1.
Air show
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An air show, is a public event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators, usually by means of aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called static air shows, in the United States, some of the larger airshows are headlined by military jet demonstration teams including the U. S. Navy Blue Angels and USAF Thunderbirds. The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will headline many airshows in Canada and the United States, some air shows are held as a business venture or as a trade event where aircraft, avionics and other services are promoted to potential customers. Many air shows are held in support of local, national or military charities, military air firms often organise air shows at military airfields as a public relations exercise to thank the local community, promote military careers and raise the profile of the military. Air show seasons vary around the world, the United States enjoys a long season that generally runs from March to November, covering the spring, summer, and fall seasons. Other countries often have much shorter seasons, in Japan air shows are generally events held at Japan Self-Defense Forces bases regularly throughout the year. The European season usually starts in late April or Early May and is usually over by mid October, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand hold their events between January and March. However, for acts, the off-season does not mean a period of inactivity, pilots. The type of displays seen at an event are constrained by a number of factors, including the weather, most aviation authorities now publish rules and guidance on minimum display heights and criteria for differing conditions. In addition to the weather, pilots and organizers must also consider local airspace restrictions, most exhibitors will plan full, rolling and flat display for varying weather and airspace conditions. The types of shows vary greatly, Air Displays can be held during day or night with the latter becoming increasingly popular. Shows dont always take place over airfields, some have held over the grounds of stately homes or castles. Before the Second World War, air shows were associated with long distance air races, often lasting many days, while the Reno Air Races keep this tradition alive, most air shows today primarily feature a series of aerial demos of short duration. Specialist aerobatic aircraft have piston engines, light weight and big control surfaces, making them capable of very high roll rates. A skilled pilot will be able to climb vertically, perform very tight turns, tumble his aircraft end-over-end, solo military jet demos, also known as tactical demo, feature one aircraft, usually a strike fighter or an advanced trainer. The demonstration focuses on the capabilities of aircraft used in combat operations. Manoeuvres include aileron rolls, barrel rolls, hesitation rolls, Cuban-8s, tight turns, high-alpha flight, a pass, double Immelmans. Tactical demos may include simulated bomb drops, sometimes with pyrotechnics on the ground for effect
2.
RAF Fairford
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Royal Air Force Fairford or more simply RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England which is currently a standby airfield and therefore not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and it is the US Air Forces only European airfield for heavy bombers. RAF Fairford was the only TransOceanic Abort Landing site for NASAs Space Shuttle in the UK, as well as having a sufficiently long runway for a shuttle landing, it also had NASA-trained fire and medical crews stationed on the airfield. The runway is rated with an unrestricted load-bearing capacity, meaning that it can support any aircraft with any type of load, RAF Fairford is also the home of the Royal International Air Tattoo, an annual air display. RIAT is one of the largest airshows in the world, with the 2003 show recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest military airshow ever and these units are assigned to airfields at RAF Fairford, RAF Croughton, RAF Alconbury, and RAF Molesworth. The 420 ABG reported directly to 3rd Air Force until 26 May 2004, on 12 May 2005, USAFE activated the 501st Combat Support Wing, with headquarters at RAF Alconbury, to provide support to its GSUs in the United Kingdom. The Airmen of the 501st CSW focus on units that, by their nature, are separated from main operating stations of RAFs Mildenhall, a command staff of about 30 people is assigned. From 2010 the 422nd ABG at RAF Croughton and the 420th Air Base Squadron at RAF Fairford are responsible for the operations of RAF Fairford. RAF Fairford was constructed in 1944 to serve as an airfield for British, in the early years of the Cold War the British and American governments reached an agreement under which elements of the USAF Strategic Air Command would be based in the UK. Four RAF airfields were selected to receive SAC units — RAF Brize Norton, RAF Fairford, RAF Greenham Common and RAF Upper Heyford. In 1948 the Americans occupied RAF stations including Fairford, Brize Norton, Burtonwood, Greenham Common, Mildenhall, Lakenheath and Woodbridge to build up a deterrent in Europe against the Soviets. RAF Lynehams position as the tactical transport base for the RAF was emphasised in February 1971 when Nos.30 and 47 Squadrons were transferred from their old base at RAF Fairford. In 1950, as a result of the beginning of the Cold War, a 10, 000-foot runway was constructed for long-range bomber operations. The runway was completed in 1953, and served as an airbase for the first Convair B-36 Peacemaker aircraft from Carswell Air Force Base. The airfield later received B-47s which were maintained at a state of alert because of increased tensions with the Soviet Union. Fairford was chosen in 1969 as the British test centre for the Concorde aircraft, the U. S. Air Force returned with Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers deployed on rotation from the many KC-135 bases in the USA. On 15 November 1978 the 11th Strategic Group was activated at RAF Fairford and it was not manned until the following February and used KC-135 aircraft and crews from SAC, Air National Guard, and AF Reserve units until the 11 SG received its own aircraft in September 1979. It soon began aerial refueling support for all USAF operations, deployments and redeployments, aircraft and crews operated from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Keflavik, Iceland, Zaragosa, Spain, Lajes Field, Azores, Sigonella NAS, Italy, and Hellenikon, Greece
3.
Gloucestershire
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Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the fertile valley of the River Severn. The county town is the city of Gloucester, and other towns include Cheltenham, Cirencester, Stroud. Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century, though the areas of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire originally included Bristol, then a small town. The local rural community moved to the city, and Bristols population growth accelerated during the industrial revolution. Bristol became a county in its own right, separate from Gloucestershire and it later became part of the administrative County of Avon from 1974 to 1996. Upon the abolition of Avon in 1996, the north of Bristol became a unitary authority area of South Gloucestershire and is now part of the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire. The official former postal county abbreviation was Glos, rather than the frequently used but erroneous Gloucs. or Glouc. In July 2007, Gloucestershire suffered the worst flooding in recorded British history, the RAF conducted the largest peace time domestic operation in its history to rescue over 120 residents from flood affected areas. The damage was estimated at over £2 billion, the county recovered rapidly from the disaster, investing in attracting tourists to visit the many sites and diverse range of shops in the area. This is a chart of trend of gross value added of Gloucestershire at current basic prices published by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling. Gloucestershire has mainly comprehensive schools with seven schools, two are in Stroud, one in Cheltenham and four in Gloucester. There are 42 state secondary schools, not including sixth form colleges, all but about two schools in each district have a sixth form, but the Forest of Dean only has two schools with sixth forms. All schools in South Gloucestershire have sixth forms, each has campuses at multiple locations throughout the county. Most of the old market towns have parish churches, at Deerhurst near Tewkesbury, and Bishops Cleeve near Cheltenham, there are churches of special interest on account of the pre-Norman work they retain. These are, however, adjudged to be of English workmanship, other notable buildings include Calcot Barn in Calcot, a relic of Kingswood Abbey. Thornbury Castle is a Tudor country house, the pretensions of which evoked the jealousy of Cardinal Wolsey against its builder, Edward Stafford, duke of Buckingham, near Cheltenham is the 15th-century mansion of Southam de la Bere, of timber and stone. Memorials of the de la Bere family appear in the church at Cleeve, the mansion contains a tiled floor from Hailes Abbey
4.
Gloucestershire, England
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Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the fertile valley of the River Severn. The county town is the city of Gloucester, and other towns include Cheltenham, Cirencester, Stroud. Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century, though the areas of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire originally included Bristol, then a small town. The local rural community moved to the city, and Bristols population growth accelerated during the industrial revolution. Bristol became a county in its own right, separate from Gloucestershire and it later became part of the administrative County of Avon from 1974 to 1996. Upon the abolition of Avon in 1996, the north of Bristol became a unitary authority area of South Gloucestershire and is now part of the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire. The official former postal county abbreviation was Glos, rather than the frequently used but erroneous Gloucs. or Glouc. In July 2007, Gloucestershire suffered the worst flooding in recorded British history, the RAF conducted the largest peace time domestic operation in its history to rescue over 120 residents from flood affected areas. The damage was estimated at over £2 billion, the county recovered rapidly from the disaster, investing in attracting tourists to visit the many sites and diverse range of shops in the area. This is a chart of trend of gross value added of Gloucestershire at current basic prices published by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling. Gloucestershire has mainly comprehensive schools with seven schools, two are in Stroud, one in Cheltenham and four in Gloucester. There are 42 state secondary schools, not including sixth form colleges, all but about two schools in each district have a sixth form, but the Forest of Dean only has two schools with sixth forms. All schools in South Gloucestershire have sixth forms, each has campuses at multiple locations throughout the county. Most of the old market towns have parish churches, at Deerhurst near Tewkesbury, and Bishops Cleeve near Cheltenham, there are churches of special interest on account of the pre-Norman work they retain. These are, however, adjudged to be of English workmanship, other notable buildings include Calcot Barn in Calcot, a relic of Kingswood Abbey. Thornbury Castle is a Tudor country house, the pretensions of which evoked the jealousy of Cardinal Wolsey against its builder, Edward Stafford, duke of Buckingham, near Cheltenham is the 15th-century mansion of Southam de la Bere, of timber and stone. Memorials of the de la Bere family appear in the church at Cleeve, the mansion contains a tiled floor from Hailes Abbey
5.
North Weald Airfield
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North Weald Airfield is an operational general aviation aerodrome, in the civil parish of North Weald Bassett in Epping Forest, Essex, England. It was an important fighter station during the Battle of Britain and it is the home of North Weald Airfield Museum. Although unlicensed it is home to private aircraft and historic types. Royal Flying Corps Station North Weald Bassett aerodrome was established in the summer of 1916 during the First World War by the Royal Flying Corps, later it became Royal Air Force with effect from Monday 1 April 1918. Its military functions continued to develop during the period, with the building of large hangars. The airfield played an important part in the air defence strategy of the United Kingdom during the Second World War, initially Hawker Hurricanes were deployed at the airfield, alongside Bristol Blenheim night fighters. The Hurricanes from North Weald saw action over the beaches of Dunkirk, in 1940, two American Eagle Squadrons moved into North Weald supplied with Spitfires. A couple of later, Norwegian squadrons were reassigned to the airfield. Jet fighter squadrons were based at North Weald from 1949 and the sight of Gloster Meteors, the last front line combat unit, No.111 Squadron RAF flying Hawker Hunters, the famous Black Arrows of 22 loop formation fame, left North Weald in 1958. And, in 1964, the RAF withdrew from the airfield completely, North Weald is a general aviation airfield with just over 20,000 movements per annum, connecting people from London and Essex, with destinations across England and abroad by air travel. Resident organizations include Area 51, Hangar 11 Collection, Aces High, an original 1927 hangar remains, as does the former Officers Mess, a Grade 2 listed building. Some former married quarters dating from the early 1970s can be seen in Lancaster, a Hawker Hurricane Mk1 replica has been erected near the main gate and can be viewed on market days. On occasions North Weald has 300 to 500 movements a day, the airfield was granted listed status in 2005. There is a large Saturday market based on the airfield which draws crowds from around Essex. It claims to be one of the largest open air markets in the UK, bus service 522 operates a frequent service to the market from Harlow, and the service is subsidised by the company that owns the market. The airfield was used as the camp for the 2007 World Scout Jamboree. In the 1990s, the Aces High hangar was used as the home for Channel 4s TV game show The Crystal Maze, which had moved from Shepperton Studios because of lack of space. There are two FBOs at North Weald who provide aircraft maintenance and repair, handling and cleaning, refuelling and hangarage services, as well as visitor parking and events organising
6.
RAF Greenham Common
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Royal Air Force Greenham Common or RAF Greenham Common is a former Royal Air Force station in Berkshire, England. The airfield was southeast of Newbury, Berkshire, about 55 miles west of London, opened in 1942, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War and the United States Air Force during the Cold War. After the Cold War ended, it was closed in 1993, the airfield was also known for the Greenham Common Womens Peace Camp held outside its gates in the 1980s. In 1997 Greenham Common was designated as public parkland, the common was made a site of site of Special Scientific Interest in 1985 along with crookham common. Before the building of an airfield, Greenham Common was a piece of common land and it was used for troop movements during the English Civil War and in the nineteenth century. In late 1943, Greenham Common airfield was turned over to the USAAF Ninth Air Force, an American advance party soon arrived to ready the airfield for the incoming units. Greenham Common was known as USAAF Station AAF-486 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war and its USAAF Station Code was GC. The first arrival was the 51st Troop Carrier Wing Headquarters, arriving in September 1942, the 51st TCW controlled the three troop carrier groups at RAF Keevil, RAF Aldermaston and RAF Ramsbury as part of Twelfth Air Force. The Wing Headquarters was located in requisitioned Bowdown House, a mansion on the northeast end of the airfield, the 51st TCW HQ followed its groups to North Africa as part of Operation Torch in November 1942. On 4 November the 354th Fighter Group arrived from Portland Army Air Field, Oregon and this was a change of equipment for the group, as they had trained with Bell P-39 Airacobras. The group stayed at Greenham Common for only a few days, a few weeks later on 13 January 1944, the 368th Fighter Group arrived from Farmingdale, New York, flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. The 368th FG moved to RAF Chilbolton the next day, literally as the 368th FG was moving out, the 438th Troop Carrier Group was flying into Greenham Common from RAF Langar. The 90th TCS stayed in the UK and operated from RAF Welford until the rest of the aircraft returned from Italy on 24 August. In the absence of the 438th, the 316th Troop Carrier Group used Greenham Common as a forward base, after the 1948 Berlin Blockade and the 1950 invasion of South Korea by the Korean Peoples Army, the perceived threat from the Soviet Union rose. Formal handover to the 7th Air Division was on June 18, basically, the entire wartime airfield was demolished and replaced with a new 10,000 ft east/west runway with parallel taxiways north and south of it leading to extensive hardstandings. A new technical and domestic site was built to the south of the runway, involving diversion of the A339 road and demolition of several homes, construction work was finally completed and the base declared operational in September 1953. In the post-Second World War years, the United States Strategic Air Command was based at three airfields in eastern England, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Marham and RAF Sculthorpe. The initial bomber wing deployed was the 303d Bombardment Wing with B-47 Stratojets, the 303d stayed just over a month, returning on 28 April 1954
7.
