Red Bull Air Race – Abu Dhabi 2010 – Final Four Highlights

Posted by Flightline UK on 29/03/2010 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

DVD Review: Royal International Air Tattoo 2009 – Collectors Edition

Posted by Flightline UK on 28/03/2010 under DVD Reviews | Be the First to Comment

The Collectors Edition of the Royal International Air Tattoo 2009 DVD features the main feature disc and a bonus disc. With anything related to the Air Tattoo, you’d expect a high quality products, and this DVD does not disappoint.

Starting with the Main disc, the production is very slick and professional. It does cover all aspects of the Tattoo with plenty of behind-the-scenes footage on top of some superb captures of the flying display. There are plenty of interviews too with key personalities.

The flying display footage is second to none with some superb on-board footage and some unique shots from the “Follow Me” cars while the aircraft taxy in after arrivals or their displays.  The dramatic weather conditions enjoyed at Fairford over the weekend add extra dimension to the filming. Undoubted highlights include on board footage from the Breitling Jet Team and an unusual camera position on the Chinook.

The first special feature on the Bonus Disk features highlights from the arrivals days a Fairford. The quality of the footage, like the main feature, is outstanding but it does just feature the ambient sound of the show site. This does mean some background “crashing” of scaffolding poles and some conversation is picked up which could be a little distracting. There’s some great extra  footage from the back of the “Follow Me” cars as well as further footage from the practice displays in the days leading upto the Air Tattoo.

Whether you missed RIAT or want a reminder of the weekend, this is a superb DVD with some stunning footage. The bonus disc too is a nice edition if you you really want a more complete round-up, but it does lack the finish of main production.

Red Bull Air Race 2010 – Abu Dhabi: Video Highlights

Posted by Flightline UK on under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

Bonhomme prevails in Abu Dhabi heat to win Red Bull Air Race season opener

Posted by Flightline UK on 27/03/2010 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

Defending champion Paul Bonhomme of Britain won the first Red Bull Air Race of the 2010 season in Abu Dhabi on Saturday with a hard-fought victory in scorching heat, finishing just ahead of compatriot Nigel Lamb (2nd) and Hungary’s Peter Besenyei (3rd) in an eventful battle on the Arabian Gulf. Austria’s Hannes Arch finished a disappointing 11th after posting the fastest Qualifying time on Friday.

Arch, who had won the Abu Dhabi season opener last year and was the favourite going in after winning the one Qualifying point on Friday, was disqualified in the Top 12 round for dangerous flying, his first and only flight. Many other front-runners were also knocked out early on a day of upsets due to disqualifications or technical malfunctions. With temperatures rising above 40 degrees and the strong desert winds suddenly shifting direction just hours before the race, the 2010 season opener over the Arabian Gulf turned into one of the most challenging races in the six-year history of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.

Michael Goulian took a strong fourth place but the American’s day nevertheless ended in disappointment as well when he was unable to fly in the final round of four due to technical problems. Canada’s Pete McLeod, a rookie last year, got a career-best fifth place. Australia’s Matt Hall was flying well and poised for a spot on the podium but was also forced to retire ahead of the Super 8 round with a technical problem that dropped him to eighth place.

It’s a great start to the new year,” said Bonhomme, who took 12 points for his 12th career victory – and fourth in the last five races going back to last season. Bonhomme, like fellow veterans Lamb and Besenyei, was a master of the difficult weather conditions and managed to stay calm despite some extraordinary pressure.

“It’s fascinating what we’ve seen today. The wind changes direction and it sorts everyone out. The temperature was also a factor. To keep your concentration up in these conditions is quite a task. I don’t think it’s a coincidence (that the race’s most experienced pilots were on the podium). Experience helps on days like today. You have to keep an eye on what happens and play the tactics just right.”

And Besenyei, who had both struggled somewhat in fair weather training earlier in the week, also rose to the occasion of the heat and treacherous winds, full of sand as they gusted out of the desert.

