RAF 100th and WNAS18. Two.

'On reflection quite Good!

Now that it is all past and one has done some research into the aircraft, particularly the Hawker Sea Fury it was the last post-war piston fighter but what and aircraft. Biggles was not quite right in their selection of aircraft representing World War-I (1914-18), but the essential ideas of what aircraft were like and had to deal with was caught very well?

The U.S. P-51 Mustang is one of those most hotly disputed aircraft of World War-II (1939-45), looking back it may technically have been better than the British Super marine Spitfire? 

Other contributions were the Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane, the Gyro-copter, Wing Walkers and a couple of aircraft that I missed out on not seeing along with the joint forces parachute drop. The CH-47 Chinook is a most impressive transport helicopter and the RAF Typhoon Eurofighter jet remains as impressive as ever!

But again it was the Red Arrows who won the show for me and many, I looks like they have added a few newer moves and everything that they do seems to woo the crowds each year here in Swansea, S-Wales, U.K?

RAF 100th and the WNAS18. One.

A bit Disappointing?

This year of all years one was expecting much more than was on offer at the now annual Wales National Air Show? But it was Llandudno in North-Wales that got the armed forces day and not us?

The promised PBY Catalina flying boat was cancelled and instead we got the Hawker Sea Fury, many of the usual's where here, but we were limited to only the Boeing-Vertol CH-47 Chinook helicopter and the gyro-copter.

Friday and Saturday was spent up at Swansea airport taking in both the arrivals of Biggles, the Chinook and then their various take-offs and some returns from the Air Show in Swansea Bay, this combined with my love of birds paid off!

Later down the Mumbles one got the see the Red Arrows in a better light as their display filled the bay!

British Buying European?

Macron and the Super-State.

It would seem that Britain is doing the natural thing in buying European from both Airbus and Airbus helicopters, over that of the odd items from the United States?

The H135 and 145 are soon to enter service with the Helicopter Defence Flying School and more procurements of both the A400 Atlas transporter and A330 tankers are on the way, but the U.S. still has a look in with the F-35 V/STOL fighter, Boeing-Vertol Chinook transport helicopter and long awaited Boeing 737 maritime reconnaissance!

Not so much reported in the U.K. media, is the proposals by the French PM to create Europe as a super state, within his term! So much the better for Brexit, if we ever see the light of day of it?

N.A.T.O. meets in Brussels, Belgium on the 11th-12th July for their summit, the Ukraine, Iran, Syria and N-Korea will some of the main issues! Others will be the continued ISIS/S threat, Piracy in the Arabian and Red Seas and things that may surprise us even more???

WNAS16. Part-One.

Wales National Air Show 2016.

Thousands came out for this two day event on the Swansea Bay seafront to enjoy a mixture of aircraft types.

New to the show were the North American-Rockwell OV-10 Bronco, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MIG-15UTI, HM Coast Guard Augusta-Westland AW-139 SAR Helicopter G-CILP and G-CILN, Jet Provost Mk5 and the World War-II (1939-45) American USAAF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, restored and based at Duxford.

Apart from that everything was about the same, The Red Arrows BAE Hawks T.1, Boeing Vertol Chinook CH-47H, RAF Eurofighter Typhoon, Battle of Britain Hawker Hurricane and Super marine Spitfire, Team Raven (formerly Ospreys), with there Vans RV-4/8's,  two Augusta-Westland AW-159 Wildcats of the Black cats Royal Navy display team. The Auto-Gyro, Gerald Cooper completion flyer in his Xtreme Air Sbach 300  G-IIRI, racing aeroplane, Team Yakovlev with two Yakovlev YAK-18 aircraft and the DHFS AS-350BB ZJ-260 Squirrel from RAF Shawbury.

The HM Coast Guard Augusta-Westland AW-139 SAR helicopters and interacted with the local Mumbles RNLI Lifeboat 16-27 Roy Harvey.

Was it worth it? Yes it was free and good entertainment for two sunny days, after a winter of Bristol Channel murk.

Ground displays were limited, I did not get the chance to film more than a few Army/RAF MAN trucks. There was a funfair and loads of other, with stalls and food.

The Rockwell OV-10 Bronco proved to put on an impressive display, showing off its STOL (Short Take-Off Landing) capabilities and manoeuvrability for its service in the Vietnam war in 1968. This was the first YOV-10A that first flew on 16th July 1965 version, on display of the US Marine Corps and US Navy, but was painted in the colours of the German Air Force.

Wales Airshow 2015. Part-Two.

Aircraft.

The Red Arrows in their stylish painted BAE Systems Hawks are a regular, despite the dull weather. The RAF Eurofighter Typhoon stole the show with its victory roles and tight manoeuvres, while classics such as the Hawker Hunter and the Avro Vulcan bomber made noisy performances.

Visitors were the Royal Jordanian display team who were only seen prior to the weekend show, the Czech L-29 Delphin showed off what it could do. it being one of the lesser known combat fighters of the Warsaw Pact during the 'Cold War years.

An Auto-Gyro was pleasant to watch and so the helicopters of the Royal Navy AW-159 Wildcats, Sea King WS-61 SAR, RAF Boeing-Vertol Chinook and the AS-355 Squirrel DHFS. A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan flew over prior to the drop of the Tigers Parachute team.

The local Swansea Ospreys in their five Vans RV-8s replaced the Royal Jordanians.

Helicopters. Part-One.

From R-22 to CH-47 Chinooks..

I love helicopters, they are perhaps one of the most complicated flying machines and yet they have become so essential in modern society. From search and rescue to transport. helicopters are essential machines.

Many types today are available from the smaller to the large and I have had the privialage to film some of them that pass by from the Robin R-22 to the massive military CH-47 Chinooks.

AW-109, Aw-101 Merlins, Lynx, Sea Kings, Sikorsky S-76, Eurocopter EC-135/145. These are the types of helicopters you will find filmed on 121jaykay.