one MH-60R helicopter embarked for the first-of-class flight trials with the ARH Tiger.
Patrol Squadron 30 (VP-30) ‘Pro’s Nest' based at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida is currently operating P-3C BuNo 163290/LL290 with squadron markings painted in colour. As the P-3 Orion and P-8 Poseidon Fleet Replacement Squadron, VP-30’s main tasking is to train pilots, naval flight officers, and enlisted aircrew. The aircraft is seen at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California on March 11, 2017.
Tornado GR4 ZD741/LS-F at low-level on March 17, 2017. The aircraft's commemorative markings were applied to mark XV(R) Squadron's disbandment. The tail code was originally worn by Short Stirling Mk.1 bomber N6086/LS-F named 'MacRobert's Reply', an aircraft paid for donation to the RAF from lady Rachel MacRobert, in memory of her three sons killed in RAF service.
A Taurus KEPD 350 conventionally armed stand-off missile starts its flight after release from Luftwaffe Tornado 46+18 over the Overberg Test Range in South Africa.
Ground crew look on as ZD741/LS-F lands at Lossie after the final XV(R) Squadron Tornado GR4 sortie.
The final five XV(R) Squadron Tornado GR4s ZD741/LS-F, ZA453/022, ZA588/056, ZD848/109 and ZD711/079 in a formation flypast over Lossie.
A vapour cone, or cloud of condensed water, forms around the fuselage of a Tornado GR4 while flying at transonic speed through moist Scottish air on March 17, 2017.
C-17As ZZ171 and ZZ176 operated between RAF Brize Norton and Keevil.
NATO operates a Heavy Airlift Wing equipped with three C-17A Globemaster IIIs from Papa Air Base, Hungary.
C-17A ZZ176 parked on a hardstand at Keevil Airfield with troops from the 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment.
An Apache AH1 being unloaded from a C-17A on March 29, 2017.
E-2C BuNo 165648/600 is the current CAG-bird aircraft assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 116 (VAW-116) ‘Sun Kings’ based at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California. The squadron is assigned to Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17) and USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). This shot shows the Sun Kings’ CAG-bird on take-off from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas.
A Rafale's underwing hard-points allow the carriage of three 500lb Mk82 munitions under each wing, the weapon payload configuration used during CEAE tests in March 2017.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is one of several SkyTeam members to have a Boeing 777 painted in the alliance's livery. This 777-306ER, PH-BVD (c/n 35979) was recently repainted by Air Livery in Manchester.
C-130H 86-0410 of the 189th Airlift Wing from Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas carrying an AAQ-28 Litening pod on the outer-wing pylon.
Following hand over on March 23, 2017, the first Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia Sikorsky S-61A-4 Nuri transport helicopter fitted with a partial glass cockpit, M23-37, was on static display at Langkawi.
An Apache AH1 with a Chinook carrying an underslung load.
RAF Odiham in Hampshire received the first of eight upgraded Chinook HC5 helicopters from Vector Aerospace at Fleetlands, Hampshire on March 22, 2017. The Chinook HC5 is a Chinook HC3 upgraded with a digital cockpit, and a new digital automatic flight control system, which provides improved handling qualities and aircraft stability that in turn enhances flight safety. A Chinook HC5 can be distinguished from the HC4 and HC6 variants already in RAF service by its fatter fuel tanks.
The last two SA330B Pumas assigned to EH 1/67 during the ceremony held at BA 120 Cazaux on March 10, 2017.
The ceremony held at BA 120 Cazaux on March 10, 2017 also meant the end of joint (SA330 and EC725) combat search and rescue missions for EH 1/67. From now on the squadron only operates the Caracal.
Forward arming and refuelling point personnel from 1st Aviation Regiment arm an ARH Tiger helicopter onboard HMAS Canberra, during first-of-class flight trials.
Heersflieger Tiger attack helicopter 74+31 at its operating base in Mali.
Eurowings A320-214 D-ABDQ (msn 3121), pictured climbing out of Palma de Mallorca, has received a colourful livery promoting Europa Park, a leisure and theme park in Germany.
The first Boeing 787-10 N528ZC (c/n 60256) during its March 31, 2017 inaugural flight, one of several new airliner variants to fly recently.
Russia’s FSS ordered five Ka-226T helicopters in November 2015 under a RUB 2.243 billion for delivery in 2017 (3) and 2018 (2).
A C-146A Wolfhound, serial number 97-3091, assigned to the 524th Special Operations Squadron, part of the 27th Special Operations Wing based at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, seen at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway International Airport on a brief refuelling stop during a routine training flight in the local area.
Atlas C1 ZM409 performed two approaches at Norwich International Airport on March 23, 2017. The aircraft currently has anniversary tail markings for the British Army’s Airborne Brigade with the legend ‘Airborne 16, 75 Years of the Airborne Brigade’.
Each Airtanker has a 3,000 US gallon capacity tank. In 2016, the 14 converted BAe 146/ Avro RJs in North America dropped a combined 12.5 million US gallons of retardant.
Russian state-owned leasing company GTLK predicts orders for 105 new Sukhoi SSJ-100 Superjets.
The Irkut MS-21 has been developed with the intent of taking a share from the lucrative narrowbody market dominated by the Airbus and Boeing duopoly.
Three of the four Airbus A330-342s operated by Air Transat have received a special livery to mark the Canadian charter carrier’s 30th anniversary. Here C-GTSO (msn 132) is pictured at Toronto. The jets will retain the livery for the rest of this year.
