RAF 100 SOUVENIR ISSUE UK £4.70 January 2018 www.aviation-news.co.uk RAF 100th ANNIVERSARY • Spitfi re Combat • Flying the Lightning, Phantom and Tornado • Chinook: Rotary Legend • Stealth Force… and more EXCLUSIVE F-117 NIGHTHAWK Squadron Boss Recollections AMERICAN DC-10S Trijet Tales FLYING THE JAVELIN GLASGOW AIRPORT A Scottish Success QANTAS BOEING 787S Fulfi lling the Dream Aviation News ad Nov 2017.qxp_PF Newsletter 28/11/17 14:45 Page 1 HAPPY BIRTHDAY 8 From the World War One Avro 504 of the Royal Flying Corps, through The Few and the incomparable Spitfire, to the Dambusters. The RAF centenary, 1918 to 2018, to be worn with pride. For these and many other aviation designs visit www.philosophyfootball.com or call 01255 552412 to order by phone. philosophyfootballlcom sporting outfitters of intellectual distinction PhilosophyFootball_FP.indd 1 28/11/2017 16:12 CONTENTS p22 FEATURES REGULARS 18 Qantas 787s: Fulfi lling the Dream 04 Headlines The rst Dreamliner for Qantas has entered service with the type set to enable the airline to achieve a long-held 06 Military News aspiration, as Chris Frame explains. 10 Civil News 22 Flying the F-117A Part 2: Bandit Boss p16 In this second article, Greg Feest details further 16 Preservation News elements of his career on the F-117A Nighthawk. 28 Flight Bag 30 By Force of Arms No.65 Sqn’s Spit res took part in some of the major 70 Air Base Movements battles of World War Two, as Tom Spencer recounts. 71 Airport Movements 36 Serving the Royal Family Charles Woodley details the different aircraft that have 74 Register Review own the Royal Family around the globe for decades. 54 42 Close Encounters p Fast jet pilot Steve Gyles describes his eventful 25-year FREE BOOK! career in the RAF. Claim your 48 Chinook: Rotary Legend FREE Civil The Chinook is nearing four decades of service with the or Military RAF. Peter Cooper pro les this versatile workhorse. Aircraft Markings 52 Typhoon Specials p60 book worth A round-up of special schemes worn by RAF Typhoons. £11.95 54 Stealth Force when you Tim Ripley charts the journey of the UK’s F-35s. subscribe to Aviation 60 Glasgow Airport: A Scottish Success News. Bernie Baldwin learns about the latest developments at Glasgow Airport See pages 34 and 35 for details. 66 American Airlines DC-10s: Trijet Tales p78 Gerry Manning analyses the DC-10’s service with American Airlines. Cover photos (main image): A montage of two images to mark the 100th anniversary of the RAF. BBMF Spit re Mk IIa P7350, a Battle of Britain survivor, is painted in the markings of Spit re 78 Thai A350 Delivery Mk 1a N3162 of 41 Sqn, coded ‘EB-G’. Darren Harbar Photography. The Typhoon FGR4 is from 1 The process involved in delivering an airliner was Sqn. Jamie Hunter. Inset (top right): An American Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10. Gerry witnessed by Martyn Cartledge. Manning. Inset (bottom left): The rst Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for Qantas. Bernard Proctor. Copies of Aviation News incorporating Jets can be obtained each month by placing a standing order with your newsagent. In case of diffi culty, contact our Circulation Manager. Readers in the USA may place subscriptions by visiting www.aviation-news.co.uk or by calling toll free 800-428-3003 or fax 757-428-6253 or by writing to Aviation News incorporating Jets, 3300 Pacifi c Ave, Ste 500, Virginia Beach, VA23451-9828. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Aviation News incorporating Jets, Key Publishing Ltd C/O 3390 Rand Road, South Plainfi eld, NJ 007080. Aviation News incorporating Jets (ISSN: 2047-7198), is published monthly by Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK and distributed in the USA by UKP Worldwide, 3390 RAND ROAD, SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ 07080. Periodicals postage paid at RAHWAY, NJ AND AT ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. Printed in England by Warners (Midland) plc, Bourne, Lincolnshire. (ISSN 2047-7198). The entire contents of AVIATION NEWS INCORPORATING JETS is a copyright of Key Publishing Ltd, and can not be reproduced in any form without permission. www.aviation-news.co.uk 3 03_contentsDC.mf.indd 3 04/12/2017 11:26 Emirates Receives 100th A380 HEADLINES Emirates has taken delivery of its 100th Celebrations in Hamburg to mark the delivery The airline’s 787s will be delivered in a A380. Top officials from Airbus and of the 100th A380 to Emirates. Airbus mix of two- and three-class con gurations, the carrier celebrated the occasion on announce at the show on November seating between 240 and 330 passengers. November 3 in Hamburg. The airline has 12 that Emirates was buying 40 Boeing Engine options are being evaluated. 