Scene around the UK

30 July 2007 - Coningsby

Two more visitors to Typhoon town - a pair of Italian Air Force EF2000s arrived and are expected to depart Wednesday. Pictures courtesy Gary Stedman

26 July 2007 - Linton-on-Ouse

Linton-on-Ouse Families' Day was poor fare static wise (not a single jet!) but redeemed by the presence of a pair of Irish Air Corps PC-9s, which had come to display. Another worthy subject was the first sighting of a Tucano in 76(R) Squadron markings. Pictures courtesy Mick Britton

26 July 2007 - Marham

Rumoured on internet forums as being either a diamond-nine or a diamond-nine plus the Red Arrows, this box-four led by the '25 Years' anniversary Tornado was the total flypast over a rain-soaked crowd at Marham's Families' Day. Picture courtesy Dave Eade/DEltafoto

26 July 2007 - Newark

Despite the need to work around this summer’s indifferent weather conditions, steady progress is being made on repainting Blackburn Buccaneer S1 XN964, which is being extensively restored by volunteers at Newark Air Museum.

A large part of the de-corrosion phase has now been completed and major sections of the fuselage have recently had undercoat applied. Some de-corrosion work is still continuing in the undercarriage bays.

Assistance provided to the restoration team has resolved the previously reported problems with the cockpit locking / release mechanism. This has enabled restoration work to get underway in the cockpit, where access has been made easier thanks to the acquisition of a crew ladder.

The Buccaneer which is listed as a ‘Significant’ airframe on the National Aviation Heritage Register and as can bee seen from the photograph is being repainted in a white and grey colour scheme it wore in its early service days with 801 Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm. This was when XN964 was deployed on HMS Victorious for what is believed to have been the first operational deployment of the Buccaneer, to the Far East from 1963 to 1965.

The team are still keen to establish contact with any former Fleet Air Arm air and ground crew that served with the Squadrons and Units that XN964 served with. These included: AHU; 801 Squadron – HMS Victorious; 736 Squadron; 803 Squadron; RAE Bedford; RRE Pershore. Courtesy Howard Heeley/Down to Earth Promotions

24 July 2007 - Edinburgh

On delivery to the Israeli Air Force, this is the fourth AEW&C Gulfstream to be completed. Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation was awarded a $473 million contract in 2003 to supply and provide support for four Gulfstream G550 business jet aircraft to the Israeli Ministry of Defence, to be used as Compact Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) platforms. Following initial phase and partial final phase production, which includes interior and exterior modifications to the platform at Gulfstream's Savannah facility, the mission equipment installation and system integration will be done in Israel. Picture courtesy Gill Howie

10 July 2007 - Mildenhall

61-2666 has been modified as an NC-135W to test systems and equipment used on other reconnaissance aircraft - it is the only one of its type and can carry 34 passengers. Picture courtesy Mike Lennon

9 July 2007 - Coningsby

ZJ910/BS001 was finally delivered to RAF Coningsby - this jet is the first British production single-seat aircraft and was originally intended to be one of the first jets delivered to the RAF, however BAE Systems withheld it to conduct further tests.

7 July 2007 - Lakenheath

Arriving for a night-stop were six F-16s from the Turkish Air Force together with three KC-135 tankers as support. They are on their way to the USA to participate in Red Flag 2007 between 12-27 July. Pictures courtesy Gary Stedman

1 July 2007 - Duxford

TFC's P-40B is seen coming together for this weekend's Flying Legends, being put together in the TFC hangar by Steve Hinton's team. Steve arrived with his crew in a PA-12 Turbo and informed us that with luck the P-38 'Glacier Girl' may make the UK after all, but a week late - a new engine is on its way to the stricken fighter. With luck Ed Shipley will take the P-38 to Fairford and possibly fly with an F-15C. Courtesy Gary Watson

1 July 2007 - Newark

Thank you from Newark Air Museum

The trustees of the Newark Air Museum would like to issue a brief note to thank all of the visitors for their patience in trying to access the museum on Sunday 1 July 2007. The cancellation of the Waddington Airshow saw hundreds of visitors divert to the museum and their good humour in queuing to get into the museum, its shop, café and the various aircraft that were open should be commended.

The initial traffic/car parking problems were caused by the sheer numbers that turned up and our inability to park the excess vehicles on the museum’s grassed areas for fear of everyone getting bogged down and stuck. The problem was only resolved when under Police advice we cut the padlock off the runway gate and thereby gained access to additional hard-standing areas on one of the former airfield runways.

There were many positive comments from more than 1,000 visitors and the trustees hope that some people might take the chance to pay a return visit to the museum another time when it is not so frantic.

Also a special note of thanks goes out to ALL of our staff and the volunteers who helped provide an alternative location for all of the visitors who had been intending to visit the Waddington Airshow, and who coped well in less than ideal circumstances.