The Aviationist Blog

A drone with a significant resemblance to the Northrop Grumman X-47B has been unveiled at China’s biggest airshow. A new drone model with stealth features has been unveiled at China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) booth at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition and Airshow China, in Zhuhai. Initially hidden under a tarp, […]

A Russian Navy Tu-142 Bear-F long-range maritime patrol reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft made a “surprise visit” to the USS Mount Whitney, off the Norwegian coast. Sailors aboard the Blue Ridge-class command ship of the U.S. Navy USS Mount Whitney had gathered for a group photo on deck, when a Tupolev TU-142, RF-34063 / 56 […]

An unusual incident occurred to an F-16I Sufa at Ramon air base. An Israeli Air Force F-16I Sufa belonging to the 119 Squadron, also known as “The Bat” Squadron, was damaged at Ramon air base, Israel, on Oct. 31. According to the reports, the aircraft was taxiing after landing when the pilot lost braking action: […]

Take a look at the “Evil Eyes” MV-22 Osprey for VMM-163 at MCAS Miramar. Finished just in time for Halloween. The photographs you can find in this post were taken on Oct. 31, 2018 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California. They show an MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft belonging to the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron […]

Iconic Film Score Composer Will Work with Original Soundtrack Composer. His haunting soundtracks gave “Blackhawk Down”, “Gladiator”, “Dunkirk” and even “The Dark Knight” a musical texture that added drama and suspense to the films. Now master soundtrack composer, Academy and Grammy award-winner Hans Zimmer has been tipped as a contributor to the “Top Gun: Maverick” […]

The “Bone” at the Midland International Air & Space Port since May 1 was flown from Midland to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma today. On Three Engines. The B-1B Lancer that performed an emergency landing last May, was tranferred to Tinker AFB on Oct. 26, 2018. The heavy bomber was on a training mission on […]

Official Investigation Pending. Internet Buzzing with Speculation About Cause. A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber made an emergency landing on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018 at the Colorado Springs Airport following an unspecified inflight incident. A number of local photographers have posted photos of the aircraft sitting on the tarmac at the joint use […]

The incident occurred during a test conducted by soldiers from the Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate. At around 1 PM LT, a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, belonging to the 437th airlift wing based at Joint Base Charleston dropped a Humvee over a neighborhood in Harnett County on Oct. 24, 2018. No one […]

Recently released photographs show flyable Raptors departing Tyndall to Langley AFB after Hurricane ravaged the key airbase in Florida on Oct. 10, 2018. Tyndall Air Force Base was heavily damaged earlier this month after the Category 4 storm tore through the base. As Hurricane Michael approached the base, mission capable F-22s assigned to the 325th […]

Beware, graphic footage ahead. The clip below was filmed aboard USS Enterprise off the U.S. East Coast on Nov. 8, 1998 when an EA-6B Prowler, BuNo. 163885/’AC-503′ of VAQ-130, US Navy, based at Whidbey Island, Washington, collided with an S-3B Viking, BuNo. 159733 of VS-22, US Navy. As the tragic footage shows, the Viking was […]

Let’s Have A Look At The Presidential Plane’s Anti-Missile Countermeasures. “Air Force One” is the radio callsign for any Air Force aircraft with POTUS (President of the US) aboard. During the years the term has been used to refer to the two VC-25As, heavily-modified Boeing 747-200s (serial numbers 82-8000 and 92-9000) that have carried the […]

Brazilian Aerospace conglomerate Embraer just rolled out a new marketing campaign seemingly aimed directly at Top Gun fans. Embraer released two new private business jets on Sunday, October 14, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. The company’s new Praetor 500 and the Praetor 600 midsize and super midsize personal jets are being marketed with a new ad […]

According to several media outlets, the Belgian Air Force has picked the Lockheed Martin F-35. Belgium may become the 12th country to join the F-35 program. Citing Government sources, Belga news agency reported on Oct. 22, 2018 that a decision has been made to pick the U.S. 5th generation stealth aircraft over the European Typhoon […]

An impressive airlift operation to move the fuselage of the Maritime Patrol Aircraft to its final destination. On Oct. 18, the fuselage of the last BR-1150 Atlantic Anti-Submarine and Maritime Patrol Aircraft, MM40118/41-03, eventually reached the Italian Air Force Museum in Vigna di Valle, near Rome. The aircraft, retired on Nov. 22, 2017 with a […]

Pair of Su-25M1s flying ultra-low altitude in a new video. It’s pretty obvious: Ukrainian Air Force pilots fly low quite often and new videos showing a Ukrainian jet buzzing someone at airbases around the country appear regularly. On Sept. 30 we have posted a clip of a Su-24M Fencer buzzing the flight line at an […]

A Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster III took part in the traditional Brisbane Riverfire Festival. Clips of the airlifter flying between the buildings inundated the social networks. And someone labelled the display as an unnecessary “9/11 stunt”. Here’s why that’s pure nonsense. Held each year at the end of September, Riverfire is the big […]

Unconfirmed reports say an American pilot was also aboard the Ukrainian Flanker. On Oct. 16, a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 flying a training mission crashed near Ulaniv (between the settlements of Berdichev and Khmilnyk) in Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced. According to Meduza, a Riga-based online newspaper and news […]

The F-35 Patuxent River Integrated Test Force (ITF) achieved a new milestone performing a Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landing (SRVL) on aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. On Oct. 13, an F-35B STOVL (Short Take Off Vertical Landing) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter performed the first  Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landing (SRVL) on the flight deck of […]

Bizarre F-16’s “ground-to-ground” kill injures two. It’s the second accidental aerial weapon discharge in Europe this year. A Belgian Air Force F-16 has been destroyed and another aircraft damaged when the M61A1 Vulcan 20mm cannon on board a third F-16 was accidentally fired on the ground by maintenance personnel at Florennes Air Base in the […]

The 48th Fighter Wing hosts a big exercise, integrating joint service as well as 4th and 5th Generation capabilities. One of the biggest military exercises the 48th Fighter Wing has ever hosted, began on Tuesday Oct. 9, 2018, at RAF Lakenheath, UK. U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing out of […]