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  • Spectators watch an air show at North Weald in Cambridgeshire, England. A man films a lone aircraft that banks across the summer sky. The enthusiast's blue denim jacket is almost fully-covered with aeronautical badges which depict various foreign military aerobatic teams, including the Swiss, Norwegian and German squadrons, whose emblems have been stitched into the fabric. Plane spotters form hardcore groups of aviation pilgrims. Logging and photographing flying machines, they follow air displays across their own countries and the calendars of other European festivals that attract hundreds of thousands. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis10-12-05-1997.jpg
  • Baggage belonging to a British Airways Concorde crew is lined up beneath their aircraft after arriving at Oshkosh Air Venture, the world?s largest air show in Wisconsin USA. Twelve cases match 12 of Concorde's tiny windows and some of the crowd either take shelter from the sun or walk around the supersonic jet in awe of this engineering marvel. Their baggage is lined up beneath the aircraft during its visit to this huge show in Wisconsin, USA. Close to a million populate the mass fly-in over the week, a pilgrimage worshipping all aspects of flight. The event annually generates $85 million in revenue over a 25 mile radius from Oshkosh. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis44-27-08-1998.jpg
  • A visitor to Oshkosh Air Venture, the world?s largest air show in Wisconsin USA, stands by an A-10 Thunderbolt Tank Buster or Warthog. Wearing a t-shirt depicting a Cherokee Indian and a Bald Eagle, the tourist awaits family as aviation enthusiasts climb steps to the aircraft's cockpit. The Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft designed to provide close air support of ground forces by attacking tanks, armoured vehicles, and other ground targets. It has also been involved with British friendly fire incidents in Iraq. Close to a million populate the mass fly-in over the week, a pilgrimage worshipping all aspects of flight. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis46-29-08-1998.jpg
  • Two employees of the Japanese aircraft manufacturer Mitsubishi sit in a full-scale model of their MRJ at the Paris Air Show, Le Bourget France. Seated in different rows of this stylish small regional jet, they awkwardly stare expressionless, straight ahead and although the seats are real, the mock-up fuselage is in the middle of an exhibition hall. The MRJ is a next generation jetliner with 70 or 90 seat economy class configurations, the first regional jet to adopt composite materials for its wings and vertical fins on significant scale. The Paris Air Show expo is a commercial air show, organised by the French aerospace industry who demonstrate military and civilian aircraft equipment to interested customers.
    paris_air_show028-20-06-2007.jpg
  • An airliner blurs as it crosses later afternoon sky before landing at local airport.
    blurred_airliner01-20-04-2014.jpg
  • Up on the top deck, we see a lone sailor brushing off the grubby surfaces of parked F/A-18C Hornets and S-3 Vikings on the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman during its deployment patrol of the no-fly zone at an unknown location in the Persian Gulf. Stacked together in tight formation to fit them all together during a daytime break in operations, the man bends into his task during the hottest time of day. The Truman is the largest and newest of the US Navy's fleet of new generation carriers, a 97,000 ton floating city with a crew of 5,137, 650 are women. The Iraqi no-fly zones (NFZs) were proclaimed by the United States, United Kingdom and France after the Gulf War of 1991 to protect humanitarian operations in northern Iraq and Shiite Muslims in the .
    uss_truman_deck-08-05-2000.jpg
  • Lady plane spotter watches fly-past of the Blades aerobatic Team at Farnborough 2010 launch.
    farnborough_spotter06-12-05-2010.jpg
  • Telescopic window washing pole reaches on to 2nd storey arrivals glass near 747 at Heathrow Airport's T5
    heathrow_airport1129-12-08-2009.jpg
  • Traffic cones, a Boeing engine and pre-conditioned air duct during an airliner's overnight stop at Heathrow Airport.
    heathrow_airport1096-11-08-2009.jpg
  • Two Hawk jets from the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, almost touch in mid-air at an altitude of approximately 4,100 feet in the Mediterranean skies above Cyprus. The texture of mottled cirrus cloud provides a soft background for the  aircraft which approach each other at a combined air speed of approximately 800 miles per hour (1,200 kph). The Opposition Loop is flown by the two pilot partners known as the Synchro Pair who fly independently of the other seven in the second-half of their 25-minute show. The two jets have vegetable dye and derv (diesel fuel) smoke mixture coloured red, blue or white. Here it traces the paths of both airplanes which curve from the edges of the frame to the centre (center). To the crowds far below, both look as if they are on collision course but wil safely pass within feet of each other.
    Red_Arrows094_RBA.jpg
  • A four-engined airliner takes-off into distant darkening skies during the bi-annual aerospace industry expo at the Farnborough in southern England. Lifting off from an unseen runway, the aircraft leaves the ground to climb away towards its unknown destination - its modern navigation aides pointing it to foreign lands and skies.
    sky_takeoff01-29-07-2002.jpg
  • During the turnround of the British Airways jet aircraft, a refueller checks the safety of heavy fuel nozzles that connect from his bowser truck on the apron at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. He is ensuring the correct plugging of the connections as some 109 tons of Jet A1 aviation fuel flow at a rate of 3,000 litres a minute which is being uplifted into the wing tanks of this Boeing 747-300, a typical quantity of extra fuel for this aeroplane bound for Los Angeles. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1589-20-08-2009.jpg
  • Lady plane spotter watches fly-past of the Blades aerobatic Team at Farnborough 2010 launch.
    farnborough_spotter04-12-05-2010.jpg
  • A young girl in transit between India and the US, entertains herself by throwing her pet toy tiger as far as the ceiling in a departure window of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. In front of a Boeing 777 jet airliner's nose and cockpit, the girl is a silhouette against the large windows that allow in the natural light. Behind the parked aircraft, another British Airways passenger jet taxies past, its tail at right-angles to the stationary airplane although they both look like the same plane. With her family baggage next to her, the child is enjoying some hours of freedom before another long-haul flight westwards. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport443-14-07-2009.jpg
  • A British Airways security guard patrols beneath fuselage of a Boeing 747 parked on the apron at Heathrow's Terminal 5..