“Today was a day of race tactics and strategy,” said Lamb, adding he hoped to make a habit of getting on the podium after taking an identical second place in Barcelona. “It would be a great habit to have. But one would be deluded to think it’s goig to be easy. There are at least 12 pilots this year who have been putting in times that are within a few seconds of each other. It’s going to be a very interesting season.”

Arch was clearly upset with the disqualification. He said: “I don’t have a clue about what the stewards saw,” said Arch. “It was a normal racing situation. Judging like that is a concern for the sport. That’s going to have a negative effect on the world championship.”

The first race of the 2010 season was also a learning experience for the two rookies. Martin Sonka of the Czech Republic, who celebrated his 32nd birthday with a strong performance in Qualifying on Friday, picked up 20 penalty points on Saturday and ended up 13th. Brazil’s Adilson Kindlemann had an even more eventful race, picking up 28 penalty points including 12 for hitting two Air Gates.

Red Arrows Accident: Update from the team’s website

Posted by Flightline UK on 25/03/2010 under Any other business | Be the First to Comment

From the Red Arrows Website:-

We can confirm that at 1150 GMT on Tuesday 23 March two Hawk aircraft from the Royal Air Force Red Arrows Aerobatic Team collided whilst undertaking pre-season training at Hellenic Air Force Base Kastelli in Crete.

· The aircraft were being flown by Flt Lt Mike Ling (known as Red 6) and Flt Lt David Montenegro (known as Red 7). Flt Lt Ling ejected from his aircraft sustaining a dislocated shoulder and minor injuries associated with an ejection. His aircraft was severely damaged on impact with the runway. Flt Lt Montenegro managed to land his aircraft safely with no injuries.

· A Service Inquiry has been launched and an air crash investigation team is now in Crete.

· The Red Arrows team will transit their Hawk aircraft as soon as possible, from Heraklion Airport where they diverted, back to Hellenic Air Force base Kastelli on the island of Crete where they were on a training detachment as part of their spring work-up, prior to the display season.

· Safety is paramount. The team will recommence training for the forthcoming season once preliminary inquiries into the accident have been completed to the satisfaction of the chain of command. It is too early to speculate on the format and composition of the likely display routine.

· The investigation will determine the facts and further information will be provided in due course.

· It would be inappropriate to speculate on the cause of the crash.

Air Tattoo set to welcome 52nd nation

Posted by Flightline UK on 24/03/2010 under Military Airshows | Be the First to Comment

Sri Lanka will become the 52nd nation to take part in the Royal International Air Tattoo when an Antonov An-32B military transport aircraft from the Asian island touches down in the Cotswolds in July.

The aircraft will make an 11,000 mile round trip to the UK to take part in the airshow at RAF Fairford on July 17&18.

Since the Air Tattoo was first held at a small airfield in North Weald, outside London, in 1971, its founders, including current Chief Executive Tim Prince and the late Paul Bowen sought to build relationships with many of the world’s military air forces.

Over the years, this has helped the Air Tattoo establish a reputation for attracting rare and unusual aircraft from around the world. In 2006 Pakistan became the 50th nation to take part in the airshow and last year, Algeria was the 51st.

Establishing strong links with international air forces has resulted in a number of coups for the event, most notably in 1992 when the West’s former Cold War enemy Russian participated for the first time and in 2008 when the Air Tattoo was chosen by the US Air Force to display its state-of-the-art F-22A Raptor for the first time outside north America.

Tim Prince said: “I enjoy nothing more than seeing aircraft appear from countries that have not taken part before. It not only shows that the Air Tattoo is continuing to evolve but that its reputation for bringing nations together extends across all five continents.

“The chief of the Sri Lanka Air Force attended the Air Tattoo in 2008 and he obviously liked what he saw. It is a big undertaking for any nation, yet alone one so far away, to commit their resources to taking part in our airshow and I am extremely grateful.”

Notwithstanding its long journey from Sri Lanka to the UK, the Antonov will not have travelled the furthest to take part in July’s airshow. That accolade goes to the 757 from the Royal New Zealand Air Force that will have travelled 22,000 miles to take part.

