Recently in Event Category

RAF jets performed a flypast over Buckingham Palace yesterday for the Royal Wedding, a sight captured in the below photo and witnessed by thousands of spectators.

Our final edition of Flight International for the year features the winner of this year's cover photo competition. The photo depicts a Raytheon Sentinel ASTOR taking off from RAF Waddington in the UK. It was taken by AirSpace user Sunshine Band. Congratulations!

The magazine also features the winners in specific categories. Upload your photos to AirSpace for a chance to win in next year's competition, or to be featured as our image of the week.

Editorial content includes:

• Can Vulcan return for 2010? The Vulcan Operating Company (TVOC) pulled off what many thought was impossible when it returned XH558 to the air from Bruntingthorpe on 18 October 2007 after 14 years on the ground. To the delight of many, the delta-winged bomber - which had been the last Vulcan to fly in 1993 - made a triumphant return to the air display circuit in 2008. But as the year progressed, there were doubts amid the banking crisis that sufficient funds could be secured to get the aircraft back for a repeat in 2009.

• 787 first flight is just the start for gruelling programme: For Boeing, first flight may have been the end of a long road to get the 787 flying, but the milestone signals a start of a gruelling flight-test programme to validate and certificate technologies never before seen on a commercial aircraft.

• On a lighter and more festive note, we've put together Uncle Roger's Christmas quiz 2010. This is the first time we've put this quiz online and unlike in Flight International, we've afforded you multiple choice. This quiz is not easy, but if you know your eX2s from your GP7200s then you'll do fine. 

Picture credit: Boeing

Boeing has completed the maiden flight of its flagship 787 Dreamliner, the world's first majority composite jetliner.

The aircraft - designated ZA001 - touched down at 1:35PST at Boeing Field just south of Seattle and home to the company's flight test operations centre that will oversee the nine to 12 month certification process. Continue reading...

See also Flightglobal's dedicated 787 first flight page

Gulfstream's G250, the aircraft built to replace the G200 in service, has performed it's first flight successfully in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The G250, a super midsize cabin, mid-range business jet, took off from Ben Gurion International Airport today at 8:16 a.m. local time, reaching an altitude of 32,000 ft and a speed of 0.7 mach. Landing gear was retracted during the flight. Read more...

Earlier this week Continental Airlines joined Star Alliance, becoming the group's 25th airline. Continental had an 18 month transition from its previous alliance with SkyTeam.

The impetus for Continental's move was the merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines that was unveiled in April 2008. Delta and Continental have considerable overlap in the New York market and geographically close hubs in Atlanta and Houston.

Recently Continental president Jeff Smisek told ATI sister publication Airline Business that the carrier fills a very valuable spot for Star. Prior to Continental joining the alliance Star had virtually no presence in the key New York market. Read more of our interview here...

At an event celebrating Continental's ascension to Star Alliance, the carrier unveiled a Star Alliance themed livery on a 757.


In other Star Alliance news, Continental and Asiana recently signed a codeshare agreement. Continental also signed such an agreement with ANA, and the entire group expects to launch a transatlantic JV in early 2010.

Today's image of the day was taken over the weekend at the Biggin Hill Airshow by Airspace user Chipmunker. Follow the link for more of Chipmunker's Biggin Hill photos.

The Airbus A380 passes over the Flight Chalet and the end of its flying display at the Paris Air Show 2009

The wonderful flame spitting Breitling Lockheed Super Constellation carrying out one of its few graceful aerial demonstrations at Paris 2009

EADS Bluecopter concept demonstrator is making its debut at this year's show.

Developed as part of the company's research into "greener helicopter technologies", the demonstrator is intended to deliver "cleaner propulsion" via lean combustion. It incorporates a high-compression-ratio (16:1) engine, an oxidising catalytic converter, a particulate filter and a selective catalytic converter.

Day 3 of Paris saw Airbus with their own mini display to mark their 40th anniversary. Taking part were the A300, A320, A340 and A380. Here the Novespace A300 is about to land with the A320 entering the display circuit.