    heathrow_airport1600-20-08-2009.jpg
  • Players in a cricket match are oblivious to a passing airliner that passes overhead on a flight-path from Heathrow airport.
    heathrow_airport1293-16-08-2009.jpg
  • Flight Lieutenant Simon Stevens, a pilot in the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, makes a pre-flight check of his Hawk jet aircraft before a practice flight at RAF Scampton. Stevens and his fellow-aviators fly up to 6 times in winter training, learning new manoeuvres. The dangers of high-speed close formation flight makes health and safety precuations vital; the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Royal Air Force take working environments of their personnel seriously so pre-flight examination of aircraft happens before every sortie (flight). Performing the brief safety walk-around, Stevens bends at the waste to avoid the aeroplane's low aileron despite wearing a helmet, full flying suit, boots, life-vest and anti-g-pants. Flying still continues despite rainclouds in the gloomy Lincolnshire sky.
    Red_Arrows005_RBA.jpg
  • Visitors beneath a large billboard of the Airbus A350 XWB on the side of the Airbus corporate chalet at the Farnborough Air Show, England. The A350 XWB is the only all-new aircraft in the 300-400 seat category. The A350 XWB is a family of long-range, two-engined wide-body jet airliners developed by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. The A350 is the first Airbus with both fuselage and wing structures made primarily of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer. It's scheduled to enter commercial service later in 2014.
    farnborough_air_show60-14-07-2014.jpg
  • Visitors beneath a large billboard of the Airbus A350 XWB on the side of the Airbus corporate chalet at the Farnborough Air Show, England. The A350 XWB is the only all-new aircraft in the 300-400 seat category. The A350 XWB is a family of long-range, two-engined wide-body jet airliners developed by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. The A350 is the first Airbus with both fuselage and wing structures made primarily of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer. It's scheduled to enter commercial service later in 2014.
    farnborough_air_show57-14-07-2014.jpg
  • We look through the windscreen of a Royal Air Force C-130-J Hercules to see a pilots-eye view of his fixed head-up-display (HUD), while in flight over Hampshire during the Farnborough Air Show. We see the aircraft flying data in green set against the magenta colour (color) of the clouds and sky beyond. The pilot will see the statistics that are important aspects of his aeroplane's altitude, compass heading, localiser, air speed, pitch, roll and yaw. Head-up displays are increasingly important to military and commercial aircraft (airplanes) when information can be displayed without obstructing the user's front view front. The second type of HUD is mounted within a protective helmet visor. The C-130 Hercules primarily performs the tactical portion of airlift operations. The aircraft is capable of operating from rough, dirt strips and is the prime transport for air dropping troops and equipment into hostile areas. The C-130-J is the newer generation digital version with fully integrated digital avionics; color multifunctional liquid crystal displays including the HUD; state-of-the-art navigation systems with dual inertial navigation system and global positioning system; fully integrated defensive systems; low-power color radar; digital moving map display; new turboprop engines with six-bladed, all-composite propellers; digital auto pilot; improved fuel, environmental and ice-protection systems; and an enhanced cargo-handling system..
    RB-0160.jpg
  • Part of a sequence of 8 consecutive images, a jet airliner takes-off over afternoon skies above London's Heathrow Airport.
    heathrow_airport820-22-07-2009.jpg
  • Air show organiser Jock Maitland of the Biggin Hill displays is to be presented with a momento by members of  the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team. We look down upon three pilots' backs (known as the Reds) who are lined up in their famous red flying suits during the ceremony and as speeches of thanks are made. A scaled model of a Hawk jet aircraft is hidden from view behind Flight Lieutenant Dave Slow's back before being handed to Mr Maitland as thanks for his contribution to the air show calendar. They stand at ease on the grass of this famous World War II airfield which saw much enemy action during the Batttle of Britain, patiently and relaxed with hands behind backs before leaving to perform their display routine in front of thousands of spectators.
    Red_Arrows727_RBA.jpg
  • A pilot of the French Air Force walks looking down along the fuselage of his C-130 Hercules oblivious to nine Hawk jet aircraft of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, who come screaming behind and 'breaking to land'. This set procedure prepares them to split up as a group, peel off seperately and land safely at the Payerne Air 04 show, Switzerland. It is a perfect day for aerobatics with blue alpine skies during the teams' two-day visit to the Swiss airfield. Payerne is home of the Swiss Air Force who host the cream of international aerobatic display flying every September to 275,000 spectators over a weekend. European display teams and air forces gathered to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Swiss military aviation. .
    Red_Arrows663_RBA.jpg
  • Squadron Leader David Thomas of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, sits on the wing of his Hawk jet aircraft and concentrates on the air display at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) RAF Fairford, UK. The pressures on the pilots are enormous when thousands of people scruntinise the team's every move. Squadron Leader Thomas is Synchro Leader - the prime flyer in a partnership of two who perform some of the most spectacular manoeuvres in the Red Arrows routine, including the most physically demanding high 'G' (gravity) turns. Leaning back on the fuselage, he replays the manoeuvres through his mind. The psyching-up process mentally prepares him for the intensive show. Thomas wears his anti-g pants which squeeze blood back to his thorax and head during the turns and loops, also wearing the famous red flying suit. .
    Red_Arrows507_RBA.jpg
  • Wearing ear-defenders,military green camouflage and fluorescent tabard, a 'line' engineer from the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, inserts his head into the jet pipe of a Hawk aircraft immediately after a winter training flight at the team's headquarters at a damp RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire. The man is a member of the team's support ground crew (called the Blues because of their distinctive blue overalls worn at summer air shows). Checking for irregular blemishes within the aircraft's exhaust is a vital aspect of maintenance jets whose engines need to perform as the highest level, especially if its performance, and that of each pilot's manoeuvres need to be perfect. Power reduction can ruin a display for tens of thousands of spectators but an engine failure could be catastrophic..