The Air Tattoo, which is held in support of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, is the world’s largest military airshow and attracts around 300 aircraft from across the globe. This summer’s event will stage special tributes marking the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain. In addition to the flying display, visitors can enjoy a large static aircraft park plus a wide range of ground-based activities including a concert stage, fairground rides, and the interactive Tri@RIAT area for youngsters. For details and to buy tickets, visit airtattoo.com

French Air Force Alpha Jet Solo Display Dates 2010

Posted by Flightline UK on under Display Team News and Dates | Be the First to Comment

The French Air Force Alpha Jet Solo Display Team have released their display dates.

• 22nd-23rd May – Besancon, France
• 29th May – Muret, France
• 30th May – Montlucan, France
• 6th June – Skrydstrup, Denmark
• 13th June – Valencia, Spain
• 18th-19th June – Glize-Rijen, Netherlands
• 20th June – Orleans,  France
• 26th-27th June – Biggin Hill
• 3rd July – Waddington
• 4th July – Valence, France
• 10th July – Yeovilton
• 14th July – Valenciennes, France
• 17th-18th – RIAT, RAF Fairford
• 31st July – Anglet, France
• 1st August – Calais, France
• 7th August – Lancanau, France
• 8th August – Coulommiers, France
• 12th-13th August – Lowestoft
• 21st August – Palavas, France
• 22nd August – St Crypian, France
• 28th-29th August – Zagreb, Croatia
• 4th Septepmber – Figeac, France
• 5th September – Pontoise, France
• 11th September – RAF Leuchars
• 12th September – Gueaux, France
• 19th September – Sanicole, Belgium
• 23rd-26th  September – Poitiers, France
• 25th September – Rennes, France
• 2nd-3rd October – Barcalona, Spain
• 9th-10th October  - Gergovie, France

Red Bull Air Race 2010 World Series – Meet the Pilots

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Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16 Display Dates 2010

Posted by Flightline UK on under Display Team News and Dates | Be the First to Comment

The Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16 Demo Team have released the first few dates of their display schedule for 2010 which inlcude several UK dates:-

• 2nd – Abingdon
• 8th-9th – Bardolino, Italy
• 18th May – Leeuwarden, Netherlands
• 29th-30th May – Piestany, Slovakia
• 5th June – Skeydstrup, Denmark
• 13th June – RAF Cosford
• 18th-19th June – Glize Rijen, Netherlands
• 15th-19th – June Kauhava, Finland
• 27th June – Cambria, France
• 3rd-4th July – Beauvechein, Belgium
• 10th July – RNAS Yeovilton
• 17th-18th July – Royal International Air Tattoo, RAF Fairford
• 24th-25th July – Sunderland
• 7th-8th August – Kecskemet, Hungary
• 11th-12th August – Dala Jarna, Sweden
• 14th-15th August – Tampere, Finland
• 19th-22nd August – Bournemouth Air Festival
• 28th-29th August – Zagreb, Croatia
• 4th-5th September – Malaga, Spain
• 12th September – RAF Leuchars

Pilots safe after Red Arrows collision

Posted by Flightline UK on 23/03/2010 under Royal Air Force | Be the First to Comment

The MOD can confirm that at 1150hrs today, two Hawk aircraft from the Royal Air Force Red Arrows Aerobatic Team collided whilst undertaking pre-season training at Hellenic Air Force Base Kastelli in Crete.

The aircraft were being flown by Flt Lt Mike Ling and Flt Lt Dave Montenegro.

Flt Lt Ling ejected from his aircraft sustaining a dislocated shoulder and minor injuries associated with an ejection. His aircraft was severely damaged on impact with the runway.

Flt Lt Montenegro managed to land his aircraft safely with no injuries.

An investigation into the cause of the incident will shortly be underway and the 2010 season training will continue as soon as possible.

Two Red Arrows Jets Collide in Crete

Posted by Flightline UK on under Royal Air Force | Be the First to Comment

From Times Online

Two Red Arrow jets collided mid-air off the coast of Crete today, the Ministry of Defence said.

One pilot ejected and has been taken to hospital, the second landed safely. The state of the two aircraft is not yet known.

The MoD said the Red Arrow team had not been practicing a routine but the two jets involved were taking part in pre-season training.

