The Aviationist Blog

Wires represent a serious hazard to both helicopters and airplanes flying at low altitude. The following footage was filmed on Apr. 3, 2019 near Fond Bellemare, west of Fort-de-France, Martinique, an insular region of France [...]

Confusing New Teamwork PSA May Send Wrong Message About Joint Strike Fighter Program. An official U.S. Air Force video that, “Communicates information about the agencies available on base that are provided to help Airmen with [...]

Graphic footage shows the massive ramp strike of a Tomcat in 1993. The footage below was filmed by the Pilot’s Landing Aid Television (PLAT) camera aboard Nimitz-class USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), in the eastern Indian [...]

Paul Allen’s Visionary Spacecraft Launch Aircraft Has Perfect First Flight. The world’s largest aircraft, the Stratolaunch Launch Systems Stratolaunch, flew for the first time on Saturday, April 13, 2019. The massive aircraft took off from [...]

The multinational exercise saw the participation of assets from Greece, Israel, UAE, Italy and the U.S. Exercise “INIOCHOS” is a yearly medium-scale exercise hosted by the Hellenic Air Force at the facilities of the ATC [...]

U.S. Joins Search Operation for Missing JASDF F-35 Lost in 10,000 Feet of Water. Sections from the left and right rudders of a Japanese Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) F-35A Lightning II, serialled 79-8705, the [...]

The airliner had lost contact with the Air Traffic Control, sparking the alert launch of two Eurofighters in QRA (Quick Reaction Alert). On Apr. 9, 2019, two Eurofighter Typhoon jets belonging to the 36° Stormo [...]

Ricocheting bullets can be extremely dangerous. A Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16 was damaged during live fire training exercises at Vliehors Range on the island of Vlieland in the northern Netherlands, on Jan. 21, 2019. [...]

The aircraft has disappeared at around 19.27LT. The status of the aircraft and its pilot is unknown. According to several Japanese media outlets, an F-35A Lightning II belonging to the Japan Air Self Defense Force [...]

When you have to escort a Slow Mover you may need to fly at high AOA (Angle Of Attack). The following photo was shared on social media by the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF). It [...]

Leeuwarden Air Base in The Netherlands is currently hosting the large-scale international exercise Frisian Flag 2019. Freelance photographer and reporter Edwin Schimmel visited Leeuwarden and here’s his report for The Aviationist. Frisian Flag is a [...]

What an incredible footage of the 302nd Squadron Phantoms! On Mar. 19, 2019, the 302nd Squadron of the Japan Air Self Defense Force made its last flight with the F-4EJ “Kai” Phantom. The 302nd was [...]

The AMX A-11 “Ghibli” aircraft have been replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoons. As already reported, four Italian Air Force F-2000A jets have replaced the AMX ACOL jets in the air war against Daesh in Iraq [...]

Looks like a Portuguese Maritime Patrol Aircraft operating out of Poland violated the airspace of Finland. A Portuguese P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft, belonging to the 601st Squadron violated the Finnish airspace, claims the Finnish [...]

ItAF aircrews with the 62nd FS were literally enthusiastic about their first Red Flag with the new 5th generation aircraft. Red Flag 19-2 has come to an end at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, on [...]

AH-1Z Viper Was Participating in USMC Weapons and Tactics Instructor’s Course. Two U.S. Marines, Maj. Matthew M. Wiegand, 34, of Ambler, Pennsylvania, and Capt. Travis W. Brannon, 30, of Nashville, Tennessee, have been identified as [...]

Secret Two-Seat Variant Uses Additional Crewmember to Counter Anti-F-35 Social Media Posts. Israel has unveiled their previously classified F-35F Nebekh Joint Social Media Fighter (JSMF). The new rear seat position in the two-seat F-35F Nebekh [...]

Amazing Shot by Photographer Liyu Wu Shows Unbelievable Pass (And Telephoto Compression). Ace aviation photographer Mr. Liyu Wu shot this remarkable photo of no less than three Airbus Defense A400M Atlas aircraft and three (or [...]

A contingent made of fighters, helicopters and CAEW (Conformal Airborne Early Warning) aircraft is enforcing an ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone) around Rome, during Xi Jinping visit to Italy. Preceded by another identical Air China [...]

It’s not clear whether the ejection was triggered voluntarily, by accident or because of a malfunction. A 64-year old civilian passenger was accidentally ejected from a French Air Force twin-seat Rafale B fighter jet as [...]