Pilot
Safety Matters
Safety Matters and Safety Briefs are based on the AAIB Bulletin and UK Airprox Board reports, with additional material from the US National Transportation Safety Board.
10+ min |
July 2020
Pilot
Rotorheads
Latest developments in rotary-wing, UAV and eVTOL aviation
5 min |
July 2020
Pilot
A Day to Remember
Meeting famous pilots and their warbirds in Sweden, and being treated to a ride home to England in a Mustang
10+ min |
July 2020
Pilot
Going to Yale
The Yale was originally meant to train scores of French pilots - but ended up in German hands. Flying the only airworthy example in Europe
10+ min |
July 2020
Pilot
Books & Gear Extra
Effective shielding in the cockpit?
2 min |
July 2020
Pilot
Airfields & Flight Training
What's happening at our airfields, aerodromes & airports.
7 min |
July 2020
Pilot
Meca-quartz elegance
AV-8 meca-quartz chronograph || Crash Detectives & Burma Spitfire books
4 min |
July 2020
Pilot
DELIVERY BY DRONE
Managing failures without a pilot, UAV corridors, and heavy lift drones. A Covid ‘check flight’ opens the door onto a whole new world
10+ min |
July 2020
Pilot
Single-Engine Over London
The coronavirus pandemic and associated decline in Commercial Air Transport open up an opportunity for private pilots
5 min |
July 2020
Pilot
VSS Unity flies from Spaceport America
Virgin Galactic recently announced the successful completion of its first SpaceShipTwo test flight from Spaceport America. The flight was an unpowered glide, and marks the inaugural solo flight of VSS (Virgin Space Ship) Unity in New Mexico. It is an important flight test milestone in preparation for commercial service.
2 min |
June 2020
Pilot
Rotax-powered JMB VL3 Evolution hits 200 knots
Czech company JMB Aircraft has completed flight testing of the latest version of its VL3 Evolution, which included exceeding 200kt TAS. The aircraft, which is powered by a 142hp Rotax 915iS engine has had its Vne increased to 184kt.
1 min |
June 2020
Pilot
The Isolated Aviator
Entertainment − and even flying practice − for the grounded pilot
7 min |
June 2020
Pilot
The oldest active pilot?
Instrumental in the growth of general aviation in Spain, Laureano Ruiz Liaño is a living piece of European aviation heritage
4 min |
June 2020
Pilot
The A380 makes a comeback – as a freighter
German maintenance specialist Lufthansa Technik is currently working on a conversion programme for an Airbus A380 as part of its effort to offer temporary passenger to-cargo modification services.
1 min |
June 2020
Pilot
TESTING THE Lysander
Making the first flights in an immaculately restored historic aircraft, notorious for its handling peculiarities
10+ min |
June 2020
Pilot
Safety Matters
Safety Matters and Safety Briefs are based on the AAIB Bulletin and UK Airprox Board reports, with additional material from the US National Transportation Safety Board.
6 min |
June 2020
Pilot
Hard times for the airlines
The pandemic continues to have a profound effect on the UK’s airlines, virtually all passenger flights being grounded, the majority of aircraft in each airline’s fleets laid up and thousands of pilots furloughed and facing an uncertain future.
3 min |
June 2020
Pilot
Former RAF chief chosen as CAA Chairman
Sir Stephen Hillier has been declared the prefered candidate to become the new Chairman of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
2 min |
June 2020
Pilot
Civil Air Patrol assists NHS with Covid-19 tests
The United Kingdom Civil Air Patrol (UKCAP), the air support charity that uses volunteer pilots and crews, has recently undertaken an operation related to routine Covid-19 testing activity on behalf of NHS Western Isles.
1 min |
June 2020
Pilot
The Chippie 'Duster
Adapted as an agplane, now enjoying a second life as a glider tug, the only airworthy Mk 23 is a fine flying machine
10 min |
April 2020
Pilot
Rusty PPL to MEP/IR in eighteen months
Inspired to fly again after a long period of absence from GA – and finding huge reward in training on state-of-the-art aircraft
7 min |
April 2020
Pilot
RF47 recovery Part 3
As the project becomes ever more complicated and difficult, Bob turns to re-designing the instrument panel from scratch. Spoiler alert: the ending is not like that of a Hollywood movie
8 min |
April 2020
Pilot
Flight training
News from the clubs, schools & ATOs
4 min |
April 2020
Pilot
Replica racers revealed
A round-up of historic aircraft display and restoration news
10+ min |
April 2020
Pilot
Not Dead Yet
Environmental activists are seeking to shame air travellers and attacking business aviation. GA may soon be in their sights
10+ min |
April 2020
Pilot
Aerobility buys ex-RAF motor glider fleet
In a move that surprised many industry observers, the RAF’s fleet of 63 decommissioned Vigilant T1 motor gliders has been sold by the MoD’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation to the UK charity Aerobility.
2 min |
April 2020
Pilot
Bell V-280 Valor speeds ahead
Bell Textron Inc has been selected as a project agreement holder for the competitive demonstration and risk reduction (CD&RR) effort of the US Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) programme.
1 min |
April 2020
Pilot
A private air force to reckon with
When Air USA, a flight training contractor to the US Air Force, concludes its purchase of 46 former Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18 Hornets, it will have a fleet of fighters comparable to the Swiss Air Force.
1 min |
April 2020
Pilot
What's Happening At Our Airfields, Aerodromes & Airports
Concerns about new Farnborough airspace
2 min |
April 2020
Pilot
My first long trip
Bob is a former professional pilot. In over thirty years of airline flying he has operated from more than 250 airports in every continent – except Antarctica
4 min |