    Red_Arrows389_RBA.jpg
  • Looking out to the Mediterranean Sea from the Akrotiri Peninsular, Cyprus, we see the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, practising their display finale, the Vixen Break, a show-stopping manoeuvre of their 25-minute air show display routine. A rusted and crumbling hulk of a ship lies in the shallow surf and the Hawk jets used by the Red Arrows fan out above it using red, white and blue smoke. It is a calm sea near the shoreline and the shipwreck's remains provide a sad foreground to the dynamic flying beyond making a graphic landscape. 'Datum' is an axis on which the Red Arrows focus their displays, from where the whole show is visible at the crowd's centre. 'The Wreck' is but one of a series of datum points selected by the team leader at short notice to simluate diverse geographical features and wind directions. The wreck is the MV Achaios. Built in 1932, it was on a voyage from Yugoslavia to Jeddah in 1976 with a cargo of timber. She ran aground in a storm at Akrotiri Peninsula, but no lives were lost.
    Red_Arrows337_RBA.jpg
  • Lady plane spotter watches fly-past of the Blades aerobatic Team at Farnborough 2010 launch.
    farnborough_spotter05-12-05-2010.jpg
  • Part of a sequence of 8 consecutive images, a jet airliner takes-off over afternoon skies above London's Heathrow Airport.
    heathrow_airport827-22-07-2009.jpg
  • A passing airliner that passes overhead on a flight-path from Heathrow airport over M25 at Poyle on Colne Valley Way.
    heathrow_airport1301-16-08-2009.jpg
  • A large man with a shaved head and hairy back is seen from behind as he watches a display by the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team at Weymouth, England. A heart shape which grows from his bald head has been drawn with red smoke in the sky two Hawk jet aircraft taking part in the town's annual air show along the sea front. Such a tough-looking male specimen contrasts with the romance of this valentine symbol helping to make this picture's quirky juxtaposition touching. The Red Arrows use smoke to emphasize their flight-path, help the spectators see their manoeuvres and to make more of an enjoying spectacle. In blue sky they use white smoke for The Heart and red when overcast. We watch the man from below and see him craning his neck skywards, the skin on his thick neck wrinkling as he looks heavy from this angle.
    Red_Arrows614_RBA.jpg
  • Corporal Chris Ward, one of the photographers belonging to the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, reads a novel while wrapped up in sleeping bag and hammock aboard a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft during a two-day journey from RAF Scampton to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. Corporal Ward has established for himself a comfortable nest in the rear section at the loading ramp. The interior is basic with sharp corners but the walls are padded.  Ward wears a heavy camoulflaged coat to counteract the cold and ear-plugs from the droning engines. The Red Arrows pilots fly their Hawk jet aircraft to air shows but on long journeys requiring the support of ground crew borrow RAF transporters that fly behind the main airborne squadron shipping 10 tons of spares and personal effects for their six-week winter training stay. . .
    Red_Arrows050_RBA.jpg
  • Behind railings that honoured American aviator Wilbur Wright at the annual Le Mans air show, France, seven spectators gaze upwards to a clear sky where a lone but unseen aircraft performs in front of the French crowd. Wright made 110 flights at Le Mans and nearby Auvours in 1908 and his legacy for French and global aerospace lives on at events like this where a replica of his Wright Flyer was also exhibited. It is a bright summer's day and the blue sky has vapour trails left by a previous display pilot's jet engine. A prominent British Union Jack flutters on a pole and the words 'invites' (for invited guests only) are printed on to sheets of paper. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis27-20-07-1998.jpg
  • Detail of a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner jet airliner tailplane at the Farnborough Air Show, England. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is the second member of the super-efficient 787 family. Both the 787-8 and 787-9 bring the economics of large jets to the middle of the market, with 20 percent less fuel use and 20 percent fewer emissions.
    farnborough_air_show24-14-07-2014.jpg
  • Detail of a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner jet airliner tailplane at the Farnborough Air Show, England. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is the second member of the super-efficient 787 family. Both the 787-8 and 787-9 bring the economics of large jets to the middle of the market, with 20 percent less fuel use and 20 percent fewer emissions.
    farnborough_air_show21-14-07-2014.jpg
  • A night-time exposure during the flight over a city in rural Arizona whose lights are blurred underneath the twin-propeller powered aircraft, an air ambulance ferrying a patient to hospital. The British Aerospace BAe-3101 Jetstream 31 is an air ambulance en-route from San Carlos Apache reservation in Arizona, USA. Native American Air Services, provides critical care level air ambulance services in Arizona. The company was founded in 1995 and is based in Mesa, Arizona. The San Carlos Reservation is one of the poorest Native American communities in the United States, with an annual median household income of approximately $14,000 in 2000, according to the US Census. About 60% of the people live under the poverty line, and 68% of the active labor force is unemployed
    san_carlos03-07-01-2000.jpg
  • The owner of a home-built aeroplane polishes its shiny surfaces during the world's largest aviation airshow at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA, at Oshkosh Air Venture, the world’s largest air show in Wisconsin USA. Close to a million populate the mass fly-in over the week, a pilgrimage worshipping all aspects of flight. The event annually generates $85 million in revenue over a 25 mile radius from Oshkosh. The event is presented by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), a national/international organization based in Oshkosh. The airshow is seven days long and typically begins on the last Monday in July. The airport's control tower is the busiest control tower in the world during the gathering.
    oshkosh_airshow07-07-01-2000.jpg
  • French aviation enthusiasts at an airshow at Le Mans in northern France watch aerobatics overhead - in front of a scaled replica of The Flyer, the first powered aeroplane by the American Wright Brothers. The Wright Flyer is the first successful powered aircraft, designed and built by the Wright brothers. They flew it for the first time on December 17th, 1903 for 12 seconds over 120 feet near the Kill Devil Hills, about four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, U.S. Today, the airplane is exhibited in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. though many scaled copies exist at similar events such as this.
    french_airshow01-29-07-1998.jpg
  • Lady plane spotter watches fly-past of the Blades aerobatic Team at Farnborough 2010 launch.