Elizabeth II
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Elizabeth II has been Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand since 6 February 1952. Elizabeth was born in London as the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and her father acceded to the throne on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was the heir presumptive. She began to undertake duties during the Second World War. Elizabeths many historic visits and meetings include a visit to the Republic of Ireland. She has seen major changes, such as devolution in the United Kingdom, Canadian patriation. She has reigned through various wars and conflicts involving many of her realms and she is the worlds oldest reigning monarch as well as Britains longest-lived. In October 2016, she became the longest currently reigning monarch, in 2017 she became the first British monarch to commemorate a Sapphire Jubilee. Elizabeth has occasionally faced republican sentiments and press criticism of the family, however, support for the monarchy remains high. Elizabeth was born at 02,40 on 21 April 1926, during the reign of her paternal grandfather and her father, Prince Albert, Duke of York, was the second son of the King. Her mother, Elizabeth, Duchess of York, was the youngest daughter of Scottish aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and she was delivered by Caesarean section at her maternal grandfathers London house,17 Bruton Street, Mayfair. Elizabeths only sibling, Princess Margaret, was born in 1930, the two princesses were educated at home under the supervision of their mother and their governess, Marion Crawford, who was casually known as Crawfie. Lessons concentrated on history, language, literature and music, Crawford published a biography of Elizabeth and Margarets childhood years entitled The Little Princesses in 1950, much to the dismay of the royal family. The book describes Elizabeths love of horses and dogs, her orderliness, others echoed such observations, Winston Churchill described Elizabeth when she was two as a character. She has an air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant and her cousin Margaret Rhodes described her as a jolly little girl, but fundamentally sensible and well-behaved. During her grandfathers reign, Elizabeth was third in the line of succession to the throne, behind her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales, and her father, the Duke of York. Although her birth generated public interest, she was not expected to become queen, many people believed that he would marry and have children of his own. When her grandfather died in 1936 and her uncle succeeded as Edward VIII, she became second-in-line to the throne, later that year, Edward abdicated, after his proposed marriage to divorced socialite Wallis Simpson provoked a constitutional crisis. Consequently, Elizabeths father became king, and she became heir presumptive, if her parents had had a later son, she would have lost her position as first-in-line, as her brother would have been heir apparent and above her in the line of succession
8.
RAF Cottesmore
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Royal Air Force Station Cottesmore or more simply RAF Cottesmore is a former Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, situated between Cottesmore and Market Overton. The station housed all the operational Harrier GR9 squadrons in the Royal Air Force, on 15 December 2009 it was announced that the station would close in 2013 as part of defence spending cuts, along with the retirement of the Harrier GR9 and the disbandment of Joint Force Harrier. However the formal closing ceremony took place on 31 March 2011 with the airfield becoming a satellite to RAF Wittering until March 2012, in July 2011 Defence Secretary Liam Fox announced plans for it to be the airfield for one of five of the Armys Multi-Role Brigades. In April 2012 it was renamed Kendrew Barracks after Major General Sir Douglas Kendrew, the badge of RAF Cottesmore consisted of a hunting horn, a five-pointed star and a horseshoe. The description is in front of a horseshoe a mullet overall a hunting horn in bend, the motto We rise to our obstacles is both a reference to the Cottesmore Hunt and was intended to convey the spirit with which the Royal Air Force confronts difficulties. The badge was granted in 1948, the badge appears on the nameplate of the LNER Peppercorn Class A160163 Tornado steam locomotive that was named by HRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall on 19 February 2009. RAF Cottesmore opened on 11 March 1938, the station was used mainly for training, and the first squadrons were equipped with Vickers Wellesley aircraft, but soon converted to Fairey Battles. Later RAF Bomber Command took over the airfield, again as a training station and these units remained in residence until a few days before the outbreak of war in 1939 when they were sent to RAF Cranfield to serve as a pool providing replacements for combat losses. Their place at Cottesmore was taken by Nos.106 and 185 Squadrons, however, with the outbreak of war, the aircraft and crews were sent to locations in the north and west, as enemy air attacks were expected over the southern half of England. As these never materialised, the Hampdens returned in the spring of 1940 and No.185 Squadron became the Hampden operational training unit, cottesmores Hampdens first trespass into hostile airspace was a leaflet dropping operation over northern France. In October 1940,106 Squadron moved to RAF Finningley while No.14 OTU remained training crews for Bomber Command, its Hampdens, Training continued for three years and three months until August 1943 when No.14 OTU moved to RAF Market Harborough. On 8 September 1943 the United States Army Air Forces took the facilities over, under the designation USAAF Station 489, in anticipation of the stations future use by airborne forces,32 Horsa gliders were delivered for storage in July 1943. The 316th Troop Carrier Group began to arrive at Cottesmore on 15 February 1944 when 52 C-47, Cottesmore was officially handed back to the RAF on 1 July 1945. As a pre-war base with permanent buildings, it was inevitable that it would not remain vacant for long, Cottesmore again became a training station. In 1954 English Electric Canberras were moved in, the first time front-line combat aircraft had been based there, in 1957 it was announced that Cottesmore would become a base for aircraft of the V bomber force, carriers of Britains nuclear deterrent. The squadrons carried out Quick Reaction Alert duties using Handley Page Victor and later Avro Vulcan bombers, when they left the base was used by 90 Signals Group. Flight Checking, Trials and Evaluation Flight used 98 Squadron and 115 Squadron to provide ILS and radar trials, No.231 Operational Conversion Unit moved into Cottesmore on 19 May 1969 equipped with Canberras, staying until 12 February 1976 when it moved to RAF Marham. No.360 Squadron, an electronic countermeasures squadron flying Canberras,360 Squadron moved in September 1975 to RAF Wyton
9.
Rutland
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Rutland /ˈrʌtlənd/ is a landlocked county in the East Midlands of England, bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. Its greatest length north to south is only 18 miles and its greatest breadth east to west is 17 miles and it is the smallest historic county in England and the fourth smallest in the UK as a whole. Because of this, the Latin motto Multum in Parvo or much in little was adopted by the county council in 1950 and it has the smallest population of any normal unitary authority in mainland England and only the City of London is smaller in terms of area. Among modern ceremonial counties the Isle of Wight, City of London, the former County of London, in existence 1889 to 1965, also had a smaller area. It is 348th of the 354 districts in population, the only towns in Rutland are Oakham, the county town, and Uppingham. At the centre of the county is the artificial reservoir, Rutland Water, which is an important nature reserve serving as an overwintering site for wildfowl. Rutlands older cottages are built from limestone or ironstone and many have roofs of Collyweston stone slate or thatch, the origin of the name of the county is unclear. The northwestern part of the county was recorded as Rutland, a part of Nottinghamshire, in Domesday Book. It was first mentioned as a county in 1159. Historically it was known as Rutlandshire, but in recent times only the shorter name is common. Rutland may be from Old English hryþr or hrythr cattle and land land, however, A Dictionary of British Place-Names by A D Mills gives an alternative etymology, Rotas land, from the Old English personal name and land land. It is from the interpretation of red land that the traditional nickname for a male person from Rutland. Earl of Rutland and Duke of Rutland are titles in the peerage of England held in the Manners family, the Earl of Rutland was elevated to the status of Duke in 1703 and the titles were merged. The family seat is Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire, the office of High Sheriff of Rutland was instituted in 1129, and there has been a Lord Lieutenant of Rutland since at least 1559. By the time of the 19th century it had been divided into the hundreds of Alstoe, East, Martinsley, Oakham, Rutland covered parts of three poor law unions and rural sanitary districts, those of Oakham, Uppingham and Stamford. In 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894 the rural districts were partitioned along county boundaries to form three rural districts. Meanwhile, that part of Stamford RSD in Rutland became the Ketton Rural District, Oakham Urban District was created from Oakham Rural District in 1911. It was subsequently abolished in 1974, Rutland was included in the East Midlands General Review Area of the 1958–67 Local Government Commission for England
10.
Guinness World Records
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The book itself holds a world record, as the best-selling copyrighted book of all time. As of the 2017 edition, it is now in its 63rd year of publication, the international franchise has extended beyond print to include television series and museums. On 10 November 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, then the director of the Guinness Breweries, went on a shooting party in the North Slob, by the River Slaney in County Wexford. After missing a shot at a golden plover, he involved in an argument over which was the fastest game bird in Europe. That evening at Castlebridge House, he realised that it was impossible to confirm in reference books whether or not the golden plover was Europes fastest game bird. Beaver knew that there must be numerous other questions debated nightly in pubs throughout Ireland and abroad and he realised then that a book supplying the answers to this sort of question might prove successful. Beavers idea became reality when Guinness employee Christopher Chataway recommended University friends Norris and Ross McWhirter, the twin brothers were commissioned to compile what became The Guinness Book of Records in August 1954. A thousand copies were printed and given away, after the founding of The Guinness Book of Records at 107 Fleet Street, the first 198-page edition was bound on 27 August 1955 and went to the top of the British best seller lists by Christmas. The following year, it launched in the US, and sold 70,000 copies, since then, Guinness World Records has become a household name and the global leader in world records. Because the book became a hit, many further editions were printed, eventually settling into a pattern of one revision a year, published in September/October. The McWhirters continued to compile it for many years, Ross McWhirter was assassinated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1975. Following Ross assassination, the feature in the show where questions about records posed by children were answered was called Norris on the Spot, Guinness Superlatives Limited was formed in 1954 to publish the first book. Sterling Publishing owned the rights to the Guinness book in the US for decades, and, under their management, the group was owned by Guinness PLC and subsequently Diageo until 2001, when it was purchased by Gullane Entertainment. Gullane was itself purchased by HIT Entertainment in 2002, with offices in New York City and Tokyo, Guinness World Records global headquarters remain in London, while its museum attractions are based at Ripley headquarters in Orlando, Florida, US. Recent editions have focused on record feats by person competitors, many records also relate to the youngest person who achieved something, such as the youngest person to visit all nations of the world, being Maurizio Giuliano. Each edition contains a selection of the records from the Guinness database, as well as new records. The majority of records are no longer listed in the book or on the website. For those unable to wait the 4–6 weeks for a reply, the Guinness Book of Records is the worlds most sold copyrighted book, earning it an entry within its own pages
11.
Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit
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The bomber can deploy both conventional and thermonuclear weapons, such as eighty 500 lb -class JDAM Global Positioning System-guided bombs, or sixteen 2,400 lb B83 nuclear bombs. The B-2 is the only acknowledged aircraft that can carry large air-to-surface standoff weapons in a stealth configuration, the ATB project continued during the Reagan administration, but worries about delays in its introduction led to the reinstatement of the B-1 program as well. Designed and manufactured by Northrop, later Northrop Grumman, the cost of each aircraft averaged US$737 million, total procurement costs averaged $929 million per aircraft, which includes spare parts, equipment, retrofitting, and software support. The total program cost including development, engineering and testing, averaged $2.1 billion per aircraft in 1997, because of its considerable capital and operating costs, the project was controversial in the U. S. Congress and among the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During the late 1980s and 1990s, Congress slashed plans to purchase 132 bombers to 21, in 2008, a B-2 was destroyed in a crash shortly after takeoff, though the crew ejected safely. A total of 20 B-2s remain in service with the United States Air Force, which plans to operate the B-2 until 2058. The B-2 is capable of all-altitude attack missions up to 50,000 feet, with a range of more than 6,000 nautical miles on internal fuel and over 10,000 nautical miles with one midair refueling. It entered service in 1997 as the aircraft designed to have advanced stealth technology after the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk attack aircraft. Though designed originally as primarily a bomber, the B-2 was first used in combat, dropping conventional. It later served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, by the mid-1970s, military aircraft designers had learned of a new method to avoid missiles and interceptors, known today as stealth. The concept was to build an aircraft with an airframe that deflected or absorbed radar signals so that little was reflected back to the radar unit. An aircraft having stealth characteristics would be able to fly nearly undetected and could be attacked only by weapons, although other detection measures existed, such as human observation, their relatively short detection range allowed most aircraft to fly undetected by defenses, especially at night. In 1974, DARPA requested information from U. S. aviation firms about the largest radar cross-section of an aircraft that would remain invisible to radars. Initially, Northrop and McDonnell Douglas were selected for further development, a key improvement was the introduction of computer models used to predict the radar reflections from flat surfaces where collected data drove the design of a faceted aircraft. Development of the first such designs started in 1975 with the hopeless diamond, plans were well advanced by the summer of 1975, when DARPA started the Experimental Survivability Testbed project. Northrop and Lockheed were awarded contracts in the first round of testing, Lockheed received the sole award for the second test round in April 1976 leading to the Have Blue program and eventually the F-117 stealth attack aircraft. Northrop also had a technology demonstration aircraft, the Tacit Blue in development in 1979 at Area 51. It developed stealth technology, LO, fly-by-wire, curved surfaces, composite materials, electronic intelligence, the stealth technology developed from the program was later incorporated into other operational aircraft designs, including the B-2 stealth bomber
12.
