Pictures Of The Week
Week 9, February 2017
Clockwise from top left:
The F-16 is a sleek machine, but there's no denying that the enormous conformal fuel tanks on newer models do it no favours whatsoever in the looks department. Don't let them detract from Łukasz's photo thread though - on a visit to 32nd TAB in Lask, Poland last August, he shot the resident aircraft from just about every angle, including this perfectly timed touchdown. It's amazing how much detail and life there is in these photos, given the flat lighting conditions.
Image © Łukasz Wiśniewski
As part of Operation ATLANTIC RESOLVE, a total of 69 helicopters of the US Army's 10th Combat Aviation Brigade were delivered to the seaport at Bremerhaven in Germany, including a dozen CH-47Fs, 20 AH-64Ds and 37 Blackhawks of various kinds. From the docks, they departed to their temporary homes at Ansbach and Illesheim AAF, before beginning their 9 month long deployment to eastern Europe in support of a US Army armoured brigade. A CH-47 is seen here beginning that journey, set against the very distinctive backdrop of the docks.
Image © 'BigClick67'
The first TLP of the year recently took place at Albacete in Spain, featuring participation from numerous European air arms. Harriers are always popular and the Italian Navy AV-8Bs were a welcome sight, not that any of the other fast jets or support aircraft featured in Ali's thread weren't.
Image © Ali Hunt
The Nordic Warbirds airshow in Sweden looks to have served up a few treats last year, not least Douglas A-26 Invader 'Sugarland Express'. It's been a while since this aircraft was last present at a Flying Legends airshow, so let's hope for a return to these shores soon. The de Havilland DH.114 Heron is another aircraft from Mattias' thread that caught our eye, and it goes to show just how much is out there being preserved in the vintage aviation scene across the continent.
Image © Mattias Richter
Amongst the many outdoor exhibits at the Vojenske Muzeum in Piestany, Slovakia lies this Ilyushin IL-28 Beagle. Photographed by Tomasz on a visit last June, he says the museum is "a great place for Russian metal lovers", although like many others in the museum's collection, it looks in need of some TLC.
Image © Tomasz Chrul
Hot on the heels of the WP-3C in January, Shannon was host to another lesser-spotted type when this 747SP from the Saudi Royal Flight visited last weekend. Designed for ultra long range flights, only 45 of these shortened "special performance" variants were made with only 10 or so left flying today.
Image © Paul Nelhams
Pictures Of The Week
Week 8, February 2017
Clockwise from top left:
Fighter jets on a night launch is just about one of the most spectacular sights aviation has to offer. Capturing it on camera is a tricky skill though, not that you'd know from Ian's jaw dropping image. Taken on a COAP base visit at RAF Lakenheath, an F-15E of the 494th FS is seen rolling down runway 24.
Image © Ian Garfield
This brightly coloured Dash-8 of the Swedish Coast Guard is a rare visitor to these shores. Captured here departing in sunny if not blustery conditions following an overnight stay at Edinburgh Airport, it arrived at Norwich later the same day, albeit in far less favourable weather.
Image © Alan Potts
Peter's catch-up thread covers a number of subjects seen through his lens in recent weeks and months. Amongst them is this image of QinitiQ's Gazelle in a fairly new blue and white colour scheme that has something of a retro feel about it. Certainly one of the lesser-spotted Gazelles in the country.
Image © Peter Mitrovitch
Bartosz has made a name for himself on UKAR for his stunning air-to-air work and this thread keeps the bar suitably high. A pair of Italian Typhoons are joined by a pair of Norwegian F-16s in this image, taken in May 2015 over Lithuania on a Baltic Air Policing mission. A Lithuanian AF C-27J was the ride for the photo flight, with the four fighters posing for numerous shots that'll have you drolling over your keyboard!
Image © Bartosz Bera
We're slowly edging towards spring and some of the vintage aircraft at North Weald are beginning to emerge from winter hibernation. Despite remaining up for sale, the Vampire Preservation Group's T.11 has flown a few times already this year, and the promise of more last weekend lured Dan to his local airfield. In the end the flying was delayed and the light marginal by the time the jet taxied out, but he caught Swords Aviation's South Arabian Air Force marked G-PROV in lovely winter light just a few days earlier.
Image © Dan Butcher
Canon EOS 50D + Canon EF 70-300mm IS lensJust a short distance up the M11, things are starting to pick up at Duxford too. OFMC P-51D 'Ferocious Frankie' was out in the winter sunshine during a brief hangar reshuffle, and Brian was there on one of his many "bimbles" to the IWM to catch it. Set against the period hangar doors, it's a very pleasing image.
Image © Brian Marshall
The world's only Conroy Skymonster, better known as the CL-44 Guppy, has been in situ at Bournemouth Airport now for 18 years, having arrived in 1999 to be scrapped. During that time it has been seen many a false dawn and in recent years work has been on and off, with engine runs noted in 2014, although the latest comment online suggests scrapping may well be back on the agenda. Either way, it's something we don't see much of on UKAR, particularly not from above as in this image from 'Bestlasham'.
