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.
...for the very first timeAfter all the military airshows that I have attend this year so far I decided that it was time for a change, I decided to take a step back in time.…Read More
This open doors day at Payerne AF Base, located near Bern, was originally meant as a celebration day for young recruits of the Swiss AF, who officially got their promotion that day. For the parents…Read More
The Miramar Airshow is the largest airshow in the world and the performing aircraft did range from civilian aerial aerobatics to the Marine Air Ground Task Force demonstration and the famous Blue Angels.The 2002 show…Read More
Don't blame it on the weatherman…The forecast for the week-end of August, 26th/27th for the region around Bremen was not very favourable, but as I have already booked my flight to visit the MFG3 (Marinefliegergeschwader…Read More
The months of June and July 2013 saw the final operations of German F-4F Phantoms. With Jagdgeschwader 71 "R" at Wittmund officially putting Luftwaffe Phantom operations to an end and handing over the QRA task…Read More
The DG Flugzeugbau DG-800S is a high performance single-seat glider with an impressive wingspan of 18m and a maximum glide ratio of 51,5 with winglets installed. As for comparable gliders it becomes obvious from a…Read More
The Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann was the first design of Bücker Flugzeugbau with a first flight in April 1934 and quickly became the standard teaching plane of the Luftwaffe. Originally around 5000 copies were build…Read More
On a very nice summer day in 2006 I had the opportunity to have a nice photoflight with the Piper Cub D-EJGI.After a long day of work getting up in the air was a very…Read More