Bomber
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A bomber is a combat aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry, firing torpedoes or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. In 1912, during the First Balkan War, Bulgarian Air Force pilot Christo Toprakchiev suggested the use of aircraft to drop bombs on Turkish positions, captain Simeon Petrov developed the idea and created several prototypes by adapting different types of grenades and increasing their payload. This is deemed to be the first use of an aircraft as a bomber, the first heavier-than-air aircraft purposely designed for bombing were the Italian Caproni Ca 30 and British Bristol T. B.8, both of 1913. The Bristol T. B.8 was an early British single engined biplane built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, under the command of Charles Rumney Samson, a bombing attack on German gun batteries at Middelkerke, Belgium was executed on 25 November 1914. The dirigible, or airship, was developed in the early 20th century, early airships were prone to disaster, but slowly the airship became more dependable, with a more rigid structure and stronger skin. Prior to the outbreak of war, Zeppelins, a larger and these were the first long range, strategic bombers. Although the German air arm was strong, with a total of 123 airships by the end of the war, they were vulnerable to attack and engine failure, German airships inflicted little damage on all 51 raids, with 557 Britons killed and 1,358 injured. The German Navy lost 53 of its 73 airships, and the German Army lost 26 of its 50 ships, the Caproni Ca 30 was built by Gianni Caproni in Italy. It was a biplane with three 67 kW Gnome rotary engines and first flew in October 1914. Test flights revealed power to be insufficient and the engine layout unworkable, the improved design was bought by the Italian Army and it was delivered in quantity from August 1915. Bombing raids and interdiction operations were carried out by French. Sustained attacks with a view to interrupting the enemys railway communications, in conjunction with the main operations of the Allied Armies. The most important bombers used in World War I were the French Breguet 14, British de Havilland DH-4, German Albatros C. III, the Russian Sikorsky Ilya Muromets, was the first four-engine bomber to equip a dedicated strategic bombing unit during World War I. This heavy bomber was unrivaled in the stages of the war. With engine power as a limitation, combined with the desire for accuracy and other operational factors. By the start of the war included, dive bomber — specially strengthened for vertical diving attacks for greater accuracy. Light bomber, medium bomber and heavy bomber — subjective definitions based on size, torpedo bomber — specialized aircraft armed with torpedoes. Ground attack aircraft — aircraft used against targets on a such as troop or tank concentrations
13.
United States Air Force
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The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947. It is the most recent branch of the U. S. military to be formed, the U. S. Air Force is a military service organized within the Department of the Air Force, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force, who reports to the Secretary of Defense, the U. S. Air Force provides air support for surface forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. As of 2015, the service more than 5,137 military aircraft,406 ICBMs and 63 military satellites. It has a $161 billion budget with 313,242 active duty personnel,141,197 civilian employees,69,200 Air Force Reserve personnel, and 105,500 Air National Guard personnel. According to the National Security Act of 1947, which created the USAF and it shall be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations. The stated mission of the USAF today is to fly, fight, and win in air, space and we will provide compelling air, space, and cyber capabilities for use by the combatant commanders. We will excel as stewards of all Air Force resources in service to the American people, while providing precise and reliable Global Vigilance, Reach and it should be emphasized that the core functions, by themselves, are not doctrinal constructs. The purpose of Nuclear Deterrence Operations is to operate, maintain, in the event deterrence fails, the US should be able to appropriately respond with nuclear options. Dissuading others from acquiring or proliferating WMD, and the means to deliver them, moreover, different deterrence strategies are required to deter various adversaries, whether they are a nation state, or non-state/transnational actor. Nuclear strike is the ability of forces to rapidly and accurately strike targets which the enemy holds dear in a devastating manner. Should deterrence fail, the President may authorize a precise, tailored response to terminate the conflict at the lowest possible level, post-conflict, regeneration of a credible nuclear deterrent capability will deter further aggression. Finally, the Air Force regularly exercises and evaluates all aspects of operations to ensure high levels of performance. Nuclear surety ensures the safety, security and effectiveness of nuclear operations, the Air Force, in conjunction with other entities within the Departments of Defense or Energy, achieves a high standard of protection through a stringent nuclear surety program. The Air Force continues to pursue safe, secure and effective nuclear weapons consistent with operational requirements, adversaries, allies, and the American people must be highly confident of the Air Forces ability to secure nuclear weapons from accidents, theft, loss, and accidental or unauthorized use. This day-to-day commitment to precise and reliable nuclear operations is the cornerstone of the credibility of the NDO mission, positive nuclear command, control, communications, effective nuclear weapons security, and robust combat support are essential to the overall NDO function. OCA is the method of countering air and missile threats, since it attempts to defeat the enemy closer to its source
14.
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor
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The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force. The aircraft was variously designated F-22 and F/A-22 before it entered service in December 2005 as the F-22A. The Raptors combination of stealth, aerodynamic performance, and situational awareness gives the aircraft unprecedented air combat capabilities, a final procurement tally of 187 operational production aircraft was established in 2009, and the last F-22 was delivered to the USAF in 2012. In 1981 the U. S. Air Force developed a requirement for an Advanced Tactical Fighter as a new air superiority fighter to replace the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. Code named Senior Sky, this program was influenced by the emerging threats, including development and proliferation of Soviet Su-27 Flanker-. Each design team produced two prototype air vehicles, one for each of the two engine options, the Lockheed-led team employed thrust vectoring nozzles on YF-22 for enhanced maneuverability in dogfights. The ATFs increasing weight and cost drove out certain requirements during development, side-looking radars were deleted, and the dedicated infra-red search and track system was downgraded from multi-color to single color and then deleted as well. However, space and cooling provisions were retained to allow for future addition of these components, the ejection seat requirement was downgraded from a fresh design to the existing McDonnell Douglas ACES II. After the flight test demonstration and validation of the prototypes, on 23 April 1991, the YF-23 design was considered stealthier and faster, while the YF-22 was more maneuverable. The aviation press speculated that the YF-22 was also adaptable to the U. S. Navys Navalized Advanced Tactical Fighter, but by 1992. F-22 production was split up over many subcontractors across 46 states to increase Congressional support, though this production split may have contributed to increased costs, many capabilities were deferred to post-service upgrades, reducing the initial cost but increasing total program cost. Production supported over 1,000 subcontractors and suppliers and up to 95,000 jobs, the F-22 had several design changes from the YF-22. The swept-back angle of the edge was decreased from 48° to 42°, while the vertical stabilizers were shifted rearward. To improve pilot visibility, the canopy was moved forward 7 inches, the shapes of the wing and stabilator trailing edges were refined to improve aerodynamics, strength, and stealth characteristics. Increasing weight during development caused slight reductions in range and aerodynamic performance, the first F-22, an engineering and manufacturing development aircraft named Raptor 4001, was unveiled at Marietta, Georgia, on 9 April 1997, and first flew on 7 September 1997. In 2006, the Raptors development team, composed of over 1,000 contractors, the F-22 was in production for 15 years, at a rate of roughly two per month during peak production. The USAF originally envisioned ordering 750 ATFs at a cost of $26.2 billion, the 1990 Major Aircraft Review led by Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney reduced this to 648 aircraft beginning in 1996. By 1997, funding instability had further cut the total to 339, in 2004, the Department of Defense further reduced this to 183 operational aircraft, despite the USAFs preference for 381
15.
Farnborough Airshow
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The Farnborough International Airshow is a week-long event that combines a major trade exhibition for the aerospace and defence industries with a public airshow. The event is held in mid-July in even-numbered years at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire, the first four days are dedicated exclusively to trade, with the final three days open to the public. The show is used for the announcement of new developments and orders. It is one of the largest air shows, after Frances Salon du Bourget, the UK show is organised by Farnborough International Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of ADS Group Limited. According to the organisers, the 2012 Farnborough show attracted 109,000 trade visitors over the first five days, orders and commitments for 758 aircraft were announced, worth US$72 billion. Flying occurs on all seven days, and there are static displays of aircraft outside and booths. On the Saturday and Sunday most of the halls are shut. The airshow alternates with the Paris Air Show, which is held in odd-numbered years and has a similar format, the Farnborough Airshow has its origins in the annual RAF Airshow at Hendon from 1920 to 1937. On 27 June 1932, the Society of British Aircraft Constructors held an exhibition of 35 aircraft by 16 companies at Hendon as a showpiece for the British aircraft industry. In 1952,31 people were killed when a DH.110 jet fighter disintegrated in flight, at the 1958 show, the Black Arrows executed a 22-plane formation loop. This was a record for the greatest number of aircraft looped in formation. Initially an annual event, the show has been biennial since 1962 and it has become an international event that attracts exhibitors from all over the world — with the exception, during the Cold War, of countries behind the Iron Curtain. From 1996 the show has had its own radio station operated by the staff and students of nearby Farnborough College of Technology
16.
Royal Air Force
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The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdoms aerial warfare force. Formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, following victory over the Central Powers in 1918 the RAF emerged as, at the time, the largest air force in the world. The RAF describe its mission statement as, an agile, adaptable and capable Air Force that, person for person, is second to none, and that makes a decisive air power contribution in support of the UK Defence Mission. The mission statement is supported by the RAFs definition of air power, Air power is defined as the ability to project power from the air and space to influence the behaviour of people or the course of events. Today the Royal Air Force maintains a fleet of various types of aircraft. The majority of the RAFs rotary-wing aircraft form part of the tri-service Joint Helicopter Command in support of ground forces, most of the RAFs aircraft and personnel are based in the UK, with many others serving on operations or at long-established overseas bases. It was founded on 1 April 1918, with headquarters located in the former Hotel Cecil, during the First World War, by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps, at that time it was the largest air force in the world. The RAFs naval aviation branch, the Fleet Air Arm, was founded in 1924, the RAF developed the doctrine of strategic bombing which led to the construction of long-range bombers and became its main bombing strategy in the Second World War. The RAF underwent rapid expansion prior to and during the Second World War, under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan of December 1939, the air forces of British Commonwealth countries trained and formed Article XV squadrons for service with RAF formations. Many individual personnel from countries, and exiles from occupied Europe. By the end of the war the Royal Canadian Air Force had contributed more than 30 squadrons to serve in RAF formations, additionally, the Royal Australian Air Force represented around nine percent of all RAF personnel who served in the European and Mediterranean theatres. In the Battle of Britain in 1940, the RAF defended the skies over Britain against the numerically superior German Luftwaffe, the largest RAF effort during the war was the strategic bombing campaign against Germany by Bomber Command. Following victory in the Second World War, the RAF underwent significant re-organisation, during the early stages of the Cold War, one of the first major operations undertaken by the Royal Air Force was in 1948 and the Berlin Airlift, codenamed Operation Plainfire. Before Britain developed its own nuclear weapons the RAF was provided with American nuclear weapons under Project E and these were initially armed with nuclear gravity bombs, later being equipped with the Blue Steel missile. Following the development of the Royal Navys Polaris submarines, the nuclear deterrent passed to the navys submarines on 30 June 1969. With the introduction of Polaris, the RAFs strategic nuclear role was reduced to a tactical one and this tactical role was continued by the V bombers into the 1980s and until 1998 by Tornado GR1s. For much of the Cold War the primary role of the RAF was the defence of Western Europe against potential attack by the Soviet Union, with many squadrons based in West Germany. With the decline of the British Empire, global operations were scaled back, despite this, the RAF fought in many battles in the Cold War period
17.
Air Combat Command
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Air Combat Command is one of ten Major Commands in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force at the Pentagon. ACC is headquartered at Langley Field, Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia and its commander is General Herbert Hawk Carlisle, with Major General Jerry D. Harris Jr. as Vice Commander, and Chief Master Sergeant Steve K. McDonald as the Command Chief Master Sergeant, in addition, ACC augments the forces of the United States European Command, United States Pacific Command and United States Central Command when needed. Air Combat Command consists of approximately 98,000 active duty members, in 2015, responsibility for the B-1 Lancer bomber fleet was also transferred from ACC to AFGSC. Air Combat Command was created 1 June 1992 after the inactivation of the Tactical Air Command, Strategic Air Command, furthermore, ACC had some KC-135 and KC-10 aerial refueling tankers and C-130 tactical airlift aircraft in its composite, reconnaissance, and certain other combat wings. In 1993, control of the ICBM force was transferred to the Air Force Space Command until transferred again to Air Force Global Strike Command on 1 Dec 2009. S, Air Force and the U. S. Navy. Historically, combat command was an air unit designation. During 1941 and early 1942, the air units of the War Department, formerly known as the GHQ Air Force. The AFCC was dissolved in the reorganization of the United States Army, effective 9 March 1942, not long after activation, ACC underwent organizational and mission changes. The first such change was the transfer of the combat search. With the realigning of search and rescue units, ACC gained additional resources, the formal transfer took place on 1 February 1993, when the Air Rescue Service was assigned to ACC. On 2 July of the year, the ARS was disestablished. The USAF Combat Rescue School was subsequently assigned to the 57th Wing at Nellis AFB, one of the most significant changes for Air Combat Command resulted from an overhaul of flying training responsibilities. Following its activation, ACC was responsible for aircrew training, including initial weapon system. On 1 July 1993, the 58th and 325th Fighter Wings—F-16 and F-15 training units transferred from ACC to Air Education and Training Command. Concurrently, Luke AFB, Arizona, and Tyndall AFB, Florida, for which those respective wings were the host units, however, on 1 October 2012, both Tyndall AFB and the 325th Fighter Wing returned to the control of ACC. The next major change resulted from a fine-tuning of aerial refueling. From its activation, Air Combat Command had assumed ownership of some C-130 Hercules theater airlift assets and KC-10 Extender, there was historical precedent for the reassignment of C-130s to Air Combat Command
18.
