While it’s easy to be unkind about the big, heavy and expensive F-111 Aardvark, it was definitely a multi-tonne Mach 2 marvel for its time. So as a special treat, here’s a bit of a walk-around of the Royal Australian Air Force’s A8-134, now thoroughly ‘de-fanged’ and permanently retired. #134 (cn D1-10) is a General Dynamics F-111C on long term loan from the RAAF to the … Continue reading Big Pig
People are still moved by the loss of VH-UMF ‘Southern Cloud’ in 1931 – with all eight souls aboard – and especially the agonising 27-year wait to discover their fate. Following my March 21st article on the crash, airscape was contacted by Ken Watson who is affiliated with Australia’s Civil Aviation Historical Society and Airways Museum at Essendon, Victoria. As the repository of our civil airways and … Continue reading Missing …reprise
My friends at Apron6 have shared these great Russian aviation posters. For all its flaws, communism certainly spurs its graphic artists to achieve more… Now, can you help by translating the headlines for us? Continue reading Aviation related Soviet propaganda
This is a truly awesome photo – and not just for the split-second timing of a successfully trapped wire whipping out behind its captive Goshawk. This is an image for everyone who dreams of flying, and for every pilot who aims to fly better… What it actually shows is a moment of triumph – for one pilot who’s got the grades, grown the moustache, and gone to the … Continue reading Bird On A Wire
While shots of grinning TV presenters experiencing weightlessness aboard ‘Vomit Comet’ flights are a dime a dozen these days, images of aircraft actually flying the mission are harder to find. So here are some shots of the last NASA Reduced Gravity aircraft from an accompanying T-38. NASA ended their Reduced Gravity Program in July 2014. Private operator Zero Gravity Corp still provides the service from various airports around … Continue reading Thrown up
airscape doesn’t usually ‘do’ livery photos, but then it’s not that often you see one so, er, not-usual. This is 787-9 Dreamliner ZK-NZE in Air New Zealand’s ‘All Black’ livery. Air New Zealand was launch customer for the 787-9 and this was their first airframe. Incidentally, the ‘all black’ and silver fern are both recognised New Zealand motifs, while the ‘koru’ on the tail … Continue reading Black Beauty
I’ll try to keep the Beauty Shots short and sweet, so if you’d like to read a little more about these vapour cones, you’ll find the info here. Click for the bigger picture, obviously… And if you’d like a big, clean copy of this shot for yourself, you can get it here. But don’t be fooled… As an interesting aside, there’s a YouTube video that keeps popping up … Continue reading Rapture
Just quickly, here’s a Gallery of photos all taken with my iPhone. It’s always surprising how nicely the little pocket camera performs… These are a few shots from the Australian Centenary of Military Aviation, Point Cook, 1-2 March 2014. Continue reading iLove Aircraft
Recently, I’ve been photographing Vickers Vimy G-EAOU (not as easy as it sounds!). There are some incredible aviation artefacts tucked away off the main tourist trails – and G-EAOU certainly qualifies. This is the actual aircraft that was flown by the Smith Brothers, Shiers and Bennett from Hounslow, England to (ultimately) Adelaide, Australia in November/December 1919. People have said it would have been like flying … Continue reading Hidden Treasure
airscape Magazine 