Image © 'Bestlasham'
Pictures Of The Week
Week 7, February 2017
Clockwise from top left:
We keep saying it, but the scenery at Sion AB is just stunning. Sub-zero temperatures weren't enough to deter Jonathan and he certainly made the most of both the sunny weather, and the surrounding landscapes, to deliver a terrific set of images of Hornets on air policing missions and the Tigers on repetition training. Here, an F-5 is seen climbing out with Tourbillion castle in the distance.
Image © Jonathan Haylock
Rich Pittman made the most of the winter sunlight when it was available in January, and managed an impressive haul of helicopter images around various locations in southern England. The matt black paint on this Italian HH.101 "Caesar" gives it a look unlike any other version of the Merlin, which come in a variety of colours, as can be seen in his thread. Naturally, the ex-RAF examples revamped for the Royal Navy use have gone grey prematurely, which you can also see in Rich's post.
Image © Rich Pittman
The Bell 212 is one of the most iconic helicopters of all time, and looks great in any colour, but this elusive example operated by the Army hits just the right spot with green and grey camo topped off with day-glo orange cowling. Seen on Salisbury Plain conducting underslung load training, sadly what Peter's shot can't offer you is the thrilling soundtrack that accompanies this aircraft.
Image © Peter Reoch
This KC-130J of the Kuwait Air Force was a rare and welcome visitor to Liège Bierset in Belgium recently. The modern C-130s might not have that iconic sound of the original four bladed props, but they're not without their charm.
Image © 'Raptor25'
'Sharpeye Media' grace POTW again with more exotica, on this occasion the very colourful and distinctive sight of the People's Liberation Army Air Force display team "August 1st" in their Chengdu J-10s. Seen performing at the China Airshow at Zhuhai in November, these were the team's last displays with famous female pilot Yu Xu, who died during an aerobatic training session only a few days later.
Image © Sascha Linkemeyer
The F-15SA is the most technologically advanced version of the Eagle ever produced and a second batch of these potent machines have recently fuel stopped at Lakenheath enroute delivery to their new home in Saudi Arabia. Although preferable to the rain and dark in which the previous flight had arrived, Matt's images belies the conditions in which they were taken. The fact the 'slime lights' show up so well is indicative of the clag.
Image © Matt Varley
Ian Cole returns to POTW for the second time in as many weeks with another excellent set of images from the heyday of military airshows. Mildenhall Air Fete 1977 never looked so good as it did in this thread, and the quality of the scans is amazing. The same can't be said for the stubby and squashed-looking YC-15 prototype that flew at the show, although it did eventually grow into itself and bloom into the C-17.
Image © Ian Cole
Pictures Of The Week
Week 6, February 2017
Clockwise from top left:
This is a rarity! A highly modified WP-3D of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) deployed to Shannon in Ireland during January to conduct investigations into Atlantic storms, and Paul was fortunate enough to catch one of the few sorties it has flown, and in great weather to boot.
Image © Paul Nelhams
The recent Timeline Events shoot at RAF Cosford is once again the event, and Kelvin's image of re-enactors 'crewing in' the former QinitiQ Jaguar T.2 is the subject. The 'Raspberry Ripple' colour scheme remains a firm favourite with enthusiasts, as does the Jaguar, so there's much to like here.
Image © Kelvin Sullivan
The winter months are a good time to trawl back through the images of the previous summer, as Andy has been doing. The Florennes show from last June was a mixed bag weather-wise, but moisture in the air and fast jets mix well, as this shot of the Danish F-16 solo ably demonstrates.
Image © Andy Kenyon
As modern airliners go, the 787 'Dreamliner' is quite easy on the eye, especially in the teal and gold livery of Vietnam Airlines. Peter Reoch snapped this one departing London Heathrow from Feltham Park, which affords good topside views of the heavier types as they set off to all corners of the globe.
Image © Peter Reoch
The first of a trio of 'Golden Oldies' comes from deployment CORONET WICHITA in 1986, which brought 11 F-4D Phantoms from the Illinois ANG to RAF Wildenrath in Germany. Depicted in the lovely 'green lizard' camo scheme, the visiting Phantoms were present for just two weeks, and despite this being the height of the Cold War, the RAF Police were welcoming of the attention from local enthusiasts, as the story in the thread reveals.
Image © 'BigClick67'
We often hear that the glory days of this hobby are behind us, and when you look at this thread from IAT 1976 at RAF Greenham Common, it's clear to see why; F-5s, F-104s, F-111s, F-14s, G-91s, Hunters in all shapes and sizes... the list goes on and on. Not only the variety of types, but the variety in colour schemes too - oh for the days when air forces painted their war machines in something other than bland, functional grey!
Image © Ian Cole
Having said that, some things are just so darn cool, they can pull of grey as well as any other colour, and the F-14 Tomcat is one such beast. Terry shot this fine selection of felines on board the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Solent, during September of 1981.
Image © Terry Coombes