July 2011 Archives

AirSpace user silverfox snapped this photo at the ongoing Oshkosh airshow depicting four aircraft taking part in a heritage flight. For more on the Oshkosh airshow, see our dedicated show site here.

Endurance horses arrived at Cambridge Airport in the UK on an Antonov An-12 freighter.

It is the first time long distance endurance horses have arrived, bound for Newmarket racecourse, and on such a heavy aircraft.

The aircraft, which is owned by Ukranian company Meridian Airlines and chartered by chartered by Intradco, a bloodstock air transportation specialist, arrived from Nimes, France with eight horses and associated grooms.  

Archie Garden, airport director at Cambridge said: "We are delighted to see charter specialists recognise Cambridge as an entry point for bloodstock from Europe. Our generous runway length of 1,965m/6447ft can support these heavy machines, and our ground staff are familiar with handling these very specific types of charters, so we are well positioned to take care of the unique charter requirements." 

The airport plans to implement the Pet Passport scheme to receive domestic pets.

Today's image of the day comes from our contributor and photographer on site at Oshkosh, Jeff Decker, who snapped this photo of a flying display.

The Red Arrows took advantage of a rare break in the clouds to perform an aerial display at RIAT at the weekend.

The display team painted the sky red, white and blue in celebration of its 40th anniversary this year.

 

Flightglobal's RIAT page

Flankers arrive for showing off at RIAT

AirSpace user Dragon Lady has uploaded an impressive collection of photographs from the event to her gallery

Two aircraft dating from the Cold War era have arrived from the Ukraine to take part in the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire this weekend.

The Russian-built Sukhoi Su-27 'Flanker', in the livery of the Ukrainian Air Force, landed at RAF Fairford today to take part in the static display. 

The Ukrainian Air Force made its debut at the event in 1996.

Flightglobal: dedicated RIAT page  

Flightglobal archive: Flanker goes into production 

Picture copyright Rex Features 

Pilot lands Fokker Dreidecker aircraft on its nose at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, UK on 12 July 2011.

Upon landing, the WW1 fighter aircraft was forced onto its nose after a sudden gust of wind.

Philip Tyler, an aircraft enthusiast and photographer said: "The Dreidecker did a display to show the sort of fighting that would have taken place during a typical dog-fight in the First World War.

"The plane has triple wings so develops a lot of lift and appears to float in the air when it is flying, which allows for some impressive manoeuvres in the air.

"But all that lift has a downside when coming into land as the slightest breeze can play havoc.

"On this occasion the plane landed when it must have caught a breeze which was just enough to unbalance it."

So, this is what happened, but what caption would you add?

oOo

Links

Flightglobal archive: Fokker search term 

Flightglobal archive: Anthony Fokker obituary

Chad Graff has shared these pictures showing STS-135, the final Space Shuttle mission, lifting off from Cape Canaveral, as viewed mid-flight on a Southwest service.

Graff says his brother took the photos en route to Miami.

Credit: @ChadGraff/Twitpic

 

An Airbus Military A330 MRTT Future Strategic Transport Aircraft (FSTA) for the UK's Royal Air Force has successfully completed its first contacts with a Tornado fighter.

This contact was a dry contact, by day and night, recently during a programme to qualify the Tornado to refuel from the FSTA in operational service.

The operation was conducted from RAF Boscombe Down with the support of Qinetiq, the  

Wet contacts, where fuel is passed from the tanker to the receiving aircraft will begin soon.