The Aviationist Blog

The Armée de l’air has just made public the first images of the new MRTT Phénix sporting French Air Force livery and markings. With a post on their official FB page, the French Air Force has released the first air-to-air shots of the first A330 MRTT Multi Role Tanker Transport for France. The aircraft, which […]

Incident Renews Conversation About USAF F-15 Eagle Age and Maintenance Condition. A California Air National Guard McDonnell-Douglas/Boeing F-15C Eagle from the 194th Fighter Squadron of the 144th Fighter Wing at Fresno Air National Guard Base in Fresno, California raised eyebrows among sharp-eyed spectators during an opening flyover at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California over […]

A Polish Fulcrum crashed last night. Pilot found dead. On Jul. 6, a Polish MiG-29 (reportedly: airframe bort no. 4103) has crashed in the village of Sakówko (Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship). The cause of the crash is unknown. The pilot ejected but did not survive. According to the Polish MoD the pilot was declared dead at 2.30 […]

Here’s some cool BRRTTTTT….. Taken on Jun. 21, 2018 the following video shows A-10 Warthogs from the 190th Fighter Squadron and 25th Fighter Squadron fire 2.75″ rockets and 30mm ammunition during a live fire exercise at Red Flag Alaska June 11-21, 2018 near Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The video is pretty short and along […]

Here’s a brand new special Phantom from JASDF. Japan’s Air Force 302 Hikotai (Tactical Fighter Squadron) of the 7th Air Wing of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force based at Hyakuri Air Base in the Ibaraki Prefecture of Japan plans to move to Misawa in February next year. At that time, the squadron, that has already […]

This is something you don’t see too often: early deployment of the drag parachute. Last Saturday something unusual took place at the Polish Air Force’s 21st Airbase in Świdwin, during the airbase’s open day. As a part of the display routine a Su-22 Fitter jet intentionally overshot the landing: the pilot deployed the drag chute […]

In a Dramatic Open Ocean Search an Air Force Crew Finds Paddlers Missing Six Days. The lost canoe was located by the crew from one of the B-52H after it was compared to a similar one that appeared in a Disney cartoon. A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress crew from the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, […]

Too close for comfort. A reporter with the Russian The Caucasus Post media outlet risked being decapitated while filming a news segment featuring some low-flying Mi-24 helicopters in anticipation of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. The scene speaks for itself: you can crearly see the journalist presenting her report […]

Overall Light Attack Acquisition Project Continues Despite Accident. Military.com’s Oriana Pawlyk reports that the innovative U.S. Air Force Light Attack Experiment has been halted following last week’s fatal crash of an Embraer A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft within the Red Rio Bombing Range at the White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico […]

Hollywood Has Been Rife with Top Gun Rumors. Here Are the Most Recent Ones. Three actors have been tipped by Hollywood insiders as top choices to play the son of LTJG Nick “Goose” Bradshaw in the upcoming “Top Gun: Maverick” slated for release in July, 2019. Entertainment industry news outlet CinemaBlend.com writer Nick Evans, reported […]

U.S. Navy’s MQ-4C “Triton” belonging to the Unmanned Patrol Squadron One Nine (VUP-19) DET Point Mugu conducted first flight from Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) Point Mugu. On Jun. 27, VUP-19 DET Point Mugu launched its first MQ-4C “Triton” UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) from Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) Point Mugu. Based on the photographs […]

U.S. Air Forces Central Command has just released some photographs from an “undisclosed location”: geolocation proves they are the first from a recently-built airbase in northern Syria. CENTCOM has just published some interesting photographs of U.S. assets supporting Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve. In particular, the images depict U.S. Air Force C-17 […]

New footage shows the intelligence gathering aircraft at Iruma Air Base. Footage and photographs have emerged of the Japanese Kawasaki C-2 Electronic Intelligence variant (also dubbed “RC-2”) operating at Iruma Air Base, north of western Tokyo, Japan. The aircraft, a heavily modified baseline C-2 tactical transport aircraft with a modified nose section and large fairings […]

New Video Screams “All Your Bases Are Belong to Us” With Awesome Music, Images. China Peoples’ Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and the Chinese micro-blogging, social media outlet Sina Weibo are rocking the web with a new motivational video of Chinese naval air and sea power that is a pure adrenaline fix. You could say it’s […]

Ever wondered how some of the air-to-air photos which appear in aviation magazines are taken? This video will give you an answer… The following clip was filmed by world famous photographer Sławek Krajniewski, best known as “Hesja“, from a Polish Air Force CASA C-295 during NATO Tiger Meet 2018, that took place at the 31st […]

In 1996, an Alitalia B747-200 Jumbo Jet accompanied by two ItAF combat aircraft performed a remarkable display during Ostia Air Show. Ostia, on the Tyrrhenian coast, few kilometers to the west of Rome, has hosted 13 editions of the Ostia then Rome International Air Show: the first one in 1988 and the last in 2014. […]

Aircraft Was Part of Air Force Light Attack Experiment Program. It’s the seventh U.S. Air Force crash this year. A U.S. Navy pilot participating in the ongoing Light Attack Experiment died Friday, June 22, 2018 when the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano aircraft he was flying crashed inside the Red Rio Bombing Range inside the White […]

The missile launch did not result in a downing: the UAV moved away from the border and was not hit by the Patriot. The Israeli Air Force has just confirmed it has fired a Patriot missile at an incoming drone from Syria. No direct hit was reported as the unmanned aircraft retreated back toward Syria […]

The Italian 5th generation jets have made another step to declare IOC (Initial Operational Capability). On Jun. 8, for Italian Air Force F-35s, belonging to the 13° Gruppo (Squadron) of the 32° Stormo (Wing) from Amendola airbase, landed at Rivolto, headquarters of the 2° Stormo, for their first operational deployment to another Italian airbase dubbed […]

New Bomber Crew Stayed with Aircraft After Ejection Seat Failed. In a stunning story of split-second decision-making under pressure, heroic, selfless action and remarkable airmanship, the drama of what really happened in a burning B-1B bomber over Texas on May 1, 2018 has finally been revealed. Earlier this week in Washington, Secretary of the Air […]