Stealth aircraft
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Well-known modern examples of stealth of U. S. aircraft include the United States F-117 Nighthawk, the B-2 Spirit, the F-22 Raptor, and the F-35 Lightning II. Stealth is the combination of low observable features and active emitters such as Low Probability of Intercept Radars, radios. It is accomplished by using a design philosophy to reduce the ability of an opponents sensors to detect, track. This philosophy also takes account the heat, sound. Full-size stealth combat aircraft demonstrators have been flown by the United States, Russia, the U. S. military has adopted three stealth designs, and just recently adopted the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. During World War I, the Germans experimented with the use of Cellon, single examples of the Fokker E. III Eindecker fighter monoplane, the Albatros C. I two-seat observation biplane, and the Linke-Hofmann R. I prototype heavy bomber were covered with Cellon. In fact, sunlight glinting from the material made the even more visible. Celon was also found to be quickly degraded both by sunlight and in-flight temperature changes so the attempt to make transparent aircraft was not proceeded with. In 1916, the British modified a small SS class airship for the purpose of aerial reconnaissance over German Empire lines on the Western Front. Nearly three decades later, a serious attempt at radar invisibility was tried with the Horten Ho 229 flying wing fighter-bomber. In addition to the shape, the majority of the Ho 229s wooden skin was bonded together using carbon-impregnated plywood resins designed with the purported intention of absorbing radar waves. The nearly complete Ho 229 V3 prototype airframe was captured at the Gotha factory at Friederichsrodaon April 14,1945 and it was assigned the number T2-490 and was shipped to the United States. Where it ended up in the H. H. Hap, Arnold collection of the Air Force Technical Museum as intentions to bring it to flying status at Park Ridge and it was later transferred to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Echo made it possible to predict the radar signature of a made with flat panels. Lockheed built a model called the Hopeless Diamond, a reference to the famous Hope Diamond, reduced radar cross section is only one of five factors the designers addressed to create a truly stealthy design such as the F-22. The F-22 has also designed to disguise its infrared emissions to make it harder to detect by infrared homing surface-to-air or air-to-air missiles. Designers also addressed making the less visible to the naked eye, controlling radio transmissions. The first combat use of purpose-designed stealth aircraft was in December 1989 during Operation Just Cause in Panama, on 20 December 1989, two United States Air Force F-117s bombed a Panamanian Defense Force barracks in Rio Hato, Panama
19.
RAF Regiment
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The Royal Air Force Regiment is part of the Royal Air Force and functions as a specialist airfield defence corps founded by Royal Warrant in 1942. The RAF Regiment is trained in CBRN defence, and equipped with advanced vehicles, RAF Regiment instructors are responsible for training all Royal Air Force personnel in basic force protection such as first aid, weapon handling and CBRN skills. The regiment and its members are known within the RAF as The Regiment, RAF Regiment squadrons use aggressive defence tactics whereby they actively seek out infiltrators in a large area surrounding airfields. These were equipped with Rolls-Royce armoured cars and were successful in ground combat operations throughout the Middle East in the 1920s and 1930s. The RAF Regiment came into existence, in name, on 1 February 1942, from the start it had 66,000 personnel drawn from the former Defence Squadrons No. s 701-850. The new regiment was made up of both squadrons and light anti-aircraft squadrons, the latter originally armed with Hispano 20mm cannon. Its role was to seize, secure and defend airfields to enable air operations to take place, several parachute squadrons were formed to assist in the seizing of airfields and No. 284 Field Squadron was the first RAF unit to arrive in West Berlin in 1945 to secure RAF Gatow. During the Second World War, with its first headquarters established at RAF Belton Park, Grantham, Squadrons usually consisted of a headquarters flight, three rifle flights, an air defence flight, and an armoured car flight. The flights were grouped together into wings as needed and it also operated six armoured car squadrons to provide an area response capability to several RAF stations. They proved to be of high quality. This was overcome by holding defensive boxes mainly or entirely supplied by air, the defence of forward airfields close to the main army concentrations was vital to this strategy. A training school and depot for the RAF Regiment was established at Secunderabad in October 1942 to retrain former ground defence airmen and it had an assault course considered tougher than anything the army had in India. Six field squadrons and seventy AA flights were initially formed containing 160 officers and 4,000 other ranks, until mid-1944 the AA flights were equipped only with light machine guns, then with Hispano 20 mm cannon for the rest of the war. Regiment units defended airfields and forward mobile radar units in Arakan in the Allied offensive in late 1942, during the Battle of Imphal all supplies and reinforcements had to be flown in between 29 March and 22 June 1944 with RAF Regiment units providing vital airfield defence. Units of 1307 Wing were flown into the captured and strategically vital Meiktila airfield on 1 March 1945. As one of the RAF Regiments proudest battle honours this three week battle destroyed the Japanese hold on northern Burma, on 26 November 1944, a Me 262A-2a Sturmvogel of III/KG51 based at Hopsten/Rheine near Osnabruck was the first confirmed ground-to-air kill of a jet combat aircraft. The 262 was shot down by a 40/L60 40mm Bofors gun of B.11 Detachment of 2875 Squadron RAF Regiment at the RAF forward airfield of Helmond, near Eindhoven
20.
Very important person
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A very important person is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their status or importance. The special treatment usually involves separation from common people, and a level of comfort or service. In some cases, such as tickets, VIP may be used as a title in a similar way to premium. These VIP tickets can be purchased by anyone, but still meaning separation from other customers, the term VVIP or Very Very Important Person is also used, especially with reference to VIPs with very high spending power. VIP syndrome is when a perceived VIP uses their status to influence a given professional to make decisions under the pressure or presence of the individual. The phenomenon can occur in any profession that has relationships with wealthy, famous, one example is the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash
21.
NATO
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The organization constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party, three NATO members are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and are officially nuclear-weapon states. NATOs headquarters are located in Haren, Brussels, Belgium, while the headquarters of Allied Command Operations is near Mons. NATO is an Alliance that consists of 28 independent member countries across North America and Europe, an additional 22 countries participate in NATOs Partnership for Peace program, with 15 other countries involved in institutionalized dialogue programmes. The combined military spending of all NATO members constitutes over 70% of the global total, Members defence spending is supposed to amount to 2% of GDP. The course of the Cold War led to a rivalry with nations of the Warsaw Pact, politically, the organization sought better relations with former Warsaw Pact countries, several of which joined the alliance in 1999 and 2004. N. The Treaty of Brussels, signed on 17 March 1948 by Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, the treaty and the Soviet Berlin Blockade led to the creation of the Western European Unions Defence Organization in September 1948. However, participation of the United States was thought necessary both to counter the power of the USSR and to prevent the revival of nationalist militarism. He got a hearing, especially considering American anxiety over Italy. In 1948 European leaders met with U. S. defense, military and diplomatic officials at the Pentagon, marshalls orders, exploring a framework for a new and unprecedented association. Talks for a new military alliance resulted in the North Atlantic Treaty and it included the five Treaty of Brussels states plus the United States, Canada, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. The first NATO Secretary General, Lord Ismay, stated in 1949 that the goal was to keep the Russians out, the Americans in. Popular support for the Treaty was not unanimous, and some Icelanders participated in a pro-neutrality, the creation of NATO can be seen as the primary institutional consequence of a school of thought called Atlanticism which stressed the importance of trans-Atlantic cooperation. The members agreed that an attack against any one of them in Europe or North America would be considered an attack against them all. The treaty does not require members to respond with military action against an aggressor, although obliged to respond, they maintain the freedom to choose the method by which they do so. This differs from Article IV of the Treaty of Brussels, which states that the response will be military in nature. It is nonetheless assumed that NATO members will aid the attacked member militarily, the treaty was later clarified to include both the members territory and their vessels, forces or aircraft above the Tropic of Cancer, including some Overseas departments of France. The creation of NATO brought about some standardization of allied military terminology, procedures, and technology, the roughly 1300 Standardization Agreements codified many of the common practices that NATO has achieved
22.
Battle of Britain
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The Battle of Britain was a military campaign of the Second World War, when the Royal Air Force defended the United Kingdom against the German Air Force attacks from the end of June 1940. It is described as the first major campaign fought entirely by air forces, the primary objective of the Nazi German forces was to compel Britain to agree to a negotiated peace settlement. In July 1940, the air and sea blockade began with the Luftwaffe mainly targeting coastal shipping convoys, ports and shipping centres, such as Portsmouth. On 16 July Hitler ordered the preparation of Operation Sea Lion as an amphibious and airborne assault on Britain. Nazi Germany was unable to sustain daylight raids, but their continued night bombing operations on Britain became known as the Blitz. Its first Chief of the Air Staff Hugh Trenchard was among the military strategists in the 1920s like Giulio Douhet who saw air warfare as a new way to overcome the stalemate of trench warfare, interception was near impossible with fighter planes no faster than bombers. Their view was that the bomber will always get through, Germany was forbidden military air forces by the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, but developed aircrew training in civilian and sport flying. In 1926 the secret Lipetsk fighter-pilot school began operating, a winter 1933–34 war game indicated a need for fighters and anti-aircraft protection as well as bombers. On 1 March 1935 the Luftwaffe was formally announced, with Walther Wever as Chief of Staff, the list excluded bombing civilians to destroy homes or undermine morale, as that was considered a waste of strategic effort, but the doctrine allowed revenge attacks if German civilians were bombed. A revised edition was issued in 1940, and the central principle of Luftwaffe doctrine was that destruction of enemy armed forces was of primary importance. In the Spanish Civil War, the Luftwaffe in the Condor Legion tried out air fighting tactics, wolfram von Richthofen become an exponent of air power providing ground support to other services. The difficulty of hitting targets prompted Ernst Udet to require that all new bombers had to be dive bombers. Priority was given to producing large numbers of aeroplanes. The speed with which German forces defeated most of the armies in Norway in early 1940 created a significant political crisis in Britain. In early May 1940, the Norway Debate questioned the fitness for office of the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, on 10 May, the same day Winston Churchill became British Prime Minister, the Germans initiated the Battle of France with an aggressive invasion of French territory. The Germans were so convinced of an imminent armistice that they began constructing street decorations for the parades of victorious troops. Instead, Churchill used his skilful rhetoric to harden public opinion against capitulation, the Battle of Britain has the unusual distinction that it gained its name before being fought. In secret conference on 23 May 1939 Hitler set out his rather contradictory strategy that an attack on Poland was essential, if this is impossible, then it will be better to attack in the West and to settle Poland at the same time with a surprise attack
23.
Cadet
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The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries, the term is also used in civilian contexts and as a general attributive, for example in its original sense of a branch of a ruling house which is not currently in the direct line of succession. The term comes from the French term cadet for younger sons of a noble family, in Commonwealth countries, including the United Kingdom, a cadet is a member of one of the cadet forces. In the United Kingdom these are the Combined Cadet Force, the Sea/Royal Marine Cadets, Army Cadets, Military officers in training are called officer cadets. In Canada, the term refers to an officer in training, with the official rank names as Officer Cadet for the Air Force and Army. It also refers to any member of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets and these three organizations are volunteer youth groups administered by the Department of National Defence. In Germany, the rank Cadet only exists in the German Navy for officers in training, in the Army and the Luftwaffe, officers in training usually have the rank of a Fahnenjunker or Ensign before they are promoted into the rank of a Lieutenant. Graduates of PMMA are given reserve officer status in the Philippine Navy, the term cadet is also applicable to the enrollees of Citizens Army Training and Reserve Officer Training Corps. Service academy cadets are thought to be between the NCO and Officers ranks, and NCO consider cadets as rank higher to them, in Ireland, a Cadet is a pupil of the Military College, which carries out officer training for the Air Corps, Army and Naval Service. Training takes two years and the Cadets are split into Senior and Junior Grades and Classes, in Norway, a cadet is a pupil of either of the three Krigsskolen, which educate commanding officers for either the Army, the Navy or to the Air Force. In the United States, cadet refers to a college student who is concurrently in training to become a commissioned officer of the armed forces. Some state-sponsored military colleges, including The Citadel, Virginia Military Institute and private college, Norwich University. In Australia Cadet also refers to an officer in training, the official rank is Officer Cadet however OCDTs in the Royal Military College—Duntroon are referred to as Staff Cadet for historical reasons. In the British and Commonwealth as well as Russian service, these groups of boys or youths are organized, armed and trained on volunteer military lines, the Antigua and Barbuda Cadet Corps consists of students between the ages of 12 and 19. It Is a voluntary organization, sponsored by the government. The main objective is to training and personal development to the youths through paramilitary activities. The training is geared to young men and woman to become model citizens. Emphasis during training is based on discipline, loyalty, leadership
24.
