Flybys Archives - Page 3 of 5

Kiwi Skyhawks become museum pieces

The last jet fighter to be operated by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), the McDonnell Douglas A4K Skyhawk, is set to become a museum piece. After a decade of repeated failed attempts to sell the mothballed fleet of 17 fighters, which were withdrawn from service in 2001, up to nine of the aircraft […]

Mk. XIV Spit flies again

The Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force is again able to display its Spitfire Mk.XIV at airshows and open house events. After being grounded for five years, the Spitfire returned to flight status on August 14, 2010, at Camarillo Airport in Southern California, the group’s home field and the location of their extensive […]

GIANT Electric Airbus A400M, with parachutists!

They don’t get much bigger than this! Check out this huge, 13.5-foot-span Airbus at a European airshow. The 92.5-pound RC model uses four Hacker motors producting 6000 watts and has two radio systems with 18 total servos. Build time was 6 years. Watch the entire video and you’ll see an in-flight view of the parachute […]

Boise Bee Born AGA

A super-scarce razorback P-51C Mustang now flies over Idaho in markings commemorating Boise ace Duane Beeson and his Boise Bee of World War II. The Mustang has been on the to-do list for John Paul since he acquired it from aircraft collector and dealer Jack Hardwick in 1978. John, along with his wife Sue and […]

Super Connie Flies Again

Superlatives flow—almost as smoothly as the lines of this unique and airworthy Lockheed L1049 Super Constellation. Thanks to the Super Constellation Flyers Association (SCFA) of Basel, Switzerland, European enthusiasts can now see and fly in this unique piece of 1950s commercial aviation history again. In 2009, this Europe-based Super Constellation was grounded following identification of […]

F-22 Raptor fleet returns to flight—almost

The U.S. Air Force experienced a setback with the F-22 Raptor at one base on October 21 immediately after announcing, with seemingly misplaced fanfare, that America’s superfighter was back in the air again. The 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia idled its F-22s—again—again after a pilot reported oxygen loss in mid-flight. “Part […]

Another FW 190A is reborn

A reconstructed Focke Wulf Fw 190A-8 fighter flew for the first time over its home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on October 9, 2011, thanks to an alliance with the German Flugwerk company that also manufactures full-size Fw 190A reproduction aircraft kits. Owners Don and Linda Hansen began the Focke Wulf’s restoration in 2000. Frank Hohmann […]

T-38 Replacement Road Tour

In its effort to promote the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) is a perfect replacement for the U.S. Air Force’s T-38C Talon, two Hawks embarked upon a “road tour” of the United States that began with an airshow performance in Fort Worth, Texas, on October 21. The tour was scheduled to end in January at […]

Juno Spacecraft on its way to Jupiter

After a successful launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the NASA spacecraft Juno is safely on its way to the planet Jupiter. To get into space, the large and heavy spacecraft was launched atop an Atlas V-551 rocket at 12:25 p.m. local time on August 5, 2011. The journey is to take […]

Hunter Heaven

When the prototype of the Sydney Camm-designed Hawker Hunter first flew at Dunsfold, Surrey, UK on July 20, 1951, its success and future were not assured. A rival interceptor, fighter aircraft from Supermarine, the Swift, was also competing for the RAF F.43/46 requirement. Sixty years later, the total production figure of 1,985 aircraft speaks for […]