aviation - the past, present and future of flight

As this issue of Aviation News closed

for press, the RAF was gearing up to

commemorate its centenary with a massive

100 aircraft  ypast over Buckingham Palace

in central London on July 10. Preparations

for the event included a practice formation

 ight over the RAF College in Lincolnshire a

week earlier.

The July 10 event will involve more than

1,000 servicemen and women, who will

take part in a parade on The Mall as the

centrepiece event to celebrate the RAF’s

milestone birthday. The Queen will present

a new Queen’s Colour to the service at

a ceremony to mark its centenary on the

forecourt of Buckingham Palace on the day.

The historic  ypast in front of the Queen, the

Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall,

and other members of the Royal Family, is

scheduled to follow the parade.

Massive Flypast for RAF100 Celebrations

The RAF’s newest  ghter, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning,  anked by a pair of Panavia

Tornado GR4s over the ceremonial gates of the RAF College as part of the RAF100  ypast

practice on July 3. Other aircraft participating in the practice included the new Juno and

Jupiter training helicopters, and the recently introduced elementary  ying training machine,

the Prefect. Crown Copyright

Vulcan Repainted at Southend

Avro Vulcan B.2 XL426, based at London Southend Airport in Essex,

has received a new coat of paint, courtesy of Indestructible Paint of

Birmingham. The V-Bomber – which retains the same markings – is

maintained in ground running condition by the Vulcan Restoration Trust.

Indestructible Paint provided eight types of specialist coatings

for the recent work, including products for the jet pipes and the  rst

stage compressor blades. Where no current coating was available,

technicians analysed and created bespoke products which

matched the original speci cation. “That’s a process that re ects

the skills of our laboratory team who are well versed in developing

performance coatings that meet the needs of very precise

applications,” said the organisation’s managing director, Brian

Norton. The same company has previously provided materials for

Doncaster-based Vulcan B.2 XH558.

Parliament has backed the plan to expand

London’s Heathrow Airport, ending decades

of political debate on one of the UK’s most

pressing infrastructure issues. MPs from

across political parties joined forces to

support the government’s Airports National

Policy Statement in a Commons vote on

June 25. They backed the plan by 415

votes to 119, clearing the way for Heathrow

to submit an application for development

consent of the project.

Speaking shortly after the motion

received approval from the House of

Commons, Heathrow CEO John Holland-

Kaye said: “Parliament has ended 50

years of debate by deciding that Heathrow

expansion will go ahead. This vote will see

us deliver more jobs, create a lasting legacy

of skills for future generations and guarantee

expansion is delivered responsibly.”

A statement from Heathrow said the vote

would secure “a £14bn private investment for

the UK – the largest private project in Europe”.

It also said the expansion will: “...transform

the country’s only hub airport, stimulating

growth and opportunities for communities the

length and breadth of the UK. With up to 40

new long-haul trading links, double the cargo

capacity, more competition and choice for

passengers and new domestic  ights – an

expanded Heathrow will make Britain the

best connected country in the world and

sends the strongest signal to date that Britain

is open for business.”

It continued: “With a commitment to

deliver an expanded Heathrow affordably –

with airport charges staying close to today’s

levels – it is a huge prize for British business

and Heathrow passengers.”

An artist’s impression

of Heathrow after

the redevelopment.

Heathrow Airport

MPs Say Yes to Heathrow Expansion

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HEADLINES

Aviation News incorporating Jets August 2018

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