James May
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James Daniel May is a British television presenter and journalist. Best known as a co-presenter of the motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond from 2003 until 2015. As of 2016 he is a director of the production company W. May has presented programmes on themes including science and technology, toys, wine culture. He wrote a column for The Daily Telegraphs motoring section from 2003 to 2011. James May was born on 16 January 1963 in Bristol, one of four children, may attended Caerleon Endowed Junior School in Newport. He spent his years in South Yorkshire where he attended Oakwood Comprehensive School in Rotherham and was a choirboy at Whiston Parish Church. He was also at school with Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes actor Dean Andrews, a keen flautist and pianist, he studied Music at Pendle College, Lancaster University. After graduating, May briefly worked at a hospital in Chelsea as a records officer, during the early 1980s, May worked as a sub-editor for The Engineer and later Autocar magazine, from which he was dismissed for performing a prank. He has since written for publications, including the regular column England Made Me in Car Magazine, articles for Top Gear magazine. He has written the book May on Motors, which is a collection of his published articles and he wrote the afterword to Long Lane with Turnings, published in September 2006, the final book by motoring writer L. J. K. Setright. In the same month he co-presented a tribute to Raymond Baxter, notes From The Hard Shoulder and James Mays 20th Century, a book to accompany the television series of the same name, were published in 2007. In an interview with Richard Allinson on BBC Radio 2, May confessed that in 1992 he was dismissed from Autocar magazine after putting together an acrostic in one issue, at the end of the year, the magazines Road Test Year Book supplement was published. Each spread featured four reviews and each started with a large red letter. Mays role was to put the entire supplement together, which was extremely boring, to alleviate the tedium, May wrote each review such that the initials on the first four spreads read ROAD, TEST, YEAR and BOOK. Subsequent spreads seemingly had random letters, starting with SOYO and UTHI, however, the eagle eyed or curious would soon notice that the letters did in fact spell out a message. Mays original message, when punctuated, reads, So you think its really good and you should try making the bloody thing up, its a real pain in the arse. The editors of Autocar missed the joke and only became aware of it when readers started calling in about it and he also wrote and presented a Christmas special called James Mays Top Toys exploring the toys of his childhood. James May, My Sisters Top Toys attempted to investigate the gender divide of toy appeal, in series 3, episode 3 of Gordon Ramsays The F Word, May managed to beat Ramsay in eating animal penises and rotten shark and with his fish pie recipe
25.
NATO Tiger Association
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The NATO Tiger Association or the Association of Tiger Squadrons was established in 1961. Promoted by French Defence minister Pierre Messmer, its role is to promote solidarity between NATO air forces and it is not, though, part of the formal NATO structure. The USAFE 79th TFS took the initiative and on 19 July 1961 they invited No.74 Squadron RAF, france was then a full military member of NATO. As of May 2016, the squadrons included in the Association are 24 full members,10 honorary members, as well as being opportunities for NATO air forces to share ideas and experiences, the ‘Tiger Meets’ are also public relations exercises for NATO. NATO aircraft are often painted with tiger stripes. The following 24 squadrons are full members of the association, austrian Air Force 1 Jet Training Squadron Belgian Air Force 31 Smaldeel Czech Air Force 211
26.
Colombian Air Force
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The Colombian Air Force or FAC is the Air Force of the Republic of Colombia. It is one of the largest American air forces and increased activity due to its important role in the fight against narco-terrorism, Air Force is the only global processes that have accredited with ISO9001 and NTCGP1000. The system corresponds to ISO9001 quality management with the international standard, the Colombian Air Force also served with distinction during the Second World War in the islands of San Andrés. Military aviation began in Colombia in 1919 with the creation of an aviation school for the Colombian Army. Previously by Law 15 of 1916 of September 7 two commissions were sent overseas to study new technological advancements in aviation, infantry, cavalry, engineering, officers pertaining to the Colombian Army were also sent to take a course on flight training on techniques and tactics. The school was created in Colombia along with the Colombian National Army Aviation as a fifth regiment by Law 126 of 1919 of December 31 authorized by President of Colombia. The unit was activated on February 15,1921 in Flandes. The Aviation School initially had 3 Caudron G.3 E-2,3 Caudron G.4 A-2, the school was closed due to financial hardships in 1922. The School of Military Aviation was reopened on November 8,1924 in Madrid, the aircraft used for training were 4 Wild WT and 8 Wild X performing the first air review on August 7,1927. Then on December 28,1928 the first combat aircraft was shown in Colombia, the Colombian military aviation only had 11 instructors, four Curtiss-Wright CW-14R Osprey air combat support planes and one Curtiss Falcon O-1. The military aviation then received full support from the Congress of Colombia. The imported aircraft were 4 Junkers F.13,4 Junkers W34 and 3 Junkers K43,6 Junkers Ju 52,2 Dornier Merkur II,4 Dornier Wal,20 Curtiss Falcon F-8F and 30 Curtiss Hawk II F-11C. The contingent was sent to southern Colombia to fight Peruvian forces with the main mission of delivering supplies to the front lines, aerial reconnaissance. The fleet was divided into three squadrons with Puerto Boy as the camp site. Support bases were in Caucaya airstrip, El Encanto, Puerto Arica, La Pedrera, the main combat operations started on February 14,1933 in Tarapacá where the Peruvian garrison was bombed by seven Colombian aircraft and later assaulted by land forces. Later, on March 26, in the village of Guepi eleven Colombian planes, the last military actions of the conflict with Peru were on May 8,1933 and in which there was an aerial engagement between the two forces. Peruvian planes were attacking the fleet of Colombia over the Algodón River and were surprised by the Colombian squadron. One of the Peruvian aircraft, a Douglas O-38P was gunned down, on May 24,1933 a cease fire was declared after an agreement was reached with the intervention of the League of Nations
27.
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
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The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medevac and it is now the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. Over forty variants and versions of the Hercules, including a civilian one marketed as the Lockheed L-100, the C-130 entered service with the U. S. in the 1950s, followed by Australia and others. During its years of service, the Hercules family has participated in numerous military, the C-130 Hercules is the longest continuously produced military aircraft at over 60 years, with the updated Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules currently being produced. The new transport would have a capacity of 92 passengers,72 combat troops or 64 paratroopers in a compartment that was approximately 41 feet long,9 feet high. Unlike transports derived from passenger airliners, it was to be designed from the ground-up as a transport with loading from a hinged loading ramp at the rear of the fuselage. A key feature was the introduction of the Allison T56 turboprop powerplant, as was the case on helicopters of that era, such as the UH-1 Huey, turboshafts produced much more power for their weight than piston engines. Lockheed would subsequently use the engines and technology in the Lockheed L-188 Electra. The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter also had a ramp, which made it possible to drive vehicles onto the plane. The ramp on the Hercules was also used to airdrop cargo, the new Lockheed cargo plane design possessed a range of 1,100 nmi, takeoff capability from short and unprepared strips, and the ability to fly with one engine shut down. Fairchild, North American, Martin, and Northrop declined to participate, the remaining five companies tendered a total of ten designs, Lockheed two, Boeing one, Chase three, Douglas three, and Airlifts Inc. one. The contest was an affair between the lighter of the two Lockheed proposals and a four-turboprop Douglas design. The Lockheed design team was led by Willis Hawkins, starting with a 130-page proposal for the Lockheed L-206, both Hibbard and Johnson signed the proposal and the company won the contract for the now-designated Model 82 on 2 July 1951. The first flight of the YC-130 prototype was made on 23 August 1954 from the Lockheed plant in Burbank, the aircraft, serial number 53-3397, was the second prototype, but the first of the two to fly. The YC-130 was piloted by Stanley Beltz and Roy Wimmer on its 61-minute flight to Edwards Air Force Base, Jack Real, kelly Johnson flew chase in a Lockheed P2V Neptune. After the two prototypes were completed, production began in Marietta, Georgia, where over 2,300 C-130s have been built through 2009. The initial production model, the C-130A, was powered by Allison T56-A-9 turboprops with three-blade propellers, deliveries began in December 1956, continuing until the introduction of the C-130B model in 1959. Some A-models were equipped with skis and re-designated C-130D, four-bladed Hamilton Standard propellers replaced the Aeroproducts three-blade propellers that distinguished the earlier A-models
28.
Black Eagles aerobatic team
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The 53rd Air Demonstration Group, nicknamed Black Eagles, is the flight display team of the Republic of Korea Air Force based at Wonju AB, Gangwon Province. The ROKAF Aerobatic Team has operated in various occasions of national ceremonies, the permanent team was initially formed on December 12,1994 and flew six Cessna A-37B Dragonfly airplanes. The team was disbanded temporarily after the 2007 Seoul Air Show and has been reformed upon the arrival of their new T-50 Golden Eagle aircraft code named as T-50B, which were delivered in 2010. The Republic of Korea Air Force Black Eagles aerobatic team has operated in various occasions of national ceremonies, the original display team was formed on October 1,1953 and operated four F-51 Mustangs. In October,1956 a new team the T-33A Show Flight Team was formed. On October 1,1959 a new team was formed. This team was called the Blue Sabre and they flew four F-86 Sabre jet airplanes and this team was disbanded in 1966. In 1967, a new team, the Black Eagles, was formed. It operated between 1966 through 1978 and flew seven Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighters, from 1966 to 1969 the aircraft were F-5As. Flying was suspended from 1970 to 1972, and from 1973 to 1978 the aircraft used were RF-5As, in 1978 the team was disbanded in order to enhance defense preparedness. On April 1,1999 the flight was detached from the 238 FS, after the Seoul Air Show in 2007, the Black Eagles team was temporarily disbanded on October 31,2007 for transitioning to their new T-50 Golden Eagle. The farewell flight mission was directed by Gen. KIM Eun-gi, on July 1,2012 the Black Eagles was awarded the Boeing Trophy for best display at the 17th Waddington International Air Show. Now the Black Eagles are not commanded by the 8th Fighter Wing, the Black Eagles T-50B is painted in yellow, white, and black. It is equipped with an internal smoke generation system which creates a smoke trail. The aircraft is basically the same as the original T-50 except for the generation system, several cameras. The thick smoke trails of the Black Eagles aerobatic team are made by releasing diesel and oil into the exhaust nozzle, there are two smoke tanks in the aircraft, each designed to carry about 60 gallon of smoke oil. The smoke system can control the quantity of oil released, so each aircraft can trail smoke for seven to twenty minutes, the Black Eagles group demonstrates organized teamwork and sophisticated flight skills. The display is composed of about 30 aerobatic maneuvers, the team has a total of eight aircraft in formation
29.
South Korea
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South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a sovereign state in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The earliest Korean pottery dates to 8000 BC, with three kingdoms flourishing in the 1st century BC and its rich and vibrant culture left 19 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity, the third largest in the world, along with 12 World Heritage Sites. Annexed into Imperial Japan in 1910, Korea was divided after its surrender in 1945, peace has since mostly continued with the two agreeing to work peacefully for reunification and the South solidifying peace as a regional power with the worlds 10th largest defence budget. South Koreas tiger economy soared at an average of 10% for over 30 years in a period of rapid transformation called the Miracle on the Han River. A long legacy of openness and focus on innovation made it successful, today, it is the worlds fifth largest exporter with the G20s largest budget surplus and highest credit rating of any country in East Asia. It has free trade agreements with 75% of the economy and is the only G20 nation trading freely with China, the US. Since 1988, its constitution guarantees a liberal democracy with high government transparency, high personal freedoms led to the rise of a globally influential pop culture such as K-pop and K-drama, a phenomenon called the Korean Wave, known for its distinctive fashionable and trendy style. Home of the UN Green Climate Fund and GGGI, South Korea is a leader in low carbon growth, committed to helping developing countries as a major DAC. It is the third least ignorant country in the Index of Ignorance, ranking eighth highest for peaceful tolerance. It is the worlds largest spender on R&D per GDP, leading the OECD in graduates in science, the name Korea derives from the name Goryeo. The name Goryeo itself was first used by the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo in the 5th century as a form of its name. The 10th-century kingdom of Goryeo succeeded Goguryeo, and thus inherited its name, the modern spelling of Korea first appeared in the late 17th century in the travel writings of the Dutch East India Companys Hendrick Hamel. After Goryeo was replaced by Joseon in 1392, Joseon became the name for the entire territory. The new official name has its origin in the ancient country of Gojoseon, in 1897, the Joseon dynasty changed the official name of the country from Joseon to Daehan Jeguk. The name Daehan, which means great Han literally, derives from Samhan, however, the name Joseon was still widely used by Koreans to refer to their country, though it was no longer the official name. Under Japanese rule, the two names Han and Joseon coexisted, there were several groups who fought for independence, the most notable being the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. Following the surrender of Japan, in 1945, the Republic of Korea was adopted as the name for the new country. Since the government only controlled the part of the Korean Peninsula
30.
Japan
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Japan is a sovereign island nation in Eastern Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies off the eastern coast of the Asia Mainland and stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea, the kanji that make up Japans name mean sun origin. 日 can be read as ni and means sun while 本 can be read as hon, or pon, Japan is often referred to by the famous epithet Land of the Rising Sun in reference to its Japanese name. Japan is an archipelago consisting of about 6,852 islands. The four largest are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, the country is divided into 47 prefectures in eight regions. Hokkaido being the northernmost prefecture and Okinawa being the southernmost one, the population of 127 million is the worlds tenth largest. Japanese people make up 98. 5% of Japans total population, approximately 9.1 million people live in the city of Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Archaeological research indicates that Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper Paleolithic period, the first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other regions, mainly China, followed by periods of isolation, from the 12th century until 1868, Japan was ruled by successive feudal military shoguns who ruled in the name of the Emperor. Japan entered into a period of isolation in the early 17th century. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan is a member of the UN, the OECD, the G7, the G8, the country has the worlds third-largest economy by nominal GDP and the worlds fourth-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It is also the worlds fourth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer, although Japan has officially renounced its right to declare war, it maintains a modern military with the worlds eighth-largest military budget, used for self-defense and peacekeeping roles. Japan is a country with a very high standard of living. Its population enjoys the highest life expectancy and the third lowest infant mortality rate in the world, in ancient China, Japan was called Wo 倭. It was mentioned in the third century Chinese historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms in the section for the Wei kingdom, Wa became disliked because it has the connotation of the character 矮, meaning dwarf. The 倭 kanji has been replaced with the homophone Wa, meaning harmony, the Japanese word for Japan is 日本, which is pronounced Nippon or Nihon and literally means the origin of the sun. The earliest record of the name Nihon appears in the Chinese historical records of the Tang dynasty, at the start of the seventh century, a delegation from Japan introduced their country as Nihon
31.
