The F-16CM #89-2030 of the 510th FS landing at Aviano AB on Mar. 20, 2023. (Image credit: Claudio Tramontin) The F-16 with the new special-colored tail has flown for the first time from Aviano Air Base. The 510th Fighter Squadron of the 31st Fighter Wing, based at Aviano AB, Italy, has a new flagship aircraft: …
Let’s Talk About Reports That China Used Stolen U.S. Military Technology For The J-20
A Chinese J-20 Mighty Dragon and a US F-22 Raptor (file photos edited by The Aviationist for illustration purposes only) Experts have recently warned that the PLAAF 5th gen fighter, thanks to the espionage efforts, is more advanced than it otherwise would be. But the real question is: has China been able to catch up? …
Slovakia Has Approved The Transfer of 13 MiG-29s to Ukraine
The beauty of a Sliac AB Mig-29AS belonging to the 1st Fighter Squadron. (Image credit: Jorge Ruivo/The Aviationist) The ex-Slovak Air Force MiG-29s should be delivered in the next few weeks. Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger announced on Mar. 17, 2023, that the Government of Slovakia has approved the transfer of 13 MiG-29 fighters to …
Italy To Upgrade Its C-27J Spartan Tactical Airlifters
An Italian Air Force C-27J at Pisa airport. (Image credit: The Aviationist/Giovanni Maduli) The aircraft will receive an extensive upgrade to the avionic suite, onboard systems and self-protection suite. Leonardo and Armaereo, the Italian Defence Ministry’s Air Force Armament and Airworthiness Directorate, have signed a contract to begin the development activities for the upgrade of …
Here’s The MQ-9 Video Of The Russian Su-27 Intercept Over The Black Sea
A screenshot from the DoD video. The Pentagon released the MQ-9 video showing the Su-27 Flanker making one pass dumping fuel and another pass leading to the collision. As already reported on Mar. 14, 2023, a Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jet and a US MQ-9 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft were involved in an inflight collision over the …
Boeing Begins Production Of MH-139 Grey Wolf Helicopter
An MH-139A Grey Wolf lifts off for a mission Aug. 17, 2022, at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The Grey Wolf sortie was the first flight since the Air Force took over ownership of the aircraft Aug. 12. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.) The U.S. Air Force awarded a contract for the Low-Rate Initial …
This Mega-popular Garmin Product Is Reaching End of Its Service Life
Garmin has sent a letter to its aviation customers reminding them that its mega-popular GNS 430 was introduced in 1998, which is 25 years ago, and that 25 years is a very long time when it comes to technology. While many of us have household appliances that old, or older, that soldier on, can you …
From the archives: What it takes to fly the President
14 min read Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the February 1963 edition of Air Facts. Air Force One, at the time, was a Boeing VC-137C, the same design as the 707-320B. Delivered in late 1962, it had a top speed of 620mph and a range of 7,000 miles. The airplane cost $7,900,000 (about …
Video: Carbon Cub Plays Helicopter in Dubai
Red Bull is well known for its eye-popping aviation events, and its recent joint effort with CubCrafters to land a Carbon Cub on a downtown Dubai helipad atop a 700-foot tall helipad was a brilliant idea and perfectly executed. Courtesy of CubCrafters The point of the whole thing was presumably to bring visibility to Red …
Proudly Announcing our 2023 Your Flying World Photo Contest Finalists!
Our latest Plane & Pilot Your Flying World Photo Contest has wrapped up, and we have chosen the finalists and the winners! That said, you’ll have to wait a bit for the announcement of the prize winners! We are very curious to hear which ones presented here are your favorites! The idea behind the theme …
