EASTER is still On!

More Air Freighters?

Most of the aircraft now flying across Europe and the Atlantic are air freighters, carrying essential equipment to combat COVID-19 which is a new plague for the 21st Century! Compared to one hundred and one years ago air travel is now far more complicated than those flimsy light bi-planes that could only carry two people and a bag of mail?

The jet engine in commercial airlines from the 1950's revolutionised air travel world-wide and with various military conversions, such as the Boeing 707 made dedicated air freight big business until the arrival of the of the 747 Jumbo in 1967-71!

Today a whole host of older aircraft fly postal and for Amazon supplies, some airlines as mentioned last time are civilian contractors for the U.S. military or Israel/N.A.T.O! Russia has its own dedicated fleets too built up from the now defunct TU-154M that had a chequered history and the newer Ilyushin Il-76 and its many newer developments!

Meanwhile many smaller propeller air craft are deployed daily, both civil and military to carry medications, sick people and other essential supplies. Helicopters are now an essential in rescue, air ambulance and police work, some may be replaced by drones and despite much promises we are not quite yet there with the big stuff?

Easter blessings to one and all!

British RAF 200th?

Drones, more drones and Space?

This is not a probability, but a fact that is already in the fore with the RAF and N.A.T.O. seriously deploying drones! Afghanistan, Libya and many other areas of the world, Reapers and their UAV equivalents are operational with great success and the saving of aircrew lives!

Farnborough showed that a new joint fighter is to be developed by BAE and others in that it will be a conventional Jet fighter or interceptor and also a drone equivalent! It is one of many projects underway, others being the deployment of smaller drones for the search and rescue services, police, military and many other civil projects which may include the fire service?

The ability to go into small spaces, operate in difficult conditions, that does not risk immediate life is a wise move! But Space is the next frontier, because many more nations around the globe have access to ICBM missiles and are doing their own thing!

N-Korea may have stopped but Iran and a few other nations could potentially attempt to carry out a Nuclear strike? The other problem is that of the Ronald Reagan,s 'Ray gun' becoming a reality in space and a threat to communications? 

Meanwhile everyone is now trying to reach the Moon and eventually Mars for a piece of the cake!!!

Land Rover. Part-Two.

Not all a success Story.

No manufacturer can claim a perfect record and not all the products, even some present ones have been a success? The Land Rover truck for the British armed forces was one such flop, it was well meant and looked really good, but when in service it just did not perform as was expected.

In recent years some of the newer Range Rover designs sold to various Police forces have the aesthetics on the looks, but lacked on performance as was claimed. Much was spent on advertisement, which has helped sell record numbers in recent years and now again exported world wide.

But the dropping of the long established Defender has come as a disappointment to many, because the vehicle still has much civil and military potential. The history of the company from the series Mark1 to the Defender and various other adaptions has seen massive sales and promotion, with nearly every country in the world using the type.

Mercedes-Benz was the main competition in the European and Arabian market for some years, comfort, capability and performance out ranked Land Rover, but they caught themselves on and were quick to introduce more versatile designs and retake the market.

The RNLI, HM Coast Guard, Mountain Search and Rescue, Electricity Maintenance, Military Patrol vehicles, Police, other Emergency, Security, Farming.    

Britten-Norman Trislander.

1984 Taken over by Swiss Pilatus.

This is perhaps one of the strangest aircraft still flying today and operated in the U.K. by Channel Islands Aurigny Air Services. Call sign AYLINE, they have four aircraft in service G-BDTO, G-BOVT and G-RLON. Each has a 2+16 capacity seating. The fourth aircraft G-JOEY is stored at Guernsey airport. 

Meanwhile the origins of this three engined BN-2A Trislander has 75% components of the earlier Islander/Defender, which we will take a look at further on in the year. 

The 1984 Mk-III-4 embodied a rocket motor for the event of engine failure on take-off. Passengers designed for 16/17, powered by three Lycoming piston engines, cruising speed 175mph (282km/hr), range with full payload 160 miles (257km).

This aircraft was produced for a time in Belgium and has been exported to the U.K, Africa, Australia, U.S.A, Canada, Indonesia and South-America.

Clutha.

One Year On.

After the sad crash of a Eurocopter, now Aerospastial EC-135 in Glasgow last year, there is still no report published on what was the cause of this crash. Eurocopter has meanwhile changed hands, is this a clue to an ongoing problem with the type or just business.

The EC-135 was the development of the Kawasaki-117, which was a great step foward in helicopter design. 

Meanwhile the helicopter is and will remain an essential kit for the emergency service, search and rescue and the military until the Boeing V-22 Osprey and its succesive types become more popular.

Eurocopter EC-135/145.

Most Versatile.

The EC-135 is perhaps one of the most reliable and versatile helicopters ever built. Used by the emergency services, police, air ambulances, line inspections it is fuel officiant and has good seating options for a compact light machine. 

As far as I know military versions are in use in other countries. The helicopter has built up a reputation of being it is easy to operate for the trained pilots and push around.

This was all very true up until the Glasgow, Scotland crash on the Clutha pub. We still do not know the cause of this tragic crash, it has been suggested it ran out of fuel? Normally the most feared failure in a helicopter is the Jesus nut in the rotor area.

It's called the Jesus nut, because when it fails you will be calling on his name.

So we will have to wait and see what the enquiry into this crash finds.

Since the grounding of the EC-135, I have only seen the Wales Air Ambulance G-WASN make two dashes over Swansea City. But I have not seen the Heddlu pronounced (Hethli)/police G-WONN flying.

The EC-145 is a slightly larger version and I expect it uses similar components to the EC-135.

Tuesday 4th March 2014.

 It would seem that the EC-135's are back flying again with the Police and Air Ambulance services.

Emergency Service.

Fire, Police, Ambulance Services.

We are on the eve of 911, when terrorists flew four commercial airliners into three major buildings in the United States of America. The Twin towers in Manhattan, New York and the Pentagon in the capital Washington DC.

This was a day when the emergency services of any nation would be put to the limit. Reports after reports said 'that there was a failure in organization on the day.' A historical factor with the fire Department, which had not been resolved for over 100 years, lead to allowing their pride and competition to block off a determined effort to co-ordinate with other services. 

In Britain, there is co-ordination between services even in traffic incidents. Different agencies have all had to pull together to co-ordinate with each other. Much has been learned since 911, Madrid, Bali and 7/7, that we live in a different world of mass terror now. But also people are not as freindly or patient as they were much better maybe at one time.