    farnborough_spotter03-12-05-2010.jpg
  • With traffic cones arranged to avoid accidents in the darkness, the spinning turbofan blades of a British Airways Boeing jet aircraft are highlighted by the headlights of an airfield vehicle during the airliner's overnight turnaround at Heathrow Airport. The beauty of the engine's cowling and the wing to which it is attached shows the marvel of its engineering, of its magnificent aviation design. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).  Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1099-11-08-2009.jpg
  • An airliner crosses the security perimeter fence at Heathrow Airport on its way to an international destination.
    heathrow_airport1071-11-08-2009.jpg
  • Part of a sequence of 4 consecutive images, a blurred jet airliner passes overhead, nearing its final airport descent.
    heathrow_airport1344-16-08-2009.jpg
  • Part of a sequence of 4 consecutive images, a blurred jet airliner passes overhead, nearing its final airport descent.
    heathrow_airport1343-16-08-2009.jpg
  • Part of a sequence of 4 consecutive images, a jet airliner's landing lights are seen nearing its final airport descent.
    heathrow_airport1339-16-08-2009.jpg
  • An old fashioned pair of public address speakers have been attached to a no access sign overlooking the Northumberland countryside at the Kielder Air Show. Here, the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, are to perform and the squadron's commentator - known as Red 10 - will be describing the 25-minute routine performed in front of a few hundred people, probably the smallest of the Red Arrows audiences. The Hawk aircraft will be flying over the borderland between England and Scotland during this display which has attracted a local crowd to this pretty landscape. This primitive method of amplification makes for it charmingly quirky. Tangled electrical wires and an extension reel is low-tech and makeshift, vastly different to other shows where digital sound quality reproduces audio to many of thousands of spectators.
    Red_Arrows542_RBA.jpg
  • Stored temporarily in a storeroom shelf, are the front and rear sections of a Hawk jet aircraft smoke pod belonging to the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team. Grubby and old, like museum artifacts, the two items are attached to the ageing aircrafts' belly accessory that provides the team with their distinctive red, white and blue smoke (a vegetable dye and diesel fuel mixture) during their air show display routines. This version of the BAE Systems Hawks are primitive pieces of equipment, without computers or fly-by-wire technology. Nevertheless, the team's aircraft are in some cases over 20 years old and their air-frames require constant attention with increasingly frequent major overhauls due. Here the parts are separated from the middle section which are receiving a winter modification.
    Red_Arrows393_RBA.jpg
  • Specialist Corporal Mal Faulder is an armourer engineer (qualified to handle ejection seats and weaponry on military jets) but here in the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team he is seen polishing the aircraft's flying surfaces using wool and cleaning fluid on the morning of the team's PDA Day. PDA (or 'Public Display Authority'), is a special test flight when their every move and mistake is assessed and graded. Corporal Faulder is to buff up the airplane for an extra special shine on such an important day and we see the UK's Union Jack flag on the side of the diagonal stripes of the tail fin. The Red Arrows ground crew take enormous pride in their role as supporting the aviators whose air displays are known around the world. Blues like Mal outnumber the pilots 8:1. Without them, the Red Arrows couldn't fly.
    Red_Arrows129_RBA.jpg
  • The front covers of Russian aviation magazine Take-Off at the Farnborough Air Show, England.
    farnborough_air_show67-14-07-2014.jpg
  • The glow and trails of night manoeuvres seen from an upper deck of the US Navy's Harry S Truman aircraft carrier whilst on exercise somewhere in the Persian Gulf. <br />
The Truman is the largest and newest of the US Navy's fleet of new generation carriers, a 97,000 ton floating city with a crew of  5,137, 650 are women. The Iraqi no-fly zones (NFZs) were proclaimed by the United States, United Kingdom and France after the Gulf War of 1991 to protect humanitarian operations in northern Iraq and Shiite Muslims in the south. Iraqi aircraft were forbidden from flying inside the zones. The policy was enforced by US, UK and French aircraft patrols until France withdrew in 1998.
    US_navy_carrier04-10-01-2003.jpg
  • A flying helmet belonging to a member of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, is cradled in the highly-polished open Plexiglass  canopy of a team Hawk jet aircraft. With the arrow pointing downwards we see it from below along with the airplane's red fuselage and the words Royal Air Force stencilled in blue lettering on the side within a white stripe. There are strong angles with clear blue space on the top right. The colours that dominate this image are red, white and blue - the colors of the Union Jack, United Kingdom's flag. This scene is at RAF Akrotiri, Cypus where the Red Arrows put the finishing touches to their display sequences before starting the gruelling air show calendar in the UK and Europe. The squadron represents all that is perfect with aerobatic flying, about teamwork and discipline.
    Red_Arrows102_RBA.jpg
  • Squadron Leader Duncan Mason of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, strides out across a gloomy, rainswept 'apron' at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire. Squadron Leader Mason will fly up to 6 times daily during winter training ,when weather permits, learning new manoeuvres. Wearing winter green flying suits, their day is spent flying and de-briefing. Mason  wears a green flying suit with anti-g pants and helmet on with its pilot number. He is being greeted by a member of the team's support ground crew who outnumber the pilots 8:1.  The engineer wears a fluorescent yellow tabard and stands politely by the waiting aircraft on the 'line'. He has already prepared it for flight and helps with any technical issues that may arise.
    Red_Arrows015_RBA.jpg
  • Glowing cockpit instrumentation of a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter. The F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine stealth multi-role fighter that can perform close air support, tactical bombing, and air defence missions. The F-35 is descended from the X-35, the product of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. Its development is being principally funded by the United States, with the United Kingdom and other partner governments providing additional funding. It is being designed and built by an aerospace industry team led by Lockheed Martin with Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems as major partners. The F-35's first flight took place on 15 December 2006. The US intends to buy a total of 2,443 aircraft for an estimated US$323 billion, making it the most expensive defense program ever.[
    farnborough_airshow46-21-07-2010.jpg
  • A blurred jet airliner climbs away after taking-off in evening skies above London's Heathrow Airport.
    heathrow_airport863-22-07-2009.jpg
  • Flight Lieutenant Antony Parkinson a pilot with the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, signs posters on arriving at the team's home base at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire from his last ever display. Flt Lt Parkinson has served on the Red Arrows for four years and is to leave for a Typhoon squadron - from a relatively simple aircraft to one of the most sophisticated. Press and PR is one of the team's main purposes, acting as ambassadors for the UK and as recruiting tool for tomorrow's RAF officers and autographing publicity material is a routine chore. Traditionally, photographs are designed to allow pilots a space to sign their names alongside their respective position in the display formation. In high-spirits after a stressfully long year, he is in the crew room to wind down, with a tomato in his mouth. .  . .