“We can confirm that an incident has occurred involving the Red Arrows whilst undertaking pre-season training at Hellenic Air Force Base Kastelli in Crete,” an MoD spokesman said.

“One pilot ejected and has been taken to hospital, the other landed safely.”

The identity of the pilots involved was not given.

Return of the Harrier!

Posted by Flightline UK on under Civilian Organised Airshows and Trade Events, Royal Air Force | Be the First to Comment

The Royal Air Forces Association Shoreham Airshow has become the first major airshow to confirm a display by an RAF Harrier in 2010. The Harrier will be appearing at just a handful of events throughout 2010 subject to operational requirements.

The RAF Harrier has been missing from the airshow circuit since the end of 2006 due to operations in Afghanistan. The Harriers completed their part in operations last year returning in Spring 2009. Naval Strike Wing Harrier have made the odd appearance at Royal Navy events such as Yeovilton Air Day or as part of the Fly Navy 100 “Balbo” last year.

The Harrier is the headline act in an impressive showing for Shoreham which sees all the RAF training types participate in the flying displays as well as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and RAF Falcons.

For more information or to buy tickets, please visit http://www.shorehamairshow.com

Red Bull Air Race 2010 World Series Preview

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DVD Review: British Airshows 2009

Posted by Flightline UK on 21/03/2010 under DVD Reviews | Be the First to Comment

Produced by Planes TV; Available from Planes TV priced £24.99

The British Airshows compilation videos and DVDs have become something of an institution for airshow fans. With clips from all the major airshows up and down the country, there’s no more comprehensive coverage than this. The package arrives on two DVDs. DVD 1 is the main feature while DVD 2 is exclusively Planes TV’s trademark interactive in-cockpit footage.

For DVD 1, footage is obtained from all the official DVD’s as well as some bespoke footage from other events. In the past, this has looked a little ragged on Video format, however the chapter format on DVD suits it well. For Planes TV to get to all the events featured in this DVD would be an impossible task, so other production companies have contributed footage from the likes of Duxford and RIAT. At times, this does cause a few inconsistancies in the production. For example, the coverage of the Duxford Spring Airshow does not feature any narration which is a shame as that airshow had a particularly theme to all it’s displays which is not explained and at times, some awkward editing. There’s also a couple of shows with footage that’s maybe not quite up to the usual standards of airshow DVDs we’ve seen this summer.

The Vulcan has featured well in Planes TV’s productions, so it’s little surprise to see it’s departure from Bruntingthorpe and subsequent display a the private Brize Norton families day feature early in the DVD. It’s also the only item from the Windermere Airshow shown in the DVD which is perhaps a little disappointing as seeing any act in this scenery would be spectacular!

However, it is good to see a number of other venues appear that haven’t been covered by separate DVD’s such as Clacton, Dunsfold and Silverstone as well as the Hurricane Gathering at North Weald right at the end of october.

The second DVD in the set covers the best of the “Interactive In-cockpit” footage Planes TV have covered throughout the year. We’ve seen many of them before, but they are always worth a watch as they often show little details about a display you fail to appreciate watching from the ground, or from normal video footage. Our favourite from the year has to be the F-16 and Spitfire footage from Eastbourne -- truly amazing stuff.

For those wanting to see all the best bits from the 2009 season, this is the must-have DVD and if you’re only going to but one DVD each year we think this one is the one for you. We’re already looking forward to the 2010 instalment.

BBMF Display Dates Released – Return of Spitfire and Typhoon pair

Posted by Flightline UK on 20/03/2010 under Display Team News and Dates, Royal Air Force | Be the First to Comment

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight have released details of a very busy display season for the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Among the season’s dates are a number of trips into Europe for the Lancaster and Dakota including a display at the Royal Netherlands Air Force Open Dagen.

But perhaps the biggest news is hidden in the details for the RAF’s own airshows at Cosford and Waddington which will see the return of the Typhoon and Spitfire combination that was seen back in 2008 for the 90th Anniversry of the Royal Air Force.

The dates have been release in Microsoft Excel format – CLICK HERE