Boeing KC-767
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The Boeing KC-767 is a military aerial refueling and strategic transport aircraft developed from the Boeing 767-200ER. The tanker received the designation KC-767A, after being selected by the U. S. Air Force initially to replace older KC-135Es, in December 2003, the contract was frozen and later canceled due to corruption allegations. The tanker was developed for the Italian and Japanese air forces, financing of the development of the aircraft has largely been borne by Boeing, in the hope of receiving major orders from the USAF. Boeings revised KC-767 proposal to the USAF was selected in February 2011 for the KC-X program under the designation KC-46, the USAF ran a procurement program to replace about 100 of its oldest KC-135E Stratotankers, part of the Commercial Derivative Air Refueling Aircraft program. Most USAF KC-135s are of the updated KC-135R variant, in addition, the KC-767 has manual flight controls with an unrestricted flight envelope. The Boeing tanker officially received the KC-767A designation from the U. S. DoD in 2002, for its Commercial Derivative Air Refueling Aircraft program, the USAF decided to lease around 100 KC-767 tankers from Boeing after it was selected. Despite other nations engaging in leasing of aircraft, there was some criticism. This was derided as a criticism, as there were many U. S. allies in need of tanker aircraft. The Congressional Budget Office has also criticized the draft leasing agreement as fiscally irresponsible, in November 2003, a compromise was struck whereby the Air Force would purchase 80 KC-767 aircraft and lease 20 more. In December 2003, the Pentagon announced the project was to be frozen while an investigation of allegations of corruption by one of its former procurement staffers, Darleen Druyun was undertaken. Druyun pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine months in jail for negotiating a job with Boeing at the time she was involved in contracts with the company. Additional fallout included the termination of Boeing CFO Michael M. Sears, who was sentenced to four months in prison in 2005, the Air Forces KC-767A contract was officially canceled by the DoD in January 2006. Boeing continued development of the aircraft, Italy selected the KC-767A and signed a contract in 2002 becoming the launch customer, with delivery set for 2005. The Italian Air Force ordered four aircraft and this version is based on the 767-200ER and is named the KC-767 Tanker Transport, and is fitted with boom and hose-drogue refueling systems on the centerline with hose-drogue wingpod systems. Italys aircraft became the first KC-767 to be assembled, the aircraft were initially built as 767-200ER commercial airplanes, then flown to a separate facility for conversion into tankers. Italys first aircraft made its flight on 21 May 2005. Italys second aircraft arrived for modification at the Naples, Italy facility of Boeings partner, delivery of the tankers to the Italian Air Force was delayed due to an issue with flutter of the wing pods and other technical issues. Boeing provided a 767 for training during this time, after resolving the issues, Boeing delivered the first KC-767 in January, and the second in March 2011
32.
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
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The Japan Air Self-Defense Force, or JASDF, is the aviation branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces - responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace and for other aerospace operations. The JASDF carries out combat air patrols around Japan, while maintaining an extensive network of ground. The branch also has a team known as Blue Impulse and has recently become involved in providing air transport in several UN peacekeeping missions. The JASDF had an estimated 50,324 personnel as of 2013, before forming the Japanese Self-Defense Forces after World War II, Japan did not have a separate air force. Aviation operations were carried out by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service, following World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy were dissolved and later replaced by the JSDF with the passing of the 1954 Self-Defense Forces Law, with the JASDF as the aviation branch. Major units of the JASDF are the Air Defense Command, Air Support Command, Air Training Command, Air Development and Test Command, the Air Support Command is responsible for direct support of operational forces in rescue, transportation, control, weather monitoring and inspection. The Air Training Command is responsible for flying and technical training. The Air Development and Test Command, in addition to overseeing equipment research and development, is responsible for research. All four regional headquarters control surface-to-air missile units of both the JASDF and the JGSDF located in their respective areas, in the late 1980s, the system was modernized and augmented with E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. The nation relies on aircraft and surface-to-air missiles to intercept hostile aircraft. Both of these systems were improved from the beginning of the late 1980s, outmoded aircraft were replaced in the early 1990s with more sophisticated models, and Nike-J missiles have been replaced with the modern Patriot PAC-2 and PAC-3 system. The JASDF also provides air support for ground and sea operations of the JGSDF, base defenses were upgraded in the late 1980s with new surface-to-air missiles, modern antiaircraft artillery and new fixed and mobile aircraft shelters
33.
Taiko
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Taiko are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. The process of constructing taiko varies between manufacturers, and preparation of both the body and skin can take several years depending on methodology. Taiko have a origin in Japanese folklore, but historical records suggest that taiko were introduced to Japan through Korean. Some taiko are similar to instruments originating from India, archaeological evidence also supports that taiko were present in Japan during the 6th century in the Kofun period. Their function has varied through history, ranging from communication, military action, theatrical accompaniment, in modern times, taiko have also played a central role in social movements for minorities both within and outside Japan. Kumi-daiko performance, characterized by an ensemble playing on different drums, was developed in 1951 through the work of Daihachi Oguchi and has continued with such as Kodo. Other performance styles, such as hachijō-daiko, have emerged from specific communities in Japan. Kumi-daiko performance groups are not only in Japan, but also in the United States, Australia, Canada. Taiko performance consists of components in technical rhythm, form, stick grip, clothing. Ensembles typically use different types of barrel-shaped nagadō-daiko as well as smaller shime-daiko, many groups accompany the drums with vocals, strings, and woodwind instruments. The origin of the instruments is unclear, though there have been many suggestions, historical accounts, of which the earliest date from 588 CE, note that young Japanese men traveled to Korea to study the kakko, a drum that originated in South China. This study and appropriation of Chinese instruments may have influenced the emergence of taiko, certain court music styles, especially gigaku and gagaku, arrived in Japan through both Korea and China. In both traditions, dancers were accompanied by instruments that included drums similar to taiko. This evidence was substantiated by the discovery of statues in the Sawa District of Gunma Prefecture. Two of these figures are depicted playing drums, one of them, wearing skins, is equipped with a barrel-shaped drum hung from his shoulder and this statue is titled Man Beating the Taiko and is considered the oldest evidence of taiko performance in Japan. Similarities between the playing style demonstrated by this haniwa and known music traditions in Korea and China further suggest influences from these regions, the Nihon Shoki, the second oldest book of Japanese classical history, contains a mythological story describing the origin of taiko. The myth tells how Amaterasu, who had sealed herself inside a cave in anger, was beckoned out by an elder goddess Ame-no-Uzume when others had failed, Ame-no-Uzume accomplished this by emptying out a barrel of sake and dancing furiously on top of it. Historians regard her performance as the creation of taiko music
34.
Airbus A400M Atlas
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The Airbus A400M Atlas is a multi-national, four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It was designed by Airbus Military as a tactical airlifter with strategic capabilities to replace older aircraft, such as the Transall C-160. The A400M is positioned, in terms of size, between the C-130 and the C-17, it can carry heavier loads than the C-130, while able to use rough landing strips. Along with the role, the A400M can perform aerial refuelling. The A400Ms maiden flight, originally planned for 2008, took place on 11 December 2009 from Seville, Spain. Between 2009 and 2010, the A400M faced cancellation as a result of development programme delays and cost overruns, however, a total of 174 A400M aircraft had been ordered by eight nations by July 2011. In March 2013, the A400M received European Aviation Safety Agency certification, the first aircraft was delivered to the French Air Force in August 2013. Varying requirements and the complications of international politics caused slow progress, in 1989, Lockheed left the grouping and went on to develop an upgraded Hercules, the C-130J Super Hercules. With the addition of Alenia of Italy and CASA of Spain the FIMA group became Euroflag, since no existing turboprop engine in the western world was powerful enough to reach the projected cruise speed of Mach 0.72, a new engine design was required. Originally the SNECMA M138 turboprop was selected, but didnt meet the requirements, Airbus Military issued a new request for proposal in April 2002, after which Pratt & Whitney Canada with the PW180 and Europrop International answered. In May 2003, Airbus Military selected the Europrop TP400-D6, reportedly due to political interference over the PW180 engine, the original partner nations were France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Belgium, and Luxembourg. These nations decided to charge the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation with the management of the acquisition of the A400M, following the withdrawal of Italy and revision of procurement totals the revised requirement was for 180 aircraft, with first flight in 2008 and first delivery in 2009. On 28 April 2005, South Africa joined the programme with the state-owned Denel Saab Aerostructures receiving a contract for fuselage components. The A400M is positioned as a size and range between the Lockheed C-130 and the Boeing C-17, carrying cargo too heavy for the C-130 while able to use rough landing strips. It has been advertised with the tagline transport what the C130 cannot to places that the C17 can’t, on 9 January 2009, EADS announced that the first delivery was postponed until at least 2012, and indicated that it wanted to renegotiate certain technical characteristics. EADS maintained the first deliveries would begin three years after the A400Ms first flight, in response to the FTD report, the chief of the German Air Force stated, That is a disastrous development, and could delay deliveries to the German Air Force until 2014. On 29 March 2009, Airbus CEO Thomas Enders told Der Spiegel magazine that the programme might need to be abandoned without changes, the OCCAR reminded the participating countries that they can terminate the contract before 31 March 2009. On 3 April 2009 the South African Air Force announced that it would start considering alternatives to the A400M due to postponed production, on 5 November 2009, South Africa announced it was cancelling the order citing increased cost and delivery delays.5 billion a year
35.
Airbus A380
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The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by European manufacturer Airbus. It is the worlds largest passenger airliner, and the airports at which it operates have upgraded facilities to accommodate it and it was initially named Airbus A3XX and designed to challenge Boeings monopoly in the large-aircraft market. The A380 made its first flight on 27 April 2005 and entered service on 25 October 2007 with Singapore Airlines. The A380s upper deck extends along the length of the fuselage. The A380-800 has a range of 8,500 nautical miles, serving the second- and third-longest non-stop scheduled flights in the world. As of February 2017, Airbus had received 317 firm orders and delivered 208 aircraft, mcDonnell Douglas unsuccessfully offered its smaller, double-deck MD-12 concept for sale. Roeder was given approval for further evaluations of the UHCA after a presentation to the President. The megaproject was announced at the 1990 Farnborough Air Show, with the goal of 15% lower operating costs than the 747-400. Airbus organised four teams of designers, one each of its partners to propose new technologies for its future aircraft designs. The designs were presented in 1992 and the most competitive designs were used and this joint study was abandoned two years later, Boeings interest having declined because analysts thought that such a product was unlikely to cover the projected $15 billion development cost. Despite the fact only two airlines had expressed public interest in purchasing such a plane, Airbus was already pursuing its own large-plane project. In June 1994, Airbus announced its plan to develop its own very large airliner, Airbus considered several designs, including an unusual side-by-side combination of two fuselages from its A340, the largest Airbus jet at the time. The A3XX was pitted against the VLCT study and Boeings own New Large Aircraft successor to the 747. From 1997 to 2000, as the East Asian financial crisis darkened the market outlook, Airbus refined its design, the A380 designation was a break from previous Airbus families, which had progressed sequentially from A300 to A340. It was chosen because the number 8 resembles the double-deck cross section, the aircraft configuration was finalised in early 2001, and manufacturing of the first A380 wing-box component started on 23 January 2002. The development cost of the A380 had grown to €11-14 billion when the first aircraft was completed, major structural sections of the A380 are built in France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom. A380 components are provided by suppliers from around the world, the four largest contributors, by value, are Rolls-Royce, Safran, United Technologies, for the surface movement of large A380 structural components, a complex route known as the Itinéraire à Grand Gabarit was developed. The front and rear sections are shipped on one of three RORO ships from Hamburg in northern Germany to the United Kingdom
36.