    Red_Arrows747_RBA.jpg
  • Senior Machinist Supervisor, Tricia Randle finishes a red flying suit of Squadron Leader David Thomas, a pilot of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team. Tricia is a bespoke seamstress at Dale Techniche, Nelson, Lancashire. Every Winter, the Red Arrows place about 40 pilot suit orders and 180 blue (support ground crew) suits. Tricia adjusts her thread while the suit is complete on her work bench. The clothing factory also designs the Red Arrows badges, each requiring 15,000 stitches. All suits are made from Nomex by the Du Pont corporation, containing 5% Kevlar. Flame-retardant, they fit exactly each team member. Fouteen different measurements are taken before the first suit is cut, each one requiring approximately three metres of dyed cloth. When a suit is complete, each one is signed inside by the machinist.
    Red_Arrows084_RBA.jpg
  • Exterior of the exhibition chalet of the Japanese aviation corporation Mitsubishi at the Farnborough Air Show, England. The Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) is a regional jet aircraft seating 70–90 passengers manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation, a partnership between majority owner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Toyota Motor Corporation.
    farnborough_air_show29-14-07-2014.jpg
  • Emirates airlines announce the purchase of the very first Airbus A380 during the bi-annual aerospace industry expo at the Farnborough airshow in southern England. Executives congratulate themselves and speak into a micophone for the benefit of the press conference in the Emirates chalet at this important aviation and aerospace exposition. A scaled model of this new-generation of composite material aircraft sits on a table pointing to officials excited at their new business deal.
    farnborough01-02-08-2000.jpg
  • Wing tips and tail from British Airways 747 airliners are almost touching during their turnarounds while on  apron at Heathrow
    heathrow_airport1591-20-08-2009.jpg
  • In the top-right corner of the image, an airliner passes overhead in an early morning flight-path over South London
    heathrow_airport1693-25-08-2009.jpg
  • A full-size Trent jet engine is admired by delegates visiting British Rolls-Royce manufacturer's exhibition stand at the Farnborough Air Show, England. Rolls-Royce Trent is the name given to a family of three-spool, high bypass turbofan aircraft engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. The engine is named after the River Trent in the Midlands of England. The civil aerospace business is a major manufacturer of aero engines for all sectors of the airliner and corporate jet market. Rolls-Royce powers more than 30 types of commercial aircraft and has almost 13,000 engines in service around the world.
    farnborough_air_show36-14-07-2014.jpg
  • A full-size Trent jet engine is admired by delegates visiting British Rolls-Royce manufacturer's exhibition stand at the Farnborough Air Show, England. Rolls-Royce Trent is the name given to a family of three-spool, high bypass turbofan aircraft engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. The engine is named after the River Trent in the Midlands of England. The civil aerospace business is a major manufacturer of aero engines for all sectors of the airliner and corporate jet market. Rolls-Royce powers more than 30 types of commercial aircraft and has almost 13,000 engines in service around the world.
    farnborough_air_show32-14-07-2014.jpg
  • A lone propeller-driven aeoplane banks right into evening skies during the world's largest aviation airshow at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA, at Oshkosh Air Venture, the world’s largest air show in Wisconsin USA. Close to a million populate the mass fly-in over the week, a pilgrimage worshipping all aspects of flight. The event annually generates $85 million in revenue over a 25 mile radius from Oshkosh. The event is presented by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), a national/international organization based in Oshkosh. The airshow is seven days long and typically begins on the last Monday in July. The airport's control tower is the busiest control tower in the world during the gathering.
    oshkosh_airshow08-07-01-2000.jpg
  • Anglo-American flags with helicopter and stealth jet fighters in the hospitality chalet of Lockheed Martin at the Farnborough Airshow.
    farnborough_airshow49-21-07-2010.jpg
  • Ending France's Bastille Day parade, the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, streak over the pyramid peak of the Louvre art museum in the centre of Paris. Leaving vapour trails of red, white and blue smoke to mark the 100th anniversary of the Anglo-French Entente Cordiale. They were chosen by the French authorities to close the fly-pasts. British armed forces paraded in the historic parade for the first time. Under blue skies on a perfect summer day, the squadron lined up in their classic fly-past 'V-shape' called 'Big Battle', following the straight line of the Champs Elysees then eastwards over the Parisian suburbs. Personnel from four British military units were present and French Air Force jets performed their own fly-past to open the parade, while the British Hawk jets of the Red Arrows had the honour of completing it. .
    Red_Arrows462_RBA.jpg
  • Officer pilots of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, lean aginst a wing of their Hawk jet in a pre-flight briefing while a member of their ground crew positions some wheel chocks. The highly-skilled engineer is known as a 'Blue' but the 'Reds' discuss  flight plans. Eleven trades skills are imported from some sixty that the RAF employs and teaches. It is mid-day and only their flying boots and red legs are seen with the RAF roundel emblem is on the underside of the wing. The better-educated officers in the armed forces enjoy a more privileged lifestyle than their support staff. In the aerobatic squadron, the Blues outnumber the pilots 8:1. Without them, the Red Arrows couldn't fly. SOme of the team's Hawks are 25 years old and their air frames require constant attention, with increasingly frequent major overhauls due.