Level will start flying in June 2017 and will initially operate two A330-200s from Barcelona on routes to North and South America.
H225Ms M55-01 and M55-02 were the first two of 12 such helicopters built by Airbus Helicopters at Marignane, France for the Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia.
The Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (Royal Malaysian Air Force) operates 12 EC725AP Caracals in the Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR) role. Although Airbus Helicopters had hoped to sell further examples to the TUDM, to replace the Nuri fleet, an order has not materialised to date
Air Combat Command’s 389th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron re-deployed to Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho in early April, 2017. The unit’s F-15E Strike Eagles made a stop at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk on their journey home. F-15E 88-1707/MO with ‘366 OG' tail markings for the 366th Operations Group commander was one of the aircraft involved. Note the bomb-tally applied to the forward fuselage, giving an indication of the amount of munitions dropped by the squadron during its six-month deployment to the US Central Command area of operations in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
The third A350-1000 test aircraft, F-WXLV (msn 71), recently undertook what Airbus calls “high and warm" flight testing in South America.
Lynx HMA8 XZ691/310 in the standard markings of 815 Naval Air Squadron, flying over Lulworth Cove, Durdle Dor and Chesil Beach.
Easy does it! Four Lynx HMA8s hover prior to a formation touchdown on the apron used by 815 Naval Air Squadron at Yeovilton at the end of a six-hour tour of the south of England on March 17, 2017.
EC135T2+ N52-002/842 over Jervis Bay, New South Wales. The helicopter is one of 15 H135s being acquired for the joint Army-Navy Helicopter Aircrew Training System programme for the ADF’s Joint Helicopter School based at HMAS Albatross, near Nowra, New South Wales.
Learjet 60 9M-FCL (c/n 60-072) is operated by the flight calibration division of the Jabatan Penerbangan Awam Malaysia (Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia) as a flight-checker aircraft to provide calibration and inspection services for flight navigation equipment.
Fliegerstaffel 8 ‘Vandalos’ completed its last Wiederholungskurs at Meiringen in March 2017, for which F-5E J-3073 received commemorative tail markings featuring the legend ‘Adios Vandalo’ (Goodbye Vandalos) to bid farewell to the squadron. Fliegerstaffel 6 ‘Ducks’ will participate in its last repetition course at Payerne in May. The Ducks will also apply special tail markings to one of its F-5E aircraft.
Among the features of the MD6XX are all-new S411 Main Rotor Blades that have an innovative three-section airfoil design to deliver more efficient, more aerodynamic operation.
The outer cockpit displays are Macro Blue Tactical Displays and the middle two are the Genesys Aerosystems IDU-680s.
MD Helicopters MD6XX mock-up front view at Heli-Expo 2017.
Bombardier CS100 Flight Test Vehicle 2 C-GYWO (c/n 50002) departs London City Airport for New York JFK.
All Securite Civile CL415s are now based at the Base Aerienne de la Securite Civile at Nimes-Garons.
The Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim Malaysia (Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency) operates two CL-415MP amphibians from Subang. Aircraft M71-02 took part in the flying display.
This model of a Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia single-seat (???) Hawk 208 was displayed on the BAE Systems stand. All 12 aircraft in the fleet will be upgraded this year as part of a joint venture between BAE Systems and Airod.
Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (Malaysian Navy) AS555SN M502-2 is one of six ordered at LIMA 2001, today operated by 502 Skuadron at Lumut. Malaysia’s shipborne-capable AS55SNs are equipped with the Thales Detexis RDN 85 Doppler radar for over-the-horizon targeting.
Ryanair's place as the largest operator of the Boeing 737-800 in Europe was confirmed when it received its 450th example, EI-FZF (c/n 44779), pictured arriving in Dublin at the end of its delivery flight. The Irish low-cost carrier has a further 80 737-800s on order. Only Southwest Airlines operates more 737s.
Among the first RAF Typhoons to appear with a new code was Typhoon T3 ZJ814/814 of No.29 (R) Squadron, seen landing at its home base RAF Coningsby on March 15, 2017. It previously wore the code ‘BH’.
The An-132D prototype taxies down the runway in preparation for takeoff on its maiden flight from Kiev-Svyatoshino Airport on March 31, 2017.
Note the orange nose radom fitted with flight instruments, as well as the various cameras on the wingtips and tail top.
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and Saudi officials from the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology with the joint Saudi-Ukrainian flight crew after the successful maiden flight. In addition to Antonov's two test pilots and flight engineer, former Royal Saudi Air Force C-130 pilot, Major-General Mohammed Ayash (second from left, now Transport Aircraft Director with Taqnia Aeronautics) was also part of the crew.
The An-132D prototype immediately after taking off from Kiev-Svyatoshino Airport on March 31, 2017.
Various testing equipment has been fitted inside the aircraft's cargo cabin.
Ukraine Air Force Commander, Colonel-General Serhiy Drozdov, sat behind the controls of the An-132D. Although no official plans for this exist yet, the Ukrainian Air Force is undoubtedly a serious potential customer for the new An-132.
A side view of the FCX001 concept mock up Bell Helicopter presented at Heli-Expo 2017.
Note how the FCX001 ’s concept does not have an instrument panel - instead the single pilot will virtual reality glasses.
Unique interior lighting has the ability to adjust as well as change colours.
The main rotor blades consist of morphing structural geometry.
The FCX001 concept is for a very sleek and futuristic design, as seen here in this artist's impression.