British Airways
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British Airways, often shortened to BA, is the flag carrier and the largest airline in the United Kingdom based on fleet size. When measured by passengers carried, it is second-largest in the United Kingdom behind easyJet, the airline is based in Waterside near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. On 31 March 1974, all four companies were merged to form British Airways, after almost 13 years as a state company, British Airways was privatised in February 1987 as part of a wider privatisation plan by the Conservative government. The carrier soon expanded with the acquisition of British Caledonian in 1987, followed by Dan-Air in 1992, British Airways is a founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance, along with American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and the now defunct Canadian Airlines. The alliance has since grown to become the third-largest, after SkyTeam, IAG is listed on the London Stock Exchange and in the FTSE100 Index. A long-time Boeing customer, British Airways ordered 59 Airbus A320 family aircraft in August 1998, in 2007 it purchased 12 Airbus A380s and 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, marking the start of its long-haul fleet replacement. The centrepiece of the airlines fleet is the Boeing 777. British Airways is the largest operator of the Boeing 747-400, with 51 registered to the airline, on 1 September 1972 the management service functions of both BOAC and BEA were combined under the newly formed British Airways Group. British Airways was established as an airline on 31 March 1974 by the dissolution of BOAC, British Airways and Air France operated the supersonic airliner Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde, and the worlds first supersonic passenger service flew in January 1976 from London Heathrow to Bahrain. Services to the US began on 24 May 1976 with a flight to Washington Dulles airport, service to Singapore was established in co-operation with Singapore Airlines as a continuation of the flight to Bahrain. The final commercial Concorde flight was BA002 from New York JFK to London Heathrow on 24 October 2003, in 1981 the airline was instructed to prepare for privatisation by the Conservative Thatcher government. Sir John King, later Lord King, was appointed chairman, while many other large airlines struggled, King was credited with transforming British Airways into one of the most profitable air carriers in the world. The flag carrier was privatised and was floated on the London Stock Exchange in February 1987, British Airways effected the takeover of the UKs second airline, British Caledonian, in July of that same year. The formation of Richard Bransons Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1984 created a competitor for BA and this campaign included allegations of poaching Virgin Atlantic customers, tampering with private files belonging to Virgin and undermining Virgins reputation in the City. As a result of the case BA management apologised unreservedly, Lord King stepped down as chairman in 1993 and was replaced by his deputy, Colin Marshall, while Bob Ayling took over as CEO. Virgin filed an action in the US that same year regarding BAs domination of the trans-Atlantic routes. In 1992 British Airways expanded through the acquisition of the financially troubled Dan-Air, British Asia Airways, a subsidiary based in Taiwan, was formed in March 1993 to operate between London and Taipei. That same month BA purchased a 25% stake in the Australian airline Qantas and, with the acquisition of Brymon Airways in May, in September 1998, British Airways, along with American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and Canadian Airlines, formed the Oneworld airline alliance
37.
Aero L-39 Albatros
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The Aero L-39 Albatros is a high-performance jet trainer aircraft developed in Czechoslovakia by Aero Vodochody. It was designed during the 1960s as a replacement for the Aero L-29 Delfín as a training aircraft. The L-39 Albatros has the distinction of being the first of the second-generation jet trainers to be produced, the type was widely exported to a wide range of international operators as a military trainer. The L-39 Albatros later served as the basis for the updated L-59 Super Albatros, a further development of the design, designated as the L-159 ALCA, entered production in 1997. To date, more than 2,800 L-39s have served with over 30 air forces around the world. The Albatros is the most widely used jet trainer in the world, in addition to performing basic and advanced pilot training, the design never received a NATO reporting name. At the Farnborough Airshow in July 2014, Aero Vodochody announced the launch of the L-39NG and this aircraft was to serve as a replacement for the Aero L-29 Delfín, an early jet-powered trainer, as a principal training aircraft. Vlcek envisioned the type, a twin-seat single-engine aircraft, being adopted as the primary trainer throughout the Warsaw Pact nations, on 4 November 1969, the L-39 conducted its maiden flight, for which it was piloted by Rudolf Duchoň, the factorys test pilot. Serial production of the model of the L-39, designated L-39C. In 1974, the first L-39 trainer entered service with the Czechoslovakian Air Force, several specialised variants of the base L-39 design were quickly introduced. In 1972, a target tug variant, the L-39V. In 1975, the first L-39ZO training/light combat model, which was equipped with four underwing hardpoints as well as a wing and modified landing gear. According to aerospace publication Flight International, roughly 200 L-39s were being sold each year upon the jet trainer market during the late 1980s, in 1996, production of the L-39 came to an end. One of the replacements for the L-39 Albatros was the Aero L-159 Alca, originally, Aero Vodochody had intended to develop the L-159 in partnership with Elbit, but the Czech Ministry of Defense instead selected Rockwell Collins to partner on the program. The L-39NG replaces the AI-25 turbofan with a Williams FJ44 engine, the airframe is modified, the fuel tanks being eliminated. First flight is planned during 2016, with starting in 2018. The L-39 Albatros was designed to be a cost-effective jet-powered trainer aircraft and it could be readily flown from austere airstrips such as frozen lakebeds, enabled through the rugged design of the landing gear and favourable low landing speeds. As a training platform, the L-39 itself comprised part of a system which also used flight simulators
38.
Breitling Jet Team
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The Breitling Jet Team is the largest civilian aerobatic display team in Europe. Based in Dijon, France, it flies seven Czech Aero L-39 Albatros jets, the team flies a display lasting 18–20 minutes that includes formation flying, opposition passes, solo routines, and synchronized maneuvers. The team performs across Europe and the Middle East, with multiple engagements per year, including international airshows, the Breitling Jet Team was established in early 2003 with four L-39s. With the addition of two aircraft in 2004 and three in 2008, the now has a total of nine jets. The Teams roots go back to 1980, Jacques Bothelin, the team leader, began performing in airshows in 1980 with a French-designed Mudry CAP10 aircraft. In 1982, he began to fly as part of a team of three SIAI-Marchetti SF260s sponsored by Martini, the team was called Patrouille Martini. Also at that time, Jacques Bothelin established Apache Aviation at the teams Darois home base to handle the operational aspects of running a full-time aerobatic team, the Martini Team flew for five years in the SF260s, until the team took delivery of Swiss-manufactured Pilatus PC-7s, in 1988. In 1990, new regulations in France banning the advertising of alcohol forced Martini to withdraw its sponsorship, Ecco, a temporary employment agency, replaced Martini and the team was renamed Patrouille Ecco for the 1991 season. The teams colors changed from Martinis white to Eccos green and white, during the 1990s, Patrouille Ecco performed at airshows around Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. In 1997, Ecco merged with a Swiss firm, Adia, the teams name changed to Patrouille Adecco, and its colours shifted to Adeccos red and white. In 1998, the team suffered a setback when Adecco pulled out of its sponsorship, Jacques Bothelin and Philippe Laloix flew during 1999–2001 in two PC-7s as Les Apaches, the name was derived from the Apache Aviation firm. In late 2001, a group of Algerian companies founded by Rafik Khalifa offered to sponsor Apache Aviation, the PC-7s were sold, and L-39 jets arrived as their replacement. The new team was known as the Khalifa Jet Team, launching in March 2002, over the summer of 2002, the team worked up from a two-ship formation to a four-aircraft team. Over the course of 2002, the team appeared at 43 events in six European countries, in early 2003, Khalifa pulled out of the sponsorship. Breitling SA stepped into the breach and invested in the team and this allowed the outfit to expand from four planes to the seven-ship formation it flies today. Their final North American performance concluded on October 23,2016 at the Huntington Beach Airshow in Huntington Beach, on 15 September 2012, the Breitling Jet Team #2 crew had to eject, and the L-39 jet crashed on a field near Kleine Brogel Air Base. Breitling Jet Team website Blog about Breitling Jet Team Video about Breitling Jet Team in Mexican TV
39.
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
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The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole fighters. The fifth-generation combat aircraft is designed to perform ground attack and air defense missions, on 31 July 2015, the United States Marines declared ready for deployment the first squadron of F-35B fighters after intensive testing. On 2 August 2016, the U. S. Air Force declared its first squadron of F-35A fighters combat-ready, the F-35 descends from the X-35, the winning design of the Joint Strike Fighter program. An aerospace industry led by Lockheed Martin designed and manufactures it. Other major F-35 industry partners include Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, the F-35 first flew on 15 December 2006. The United States plans to buy 2,457 aircraft and its variants are to provide the bulk of the crewed tactical airpower of the U. S. Air Force, Navy and the Marine Corps over the coming decades. Deliveries of the F-35 for the U. S. military are scheduled until 2037 with a service life up to 2070. The United States principally funds the F-35 JSF development, with funding from partners. The partner nations are either NATO members or close U. S. allies, the program is the most expensive military weapons system in history, and has been much criticized inside and outside government, in the U. S. and in allied countries. By 2014, the program was $163 billion over seven years behind schedule. Critics also contend that the programs high sunk costs and political momentum make it too big to kill, the JSF program was designed to replace the United States military F-16, A-10, F/A-18 and AV-8B tactical fighter and attack aircraft. To keep development, production, and operating costs down, a design was planned in three variants that share 80 percent of their parts, F-35A, conventional take off and landing variant. F-35B, short-take off and vertical-landing variant, the design goals call for the F-35 to be the premier strike aircraft through 2040 and to be second only to the F-22 Raptor in air supremacy. Although both aircraft met or exceeded requirements, the X-35 design was considered to have less risk, the designation of the new fighter as F-35 is out-of-sequence with standard DoD aircraft numbering, by which it should have been F-24. It came as an even to the company, which had been referring to the aircraft in-house by this expected designation. Instead F-16s have been used as trainers between the T-38 and the F-35. The T-X was intended to be used to train future F-35 pilots, based on wind tunnel testing, Lockheed Martin slightly enlarged its X-35 design into the F-35. The forward fuselage is 5 inches longer to make room for avionics, correspondingly, the horizontal stabilators were moved 2 inches rearward to retain balance and control
40.
Polish Air Force
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The Polish Air Force is a military branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej. In 2014 it consisted of roughly 16,425 military personnel and about 475 aircraft, the Polish Air Force can trace its origins to the months following the end of World War I in 1918. During the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany in 1939, 70% of planes, military aviation in free Poland started even before officially acknowledged date of regaining independence. Poland was under German and Austro-Hungarian occupation until the armistice, and these planes were first used by the Polish Air Force in the Polish-Ukrainian War in late 1918, during combat operations centered around the city of Lwów. On 2 November Polish units took over an airfield Lewandówka in Lviv, when the Polish-Soviet War broke out in February 1920, the Polish Air Force used a variety of western-made Allied aircraft, including some from countries such as Britain, France and Italy. The most common aircraft in service at time were the British made Bristol F2B. Eskadra Niszczycielska included a Gotha G. IV on April 30,1920, after the Polish-Soviet War ended in 1921, most of the worn out World War I aircraft were gradually withdrawn and from 1924 the air force started to be equipped with new French aircraft. In total in 1918-1924 there were 2160 aircraft in the Polish Air Force and naval aviation, the first Polish-designed and mass-produced aircraft to serve in the countrys air force was a high wing fighter, the PWS-10, first manufactured in 1930 by the Podlasie Aircraft Factory. In 1933, Zygmunt Pulawskis first high wing, all-metal aircraft and its final version, the PZL P.24, was built for export only and was bought by four countries. As far as bombers are concerned, the Potez 25 and Breguet 19 were replaced by a monoplane, the PZL.23 Karaś, with 250 built from 1936 onwards. In 1938 the Polish factory PZL designed a modern medium bomber. The Łoś had a payload of 2580 kg and a top speed of 439 km/h. Unfortunately, only about 30 Łoś A bombers and 70 Łoś B bombers had been delivered before the Nazi invasion, as an observation and close reconnaissance plane, Polish escadres used the slow and easily damaged Lublin R-XIII, and later the RWD-14 Czapla. Polish naval aviation used the Lublin R-XIII on floats, just before the war, some Italian torpedo planes, the CANT Z.506, were ordered, but only one was delivered, and it was without armament. The principal aircraft used to train pilots were the Polish-built high-wing RWD-8, in 1939, Poland ordered 160 MS-406s and 10 Hawker Hurricane fighters from abroad, but they were not delivered before the outbreak of war. The aircraft destroyed by German bombers on the airfields were mostly trainer planes, the fighter planes were grouped into 15 escadres. Despite being obsolete, Polish PZL-11 fighters shot down over 170 German planes, the bombers, grouped in nine escadres of the Bomber Brigade, attacked armoured columns but suffered heavy losses
41.
Red Arrows
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The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton. The team was formed in late 1964 as an all-RAF team, the Red Arrows badge shows the aircraft in their trademark diamond nine formation, with the motto Éclat, a French word meaning brilliance or excellence. Initially, they were equipped with seven Folland Gnat trainers inherited from the RAF Yellowjacks display team and this aircraft was chosen because it was less expensive to operate than front-line fighters. In their first season, they flew at 65 shows across Europe, in 1966, the team was increased to nine members, enabling them to develop their Diamond Nine formation. In late 1979, they switched to the BAE Hawk trainer, the Red Arrows have performed over 4,700 displays in 56 countries worldwide. The Red Arrows were not the first RAF aerobatics team, an RAF pageant was held at Hendon in 1920 with teams from front-line biplane squadrons. In 1925, No.32 Squadron RAF flew an air display six nights a week entitled London Defended at the British Empire Exhibition, in 1938, three Gloster Gladiators flew with their wing-tips tied together. Formation aerobatics largely stopped during the Second World War, in 1947, the first jet team of three de Havilland Vampires came from RAF Odiham Fighter Wing. Various teams flew the Vampire, and in 1950, No.72 Squadron was flying a team of seven, No.54 Squadron became the first RAF jet formation team to use smoke trails. Vampires were replaced by Gloster Meteors, No.66 Squadron developing a team of six aircraft. Hawker Hunter aircraft were first used for teams in 1955. The official RAF team was provided by No.111 Squadron in 1956, and for the first time the aircraft had a colour scheme. After a demonstration in France, they were hailed as Les Fleches Noires and this team became the first team to fly a five-Hunter formation. In 1958 the Black Arrows performed a loop and barrel roll of 22 Hunters, the Black Arrows were the premier team until 1961, when the Blue Diamonds continued their role, flying sixteen blue Hunters. In 1960, the Tigers were re-equipped with the supersonic English Electric Lightning and performed wing-overs and they sometimes gave co-ordinated displays with the Blue Diamonds. Yet another aerobatics team was formed in 1960 by No.56 Squadron, in 1964, the Red Pelicans, flying six BAC Jet Provost T Mk 4s, assumed the role of the RAFs leading display team. In that same year, a team of five yellow Gnat trainers from No 4 Flying Training School displayed at the Farnborough Airshow and this team became known as the Yellowjacks after Flight Lieutenant Lee Joness call sign, Yellowjack. In 1964, all the RAF display teams were amalgamated, as it was feared pilots were spending too much time practising formation aerobatics rather than operational training
42.