    Red_Arrows174_RBA.jpg
  • Darren Budziszewski is a Junior Technician engineer in the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team. He is seen carefully standing in the cockpit of a Hawk jet closely inspecting the Plexiglass canopy for smears and scratches. Stooping at the open surface while keeping back flat and his knees bent, its posture that the RAF teaches its employees. Darren polishes the aircraft before its pilot emerges from the building at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. The Red Arrows ground crew take enormous pride in their role as supporting the team whose air displays are known around the world, cleaning the red airplanes on their day off, so particular are they. The image is backlit and both canopy and man are bottom-weighted to allow us to see space and sky. Specialists like Darren outnumber the pilots 8:1 and without them, the Red Arrows couldn't fly.
    Red_Arrows099_RBA.jpg
  • Young people play with supersonic Air France Concorde models beneath the shadow of a fighter jet at the Le Bourget airport, days after the crash at nearby Gonesse which ended the life of the Concorde airliner.
    le_bourget_aviation01-29-07-2002.jpg
  • Glowing cockpit instrumentation of a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter. The F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine stealth multi-role fighter that can perform close air support, tactical bombing, and air defence missions. The F-35 is descended from the X-35, the product of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. Its development is being principally funded by the United States, with the United Kingdom and other partner governments providing additional funding. It is being designed and built by an aerospace industry team led by Lockheed Martin with Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems as major partners. The F-35's first flight took place on 15 December 2006. The US intends to buy a total of 2,443 aircraft for an estimated US$323 billion, making it the most expensive defense program ever.[
    farnborough_airshow45-21-07-2010.jpg
  • The main nose wheel of a British Airways airliner is parked on a stand at Heathrow Airport. The identifying names of the Boeing type range such as 777s, 767, 747 and 757s are also stencilled on the apron concrete to allow exact distances for expandable air bridges and other airfield vehicles to connect and service these differing-sized commercial airliners. The pilot has devices inside and outside to gauge the exact spot to break to a standstill though these marks are largely unsighted to them, high up in the cockpit. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport1090-11-08-2009.jpg
  • Nine pilots of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, stand in the shape of their signature 'Diamond Nine' formation with one of their Hawk jet aircraft at the team's headquarters at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire. Today they have reached the all-important milestone of 'first 9-ship' (when all nine aircraft have flown a basic air show display together, after two groups have practiced seperately) and is the culmination of five months rigorous Winter training. They stand proud with beaming smiles on a warm spring day, their flying helmets with those famous arrows pointing towards blue sky and fluffy clouds. Still dressed in green flying suits, they go on to their spring training ground at Akrotiri, Cyprus where they earn the right to wear red suits, known around the world. At the front is team leader, Squadron Leader Spike Jepson...
    Red_Arrows421_RBA.jpg
  • Flight Lieutenant Dan Simmons of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, zips up his g-pants before climbing into his Hawk jet. G-pants counterac the effects of high gravity stresses that jet-fighters impose on the human body, automatically inflating and squeezing blood back to the thorax and head when blood drains towards the legs. As he attaches the zipper, he rests his straight right leg on a retractable step which helps him and his ground crew engineers to gain access to the cockpit, high above the ground. Hanging from another part of his airplane is his life-vest which he will wear around his neck, whilst in flight. Flight Lieutenant Simmons wears heavy-duty black boots which are regulation footwear for flying personnel and dressed in his red flying suit that is famous around the world.
    Red_Arrows173_RBA.jpg
  • Known as 'Old Glory', a polished silver Boeing Mitchell B-25 is refuelled in readiness for a display flight at Oshkosh Air Venture, the world?s largest air show in Wisconsin USA. In afternoon light, a lady in a stars and stripes shirt stands arms behind her back admiring the lovingly restored polished twin-engine bomber, the most heavily armed airplane of the second world war used for high and low-level bombing, strafing, photoreconnaissance, submarine patrol and fighter. Close to a million populate the mass fly-in over the week, a pilgrimage worshipping all aspects of flight. The event annually generates $85 million in revenue over a 25 mile radius from Oshkosh. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903
    aviation_corbis45-28-08-1998.jpg
  • A lone Tornado jet fighter arcs across a typically overcast sky at Southend-on-Sea on a Bank Holiday Sunday. Well-defined figures of children and adults either play nonchalantly on the beach at low tide, or watch in awe as the aircraft thunders over the Thames Estuary mud. A few stranded yachts stand upright in the low water and a groyne stretches out to sea towards the Kent coast, seen in the distance. It is a bleak and depressingly empty scene and the jet is merely a dot in the grey English sky, traditionally familiar summer weather. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903. .
    aviation_corbis11-25-05-1997.jpg
  • Seen in profile view, we are looking at the edge of a Hawk jet aircraft port wing flap set at about 45 degrees. Designed by BAE Systems and painted in the colour of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire. An original serial and issue numbers plate is riveted to its end assembly. The Hawk's classic, highly-efficient lifting wing is legendary with aeronatutical designer experts who recognise its ability to withstand excellent rates of climb and high g-forces (positive or negative gravity) routinely exerted on it by the Red Arrows team who fly more sorties (flights) and undergo more 'g' than other RAF squadron. In bright sunlight we see the graish red that is the signature colour of the team and the RAF's roundel is seen out of focus in the background to make a graphic engineering detail. .
    Red_Arrows643_RBA.jpg
  • At the start of another day's work, pilots belonging to the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, walk in single-file out into the pink morning light for the first winter training flight of the day at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire. Emerging from their squadron building the aviators make their way along a pathway towards the waiting Hawk jet aircraft known the world over. Wearing winter green flying suits and carrying their helmets, their day is spent flying and de-briefing up to six times a day when weather permits. Long shadows spill over on to the airfield's cropped grass. Scampton  is one of the original World War 2 RAF stations for the Lancaster bombers the 617 Dambusters squadron who attacked the damns of the German Ruhr valley on 16th May 1943 using the Bouncing Bomb. Today, it is used almost exclusively by the team.