42 more A380s on order. 787-10 Dreamliners. The deal, including The Dubai-based carrier cancelled an A much-discussed announcement of associated equipment, is valued at order for the Dreamliner’s rival, the Airbus further purchases of the type at the Dubai $15.1bn at current list prices and gives A350, in 2014, having originally committed Airshow in November didn’t materialise. the operator the opportunity to switch to to 50 A350-900s and 20 -1000s. It backed However, Boeing was able to the smaller 787-9. out after conducting a review. IAG Seals Monarch Slots Deal at Gatwick Take-off and landing slots left vacant at Limited (ACL) could reallocate the slots. at Gatwick Airport and Wizz Air at London London’s Gatwick Airport by the Monarch However, a week later the Court of Luton Airport, took up the rights in return Airlines collapse are being acquired by Appeal backed the airline administrator for cash to help pay Monarch Airlines’ IAG, owner of British Airways. Monarch KPMG’s contention that Monarch Airlines creditors. Slots at Birmingham had Airlines ceased trading with debts of was still an “air transport undertaking”, already been re-allocated, while KPMG around £466m on October 2, 2017. holding an “operating licence”. did not contest the return of those at In early November the High Court The victory paved the way for KPMG Manchester to the ‘pool’ for take-up by ruled that ACL Airport Coordination to organise a series of ‘slot swaps’. IAG existing or new carriers. BBMF Spitfi re in New Colours RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Supermarine Spit re LF.IXe, MK356, is back home at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire after an overhaul by The Spit re Company at Biggin Hill. It has also been painted in a new colour scheme, representing 92 Sqn’s EN152 and the code it wore, which operated in Tunisia during April and May 1943. Flt Lt (later Sqn Ldr) Neville Duke was among the pilots to y this aircraft. He went on to become the highest-scoring Allied ghter ace of the Mediterranean theatre, with 27 con rmed victories. The Spit re was returned to its base on November 8 in the hands of Flt Lt Spit re IX MK356 wearing its new scheme at Biggin Hill. Robin J Brooks Andy Preece. 4 Aviation News incorporating Jets January 2018 04-05_headline_newsDC.mfDC.mf.indd 4 04/12/2017 11:23 More Boeing 747s Retire Boeing 747 services ended at United Airlines on November 7. The airline recreated the first 747 flight it operated in 1970, flying between San Francisco and Honolulu. United put on a 1970s-inspired menu and in-flight entertainment, while the crew wore retro uniforms. Aircraft N118UA operated the last flight and also a special round trip for employees from Washington Dulles International Airport on October 19. For the farewell this 747 received extra United gave the Boeing 747 a suitable farewell on its final service for the carrier. Cary Liao ‘747 Friend Ship’ titles. Another airline is taking the type operations on December 17 when flight intends to keep the type in service until out of service. Delta Air Lines was DL154 from Seoul/Incheon touches December 31, flying sports teams and due to end scheduled Boeing 747-400 down in Detroit. The SkyTeam carrier ad-hoc charters. Prior to the disbandment, F-4E AUP serial 71744 was painted with different artwork on HAF 339 Mira Disbands each side of the tail highlighting 65 years of operations by 339 Mira. This Phantom is due for an overhaul and is expected to return to operational service with 338 Mira. Paul van den Hurk and Hans Looijmans of the two locally based F-4E AUP Phantom II squadrons belonging to the 117 Combat Wing. The standing down of the unit also marked the expansion of its sister unit. Personnel and aircraft of 339 Mira merged with 338 ‘Ares’ Mira on the same day. The unit will have about 25 operational Phantoms. The Hellenic Air Force (HAF) has disbanded place on October 31 at Andravida air base There are currently no plans to reduce the 339 ‘Aias’ Mira. An official ceremony took in southwestern Greece. No.339 was one number of active F-4Es in service. Massive JOB OPPORTUNITY A320neo Order Indigo Partners’ four portfolio airlines signed a memorandum Assistant Editor of understanding (MOU) on November 15 with Airbus for 430 Would you like to play a big part in the growing success story ofAviation additional A320neo Family aircraft. The jets will be split between News? This could be your chance. As we gain more readers and plaudits from the US’s Frontier Airlines, JetSMART (Chile), Volaris (Mexico) both enthusiasts and the aviation industry, we are now seeking an Assistant and Wizz Air (Hungary) upon completion of the final purchase Editor to help us in the next stage ofAviation News’s development.