Avro Vulcan
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The Avro Vulcan is a jet-powered tailless delta wing high-altitude strategic bomber, which was operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Roe and Company designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B. 35/46, of the three V bombers produced, the Vulcan was considered the most technically advanced and hence the riskiest option. Several scale aircraft, designated Avro 707, were produced to test, the Vulcan B.1 was first delivered to the RAF in 1956, deliveries of the improved Vulcan B.2 started in 1960. The B.2 featured more powerful engines, a larger wing, as a part of the V-force, the Vulcan was the backbone of the United Kingdoms airborne nuclear deterrent during much of the Cold War. The Vulcan had no defensive weaponry, initially relying upon high-speed high-altitude flight to evade interception, Electronic countermeasures were employed by the B.1 and B.2 from circa 1960. A change to low-level tactics was made in the mid-1960s, in the mid-1970s nine Vulcans were adapted for maritime radar reconnaissance operations, redesignated as B.2. In the final years of service six Vulcans were converted to the K.2 tanker configuration for aerial refuelling, B.2 XH558 flew for the last time in October 2015, before also being kept in taxiable condition at Robin Hood Airport, Doncaster. The origin of the Vulcan and the other V bombers is linked with early British atomic weapon programme, Britains atom bomb programme began with Air Staff Operational Requirement OR.1001 issued in August 1946. This anticipated a government decision in January 1947 to authorise research and development work on atomic weapons, atomic Energy Act of 1946 having prohibited exporting atomic knowledge, even to countries that had collaborated on the Manhattan Project. OR.1001 envisaged a weapon not to exceed 24 ft 2 in in length,5 ft in diameter and 10,000 lb in weight, the weapon had to be suitable for release from 20,000 ft to 50,000 ft. A cruising speed of 500 knots at heights between 35,000 ft and 50,000 ft was specified, the maximum weight when fully loaded ought not to exceed 100,000 lb. In addition to a bomb, the aircraft was to be capable of alternatively carrying a conventional bomb load of 20,000 lb. The similar OR.230 required a long range bomber with a 2,000 nautical miles radius of action with a weight of 200,000 lb when fully loaded. A total of six companies submitted technical brochures to this specification, the team estimated that an otherwise conventional aircraft, with a swept wing of 45°, would have doubled the weight requirement. Though Alexander Lippisch is generally credited as the pioneer of the delta wing, the initial design submission had four large turbojets stacked in pairs buried in the wing either side of the centreline. Outboard of the engines were two bomb-bays, in August 1947, Chadwick was killed in the crash of the Avro Tudor 2 prototype and was succeeded by Sir William Farren. The wingtip fins gave way to a single fin on the aircrafts centreline, rival manufacturer Handley Page received a prototype contract for its crescent-winged HP.80 B. 35/46 tender in November 1947. Though considered the best option, contract placement for Avros design was delayed whilst its technical strength was established, instructions to proceed with the construction of two Avro 698 prototypes was received in January 1948
43.
Avro Vulcan XH558
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It was the last Vulcan in military service, and the last to fly at all after 1986. It last flew on 28 October 2015, Vulcan XH558 first flew in 1960, and was one of the few examples converted for a maritime reconnaissance role in 1973, and then again as an air-to-air refuelling tanker in 1982. After withdrawal in 1984 it continued with the RAFs Vulcan Display Flight, in 1993 it was sold to C Walton Ltd who used it for ground based displays at their Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in Leicestershire, until 1999. Through a combination of donations and lottery funding, it was restored to airworthy condition by the Vulcan To The Sky Trust. The donations required to reach that point totalled £6. 5m and it recommenced its display career in 2008, funded by continuing donations to assist the £2m a year running costs. In the summers from 2008 to 2010 it was based at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, moving its base to RAF Lyneham. From 2011 it moved to a new base at the commercial Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Since its last flight, XH558 is now kept in taxiable condition, a total of 136 Vulcans were produced at Woodford Aerodrome between 1956 and 1965, with the first entering operational service on 20 May 1957. The OCU was the unit which prepared pilots familiar with aircraft to fly the Vulcan. Almost immediately 230 OCU transferred to RAF Finningley, South Yorkshire, in 1968, XH558 transferred back to Waddington, where it saw operational service with units of the Waddington Wing. In August 1973, XH558 was one of nine Vulcans converted to a SR2 Maritime Radar Reconnaissance configuration, by 1979 it had been decided the Vulcan was redundant, with the first being sent for scrap in December 1980. The last operational bomber squadron disbanded on 27 December 1982, sent to Woodford for conversion at the end of June, it passed back into service with 50 Squadron at Waddington on 12 October. The last Vulcans in service were the 6 tankers and a few other aircraft as trainers, all with 50 Squadron. XH558 was finally withdrawn from service on 17 September 1984, XH558 was subsequently selected for display duties with the RAFs Vulcan Display Flight at Waddington. The VDF had been formed in 1984 and was already using XL426, for display duties, XH558 was returned to B2 configuration in 1985, and made its debut at Bournemouth in May 1985. It served in the VDF for seven years, making its flight at Cranfield on 20 September 1992. Having been put up for disposal, XH558 was acquired by the Walton family and it was kept in serviceable condition, performing fast runs along the main runway along with other fast jets during special open days. With the decision taken in 1998, the last public ground run took place on 5 September 1999, the Vulcan to the Sky Trust was established to raise funds, including lodging an application with the Heritage Lottery Fund, rejected in 2002 but then refocused and accepted in 2004
44.
Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment
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The Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment was a multinational air unit based at RAF Cottesmore in Rutland, England, from 1981 to 1999. It performed training on the Panavia Tornado for the Royal Air Force, Luftwaffe, initially, pilots received four weeks of training on the ground, followed by nine weeks in the air. The Tornado was first shown to the British public on 14 April 1978 at RAF Boscombe Down, the RAF planned to buy 220 of them, and 165 of the ADV variant. 809 for all three countries had ordered, with 212 for the German Air Force,112 for the German Navy and 100 for the Italian Air Force. Cost at that time was £7. 8m for the GR1, as a historical comparison, a Tornado could carry twice the bomb load of an Avro Lancaster. The Tornado was the first RAF plane with Terrain Following Radar, the German Navy was the first to get the planes. When the TTTE was established, the RAF was concerned it may not have enough trained pilots to fly the planes, due to poor recruitment and perceived low pay. The first RAF Tornados arrived at the base on 1 July 1980, Luftwaffe Tornados arrived on 2 September 1980, allocation of aircraft was Germany,23, UK,19, and Italy,6. Flying training began on 5 January 1981 and it was manned by personnel of all three participating nations, trained 300 crews a year when at its height and consisted of three squadrons of Tornados. TTTE was a unit of approximately 1,600 military and 130 civilian employees, the Royal Air Force provided technicians and logistics personnel, the staff and the three training squadrons were manned by the three nations. The post of the Wing Commander varied between the three nations, staff and students of the three squadrons were tri-nationally mixed. A-Squadron was headed by a German, B-Squadron by a British, standardization Squadron was responsible for follow-on training, training of instructor pilots and conducting check flights. Theory lessons and simulator training was conducted by Ground School, cost sharing followed the ratio of flown sorties,40,40,20. In the post-Cold War era and the differences in the aircraft variants. There was also a need to space for British aircraft returning to the UK from bases in Germany, such as RAF Bruggen. Consequently, the unit disbanded on 24 February 1999, with Tornado flying ending on 31 March 1999, after TTTE, Cottesmore became the base for Joint Force Harrier. The station housed all the operational Harrier GR9 squadrons in the Royal Air Force, rather the Eurofighter partners have chosen to run national training schemes. The Panavia Tornado, a photographic tribute, gallery of aircraft seen at Cottesmore
45.
Finnish Air Force
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The Finnish Air Force, is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions, as a separate branch of the military, the Finnish Air Force was founded on 4 May 1928, having existed officially since 6 March 1918 as the Army Corps of Aviation. The first steps in the history of Finnish aviation were taken with Russian aircraft, the Russian military had a number of early designs stationed in the country, which until the Russian Revolution of 1917 had been part of the Russian Empire. Soon after the declaration of independence the Finnish Civil War erupted, Finlands White Guard, the Whites, managed to seize a few aircraft from the Russians, but were forced to rely on foreign pilots and aircraft. Sweden refused to send men and material, but individual Swedish citizens came to the aid of the Whites, the editor of the Swedish daily magazine Aftonbladet, Waldemar Langlet, bought a N. A. B. Albatros aircraft from the Nordiska Aviatik A. B. factory with funds gathered by the Finlands vänner organization and this aircraft, the first to arrive from Sweden, was flown via Haparanda on 25 February 1918 by Swedish pilots John-Allan Hygerth and Per Svanbäck. The aircraft made a stop at Kokkola and had to make a landing in Jakobstad when its engine broke down. It was later given the Finnish Air Force designation F.2, Swedish count Eric von Rosen gave the Finnish White government its second aircraft, a Thulin Typ D. Its pilot, Lieutenant Nils Kindberg, flew the aircraft to Vaasa on 6 March 1918, the von Rosen aircraft was given the designation F.1. The Finnish Air Force is one of the oldest air forces of the world – the RAF was founded as the first independent branch on 1 April 1918, von Rosen had painted his personal good luck charm on the Thulin Typ D aircraft. This charm – a blue swastika, the ancient symbol of the sun, the white circular background was created when the Finns tried to paint over the advertisement from the Thulin air academy. The swastika was officially taken into use after an order by Commander-in-Chief C. G. E. Mannerheim on 18 March 1918, the FAF changed its aircraft insignia after 1944, due to an Allied Control Commission decree prohibiting Fascist organizations and it resembling the 3rd Reichs swastika. The F.1 aircraft was destroyed in an accident, killing its crew, on 7 September 1920, two newly purchased Savoia flying boats crashed in the Swiss Alps en route to Finland, killing all on-board. This day has since been the day for fallen pilots. The Finnish Air Force assigns the numbers to its aircraft by assigning each type a two-letter code following by dash. The two-letter code usually refers to the manufacturer or model, such as HN for F/A-18 Hornet, DK for Saab 35 Draken. Most of the airbases that the Russians had left in Finland had been taken over by Whites after the Russian pilots had returned to Russia, the Reds were in possession of a few airbases and a few Russian aircraft, mainly amphibious aircraft. They had 12 aircraft in all, the Reds did not have any pilots themselves, so they hired some of the Russian pilots that had stayed behind
46.
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet
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The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a twin-engine supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole combat jet, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft. Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latters YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of other nations and, since 1986, by the U. S. Navys Flight Demonstration Squadron. The F/A-18 has a top speed of Mach 1.8 and it can carry a wide variety of bombs and missiles, including air-to-air and air-to-ground, supplemented by the 20-mm M61 Vulcan cannon. It is powered by two General Electric F404 turbofan engines, which give the aircraft a high thrust-to-weight ratio, the F/A-18 has excellent aerodynamic characteristics, primarily attributed to its leading edge extensions. The fighters primary missions are fighter escort, fleet air defense, Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, air interdiction, close air support, the Hornet first saw combat action during the 1986 United States bombing of Libya and subsequently participated in the 1991 Gulf War and 2003 Iraq War. The F/A-18 Hornet provided the design for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, its larger. In August 1973, Congress mandated that the Navy pursue a lower-cost alternative to the F-14, grumman proposed a stripped F-14 designated the F-14X, while McDonnell Douglas proposed a naval variant of the F-15, but both were nearly as expensive as the F-14. That summer, Secretary of Defense Schlesinger ordered the Navy to evaluate the competitors in the Air Forces Lightweight Fighter program, the Air Force competition specified a day fighter with no strike capability. On 2 May 1975, the Navy announced its selection of the YF-17, since the LWF did not share the design requirements of the VFAX, the Navy asked McDonnell Douglas and Northrop to develop a new aircraft from the design and principles of the YF-17. On 1 March 1977, Secretary of the Navy W. Graham Claytor announced that the F-18 would be named Hornet. Northrop had partnered with McDonnell Douglas as a contractor on NACF to capitalize on the latters experience in building carrier aircraft. On the F-18, the two agreed to evenly split component manufacturing, with McDonnell Douglas conducting final assembly. McDonnell Douglas would build the wings, stabilators, and forward fuselage, while Northrop would build the center and aft fuselage and vertical stabilizers. McDonnell Douglas was the contractor for the naval versions. The F-18, initially known as McDonnell Douglas Model 267, was modified from the YF-17. For carrier operations, the airframe, undercarriage, and tailhook were strengthened, folding wings and catapult attachments were added, and the landing gear widened. To meet Navy range and reserves requirements, McDonnell increased fuel capacity by 4,460 pounds, by enlarging the dorsal spine, a snag was added to the wings leading edge and stabilators to prevent an Aeroelastic flutter discovered in the F-15 stabilator
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