    Red_Arrows011_RBA.jpg
  • Foreign military officers pass beneath a large billboard of the Airbus A350 XWB on the side of the Airbus corporate chalet at the Farnborough Air Show, England. The A350 XWB is the only all-new aircraft in the 300-400 seat category. The A350 XWB is a family of long-range, two-engined wide-body jet airliners developed by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. The A350 is the first Airbus with both fuselage and wing structures made primarily of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer. It's scheduled to enter commercial service later in 2014.
    farnborough_air_show54-14-07-2014.jpg
  • A close-up detail of a Boeing 747 main nosewheel and landing lights during the aircraft's turnaround at Heathrow Airport.
    heathrow_airport1577-20-08-2009.jpg
  • The main nose wheel of a British Airways airliner is parked on a stand at Heathrow Airport. The identifying names of the Boeing type range such as 777s, 767, 747 and 757s are also stencilled on the apron concrete to allow exact distances for expandable air bridges and other airfield vehicles to connect and service these differing-sized commercial airliners. The pilot has devices inside and outside to gauge the exact spot to break to a standstill though these marks are largely unsighted to them, high up in the cockpit. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport1570-20-08-2009.jpg
  • A detailed view of a Mark 1 Hawk jet belonging to 'Synchro Leader' of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team. We see the flight controls and instrument panels looking grubby and worn with grey paint rubbed or flaking off. This version of the BAE Systems Hawk is low-tech without computers nor fly-by-wire technology it is one of the most user-friendly modern jets to fly and serves as a first step trainer for pilots to accumulate fast-jet flying hours and who are destined for the most sophisticated of fast military fighters in the future. Their aerobatic displays demands that their workhorse machine must have phenominal turning circle ability and rate of climb. The team's aircraft are in some cases over 25 years old and their airframes require constant attention, with frequent engineering overhauls needed. .
    Red_Arrows769_RBA.jpg
  • A young girl throws her pet toy tiger in front of a BA 777 airliner in a departure window of Heathrow Airport's T5
    heathrow_airport442-14-07-2009.jpg
  • Traffic cones, a Boeing engine and pre-conditioned air duct during an airliner's overnight stop at Heathrow Airport.
    heathrow_airport1095-11-08-2009.jpg
  • British Airways jetty operator carefully manoeuvres towards arrived BA aircraft door at Heathrow's Terminal 5.  .
    heathrow_airport450-14-07-2009.jpg
  • A 40th anniversary celebration cake has been baked for the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team who are soon to appear. Displayed in a hospitality tent at the Kemble Air Show, the iced gateau has a red ribbon and an image of nine aircraft in mid-flight. A bouquet of flowers and assorted cutlery for the forthcoming lunch is alongside. Blue paper is draped over the top adding to the patriotic red, white and blue colours. After several identities, the Red Arrows started life near this location in 1964 at RAF Little Rissington in Gloucesterhire. Their name originates from the French 'Fleches Noirs', or Black Arrows, so in England, a new team was established flying black Hawker Hunters in the colour of their Squadron 111. As the Red Arrows diaplay team, they have since flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows188_RBA.jpg
  • In the mid-day heat, Squadron Leader Spike Jepson, leader of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, informally addresses the team's highly-skilled ground crew at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus after the whole team's success of passing PDA (or 'Public Display Authority'). The Red Arrows are then allowed by senior RAF officers to perform as a military aerobatic show in front of the general public - following a special test flight when their every move and mistake is assessed and graded. Until that day arrives, their training and practicing is done in the privacy of their own airfield at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, UK. Squadron Leader Jepson has gathered his engineers and support crew known as the Blues to congratulate and encourage them. Specialists like these outnumber the pilots 8:1 and without them, the Red Arrows couldn't fly.
    Red_Arrows162_RBA.jpg
  • A red Hawk jet aircraft belonging to the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, is parked in the hangar at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire, the home base for the squadron. Night is falling with only blue daylight remaining in the western sky and the warm light from the hangar spills out of the giant open doors on to the concrete. The aircraft awaits attention from the engineer's night-shift who service and maintain all 11 of the famous red aerobatic jets before flying the next morning. The hangaran original World War 2 shelter for the Lancaster bombers of 617 Dambusters squadron who attacked the damns of the German Ruhr valley on 16th May 1943 using the Bouncing Bomb. The Red Arrows use this and nearby offices administrative nerve-centre for the 90-plus displays they perform a year. .
    Red_Arrows007_RBA.jpg
  • An Asian visitor passes beneath a large billboard of the Airbus A350 XWB on the side of the Airbus corporate chalet at the Farnborough Air Show, England. The A350 XWB is the only all-new aircraft in the 300-400 seat category. The A350 XWB is a family of long-range, two-engined wide-body jet airliners developed by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. The A350 is the first Airbus with both fuselage and wing structures made primarily of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer. It's scheduled to enter commercial service later in 2014.
    farnborough_air_show58-14-07-2014.jpg
  • An Asian visitor passes beneath a large billboard of the Airbus A350 XWB on the side of the Airbus corporate chalet at the Farnborough Air Show, England. The A350 XWB is the only all-new aircraft in the 300-400 seat category. The A350 XWB is a family of long-range, two-engined wide-body jet airliners developed by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. The A350 is the first Airbus with both fuselage and wing structures made primarily of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer. It's scheduled to enter commercial service later in 2014.
    farnborough_air_show52-14-07-2014.jpg
  • We look down on the zigzag of passenger jetties that transport air travellers from their aircraft, towards the arrivals concourse in Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. A series of walkways that are covered from above but which have window light to the side are connected to the fuselage of a British Airways 747-400 series airliner that is parked at its gate on the apron of this aviation hub. These jetties are owned by the airport operator, used by British Airways and sponsored by HSBC. Air travellers walk briskly after their long-haul flight either carrying light carry-on bags or towing small cases on wheels. At a cost of £4.3 billion, Terminal 5 has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport449-14-07-2009.jpg
  • Part of a sequence of 8 consecutive images, a jet airliner takes-off over afternoon skies above London's Heathrow Airport.
