The Aviationist Blog

We visited the base of the last two JASDF Phantom units ahead of the type retirement. With the decommissioning of the 302 Hikotai on March 25, 2019 (Fiscal Year 2018) only two squadrons of the [...]

The Turkish Air Force shot down two Syrian Su-24 Fencers today. A Turkish Anka-S drone drone was also downed. On Mar. 1, 2020, two Syrian Arab Air Force Su-24 jets and a Turkish Anka-S drone [...]

USAF Capt. Kristin Wolf, Named as New Air Force During Heritage Flight Conference. U.S. Air Force Captain Kristin “Beo” Wolfe has been named the new F-35A Demo Team Pilot for the 2020 and 2021 air [...]

U.S. Air Force C-5 departs from a wet runway after “almost biblical rainfall”. This video was filmed on Feb. 28, 2020, literally a few hours ago, at Prestwick airport, 32 miles from the city centre [...]

Rock solid images of Dutch F-16s taken at more than 300 knots with a Gyro-stabilized System Pro gimbal. The video below was filmed by Swedish aerial specialist, Peter Degerfeldt at Blue Sky Aerial, from a [...]

World’s Largest, Fastest Bomber Updated with Glass Cockpit, Engines and Avionics Upgrade. The latest version of the massive Tu-160 “White Swan” supersonic bomber (NATO reporting name “Blackjack”) flew for the first time from Kazan, Russia [...]

The C-101 jet #5 of the Patrulla Águila has crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off Murcia. A Casa C-101 Aviojet belonging to the Patrulla Águila (Spanish for “Eagle Patrol”), the Spanish Air Force’s display team, [...]

Top U.S. Demo Teams Gather at NAF El Centro, California to Share Best Practices. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels jet demonstration teams are meeting this week to compare notes [...]

Italian Air Force Takes Delivery Of Its First F-35B Lightning II STOVL (Short Take Off Vertical Landing)-model of the Joint Strike Fighter. The Italian Air Force received its first F-35B Lightning II on Saturday Feb. [...]

F-22s returned home from their first ever deployment in Qatar. And here are some interesting images. Twelve U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors that had deployed to the Middle East at the end of June 2019 [...]

We now have a better idea of what the hypersonic test airplane teased by the trailer might look like. And there’s also a Sukhoi Su-57 Felon-like die-cast model in the set. One of the most [...]

Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35s have arrived at Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, for their first mission abroad, under NATO command. On Feb. 19, 2020, four RoNAF F-35A aircraft arrived in Iceland, where they have deployed [...]

Record flight for the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) that showcases a new capability. KC-130J tankers from the 46^ Brigata Aerea (Air Brigate), based at Pisa airport, and HH-101A helicopters of the 15° Stormo (Wing) [...]

There are lots of interesting new details in the new renderings of the B-21 stealth bomber. The U.S. Air Force has just published three new renderings of the B-21 “Raider”, the U.S. Air Force’s next [...]

Everything you need to know about the F-35 deal just signed in Poland. On Jan. 31, 2020, Poland signed the deal for the purchase of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft at the Dęblin Air Force [...]

The first HH-101A in NATO grey color was handed over to the 23° Gruppo (Squadron) based at Cervia Air Base. On Jan. 29, 2020, the 23° Gruppo of the 15° Stormo (Wing) of the Aeronautica [...]

Shocking footage shows the C-130 crashing in Australia and killing all the three U.S. crew members last week. A clip, filmed with a mobile phone, shows the moment the EC-130Q N134CG “Tanker 134”, operated by [...]

Precautionary Quarantine Underway for U.S. Evacuees as Chinese Military Mobilizes. In response to concern over the spread of the coronavirus, a U.S. based Boeing 747-400 owned by contract air freight service Kalitta Airlines of Willow [...]

Other incidents were reported on the same day the E-11A BACN crashed in Afghanistan. On Jan. 27, 2020 three different military aviation mishaps were reported in a 12 hours timeframe: an E-11A BACN in Afghanistan, [...]

This Phantom has been in service with the Japan Air Self Defense Force since it was imported from the United States in 1971. Now, it is flying a pretty unusual mission. Phantom #301, assigned to [...]