    heathrow_airport823-22-07-2009.jpg
  • In the top-right corner of the image, an airliner passes overhead in the clear blue sky flight-path over South London
    heathrow_airport1691-25-08-2009.jpg
  • Traffic cones guard against night time accidents under a Boeing engine during an airliner's overnight stop at Heathrow Airport
    heathrow_airport1098-11-08-2009.jpg
  • An airliner crosses the razor-wired perimeter fence at Heathrow Airport on its way to an international destination.
    heathrow_airport1069-11-08-2009.jpg
  • Joining with the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team on the far left, are the smoke trails of forty leading European display aircraft: Spanish Patrulla Aguila; Italian Frecce Tricolori; French Breitling Jet Team and the Swiss Patrouille Suisse. All flew together in the clear, blue alpine skies on a spectacular fly-past at the Payerne Air 04 show, Switzerland. The two-day festival at the Swiss airfield is home of the Swiss Air Force who host the cream of international aerobatic display flying every September to 275,000 spectators over a weekend. European display teams and air forces gathered to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Swiss military aviation. Flying on the far left here, the Red Arrows have performed over 4,000 shows in 52 countries since 1965. .
    Red_Arrows673_RBA.jpg
  • Pilots belonging to the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, walk in line from their parked Hawk jet aircraft during their two-day visit to the airfield at the Payerne Air 04 show, Switzerland. It is a perfect day for aerobatics with blue alpine skies during the teams' two-day visit to the Swiss airfield. Payerne is home of the Swiss Air Force who host the cream of international aerobatic display flying every September to 275,000 spectators over a weekend. European display teams and air forces gathered to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Swiss military aviation. The team walk towards waiting transport wearing the red flying suits, synonymous with an ambassadorial role for the UK and recruiting tool for the RAF's pilots of the future. SInce their birth in 1965, they have performed over 4,000 shows in 52 countries. .
    Red_Arrows667_RBA.jpg
  • The Hawk jet aircraft of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, are lined up at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus as members of the team's ground crew step away from the aircraft that they respectively look after. From a low angle we see a wide landscape looking over the taxi-way markings that direct military airplanes. The Red Arrows aircraft are a deep red colour that stand out against the horizon in an identical line. It is a wide expanse of road surface, the yellow centre-lines are for the benefit of pilots who need guidance for parking areas after landing, or leaving towards the departing runway on the southern part of the Cypriot Mediterranean island. With the Red Arrows, the nine taxiing jets all peel off in unison to and from the parking area and these lines are vital for this technique.
    Red_Arrows281_RBA.jpg
  • Spectators at the The Princess Margaret Hospital (TPMH) on the Akrotiri peninsula, about 4 kilometres from the RAF Station at Akrotiri, admire the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, as they perform one of their first public shows of the year. RAF staff and patients are allowed on to the grass outside the hospital building for this free show, given in honour of local charity fund-raisers of the Cyprus-based RAF Association whose guests form one of the smallest crowds to watch a Red Arrows display. Here, the team perform The Twizzle manoeuvre in front of the small crowd who stand by a green fence, matching tree and palm tree stumps. The bare earth is baked hard by the lack of rain and it almost looks like a desert scene as five of the nine jets speed overhead,
    Red_Arrows136_RBA.jpg
  • A lone figure stands silhouetted against a hangar belonging to the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire. Two huge hangar doors are ajar revealing an orange glow spilling on to the concrete outside. A Hawk jet aircraft is parked awaiting overnight maintenance. Engineers talk inside as the door travels along its track. The men are the team's support ground crew and eleven trades are imported from some sixty that the RAF qualifies. The hangar dates to World War 2, housing Lancaster bombers of 617 Dambusters squadron who attacked the damns of the German Ruhr valley on 16th May 1943 using the Bouncing Bomb. This version of BAE Systems Hawks are low-tech, without computers nor fly-by-wire technology, Some of the  team's aircraft are 25 years old and their airframes require frequent overhauls due.
    Red_Arrows074_RBA.jpg
  • Flight Lieutenant Dave Slow of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, is seated in a BAE Systems Hawk jet aircraft simulator at the fast-jet flying training centre, RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales. Like all fast-jet pilots, Flight Lieutenant Slow is required to complete this emergency drill every six months. The pilot is seated in his ejector seat as if in a real jet using back-projected computer graphics representing a generic landscape below. Each aviator proves they can cope with a series of failures that operators select: Engine, hydraulic failure or bird strike.  Apart from the aircraft fuselage, the high-tech facility loads malfunctions on a pilot that he could experience in reality. The version of Hawk that the Red Arrows fly is actually a primitive piece of equipment, without computers or fly-by-wire technology.
    Red_Arrows043_RBA.jpg
  • A Kratos BQM-177i drone target at the Farnborough Air Show, England. Based upon the U.S. Navy’s BQM-177A, the BQM-177i meets the international community’s need for highly dynamic, high-subsonic, sea-skimming, anti-ship cruise missile threat emulation. Capable of speeds in excess of Mach 1 and altitudes above 35,000 feet, the BQM-177i is ideally suited for missions that include testing surface-to-air weapon systems, such as those on naval vessels.
    farnborough_air_show71-14-07-2014.jpg
  • A Kratos MQM-178 'Firejet' drone target at the Farnborough Air Show, England. The Firejet fills a variety of mission roles, including anti-aircraft artillery training, surface-to-air and air-to-air missile testing. Capable of flying low-and-slow or high-and-fast, Firejet offers users the opportunity to test multiple platforms with one flexible, affordable aerial target system.
    farnborough_air_show69-14-07-2014.jpg
  • A large billboard of the Airbus A350 XWB on the side of the Airbus corporate chalet at the Farnborough Air Show, England. The A350 XWB is the only all-new aircraft in the 300-400 seat category. The A350 XWB is a family of long-range, two-engined wide-body jet airliners developed by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. The A350 is the first Airbus with both fuselage and wing structures made primarily of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer. It's scheduled to enter commercial service later in 2014.
    farnborough_air_show56-14-07-2014.jpg
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