Soon in Belgrade

Ryan International Airlines will commence summer charters from Chicago Rockford International Airport and Toronto’s Pearson Airport to Belgrade. Each service will operate once per week with a Boeing B767-300, Serbian media report. Both flights will be served via a technical stop in Shannon, Ireland. It is expected that seats will be sold to tour operators who will then resell tickets to passengers. Flights are scheduled to commence in June. On Monday, the Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate issued an operating license to Ryan International, granting it permission to begin the Belgrade flights. Services between Belgrade and Toronto will be resumed after 5 years. Skyservice operated flights between the two cities in 2006. On the other hand, there have been no flights between Belgrade and Chicago since 1992.

Ryan International Airlines is a charter airline which also serves the United States Army and several other departments of the United States Government.

Meanwhile, later today, it is expected that Croatia will be granted a category 1 rating by the US Federal Aviation Administration, in turn allowing Croatian registered airlines to commence flights to the United States. An as yet unnamed airline is expected to innagurate flights between New York and Zagreb, according to Zagreb Airport’s CEO, this year. An announcement in regards to the future service could be made later today.

 A very close cousin to ZK-DPE is this Cessna A185F ZK-DPF. It is c/n A185F-02421and it joined the register on 06-11-1974 with Rex Aviation for delivery to Ron Fechney of Aylesbury. It is still in the family, now being registered to son Brian.

 ZK-DRG is a humble Cessna 180J Skywagon with a c/n of 180J-52463. It joined our register via the Agents Rex Aviation on 07-11-1974. It served with Gordon Stewart Ltd until going to Aerial Work Ltd at Omaka in June of 1978. The Small's of Haka Valley had it briefly in 1981, before Leon Denize of Te Kuiti acquired it in November that year. John Goddard used it out of Rotorua between October 2000 and its sale to Far North Air in June of 2005. It has been with the DRG Partnership since December of 2006.

This Cessna 180K ZK-EOH is c/n 180K-53026 which ferried into Auckland in March 1979 for use by Geyserland Floatplane Holdings and then Geyserland Airways at Rotorua. It is currently with the Walton Family Trust.

Cessna A185F Skywagon ZK-CES2 , c/n A185F-03273 , is a 1977 production aircraft which moved to Canada in 1981, then back to the USA again in 1994. It ferried into Auckland from Pago Pago on 05-04-1995 to become ZK-JPM on 21-04-1995 for Jane & Paul Macdonald of Canterbury Aviation. It went to Nigel Griffith of Darlington Drilling & Piling on 04-02-2009 and was re-registered as ZK-CES2 on 03-03-2009. Note the turbulators along the wing leading edge & off course the big tires (tyres).

Another A185F is ZK-DOC , c/n A185F-02318 , which was new to NZ and the agents, Rex Aviation (NZ) Ltd of Ardmore. It went to W R Jackson at Taieri as "Patrille II" before joining E D Bullmore & T F Wilkins in late April 1988 and the Fiordland Experience Group from July 1992. It transferred back to the Bullmore Wilkins Syndicate of Balfour in December of 2005.

About 100 airframes later came the A185F ZK-DPE , c/n A185F-02419. Currently listed with Wilderness Wings of Hokitika.

27 Januari 2011



DT-1 multiple launch rocket system (photo : TAF)



New rocket battalion planned



The army has plans for a new battalion to be equipped with multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBRLs), attached to the existing Lop Buri-based Artillery Division, an army source said.



Under the plan, a large number of MBRLs will be bought from the Defence Technology Institute (DTI), an organisation under the Defence Ministry.



DTI, in collaboration with the army of China, has produced a prototype DTI-1 MBRL, using technology transferred from China.



On Monday, Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha visited the Artillery Division in Lop Buri where they took receipt of the first of the MBRLs developed by DTI.



MBRL systems are in wide use with the Cambodian military, which has large numbers of them.

The source said the plan ned new battalion has the support of the prime minister, who sees it as a way of boosting the army's capability.

China has transferred WS-1B technology to DTI (photo : Military Today)

At the hand-over ceremony, Gen Prayuth said it has been the army's wish since 1988 to have a rocket company. At present, the defence minister has approved in principle the development of MBRLs and the newly developed weapon has been tested.

Lt-Gen Thitinan Tunyasiri, the DTI director, said the MBRL prototype is very important as its technology can be use to develop a guided missile system to respond to demands from various army units.



In the near future, the DTI will proceed with other projects to build unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), signal jammers, combat auxiliary systems, and amphibious assault vehicles (AAV), to reduce reliance on imports from abroad, he said.



(Bangkok Post)

27 Januari 2011

ACV-300 of the PAF (photo : Sandy)

MANILA, Philippines - The military needs at least P42.13 billion in the next five years to upgrade its capability and implement security programs.

Military data showed P11.66 billion of the program has been allotted to the Army; P14.36 billion for the Air Force and P14.49 billion has been earmarked for the Navy.

The remaining P1.62 billion has been allocated to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Headquarters and various support units.

Senior military officials presented the data before members of the House of Representatives defense committee in a hearing held at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday.

“The P42 billion (for 2012 to 2016) is a practical modest budget... it can still be adjusted,” Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino said during the committee hearing.

AFP vice chief Lt. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu said the program would involve allotting equipment to 12 Army battalions.

He said this would also entail the creation of three mechanized battalions, which will be equipped with Army fighting vehicles.

Mapagu said they are still determining which battalions would be provided with new equipment.

Mapagu, however, said this might include troops deployed in some areas in Mindanao.

The P42-billion program includes the purchase of 110 units of infantry fighting vehicles, 4,464 units of night fighting system, 8,103 units of assault rifles, 8,103 units of force protection equipment, grenade launchers, trucks, and radios for the Army.

For the Air Force, the items in the shopping list include four units of combat helicopters, four units of surface attack aircraft and lead-in fighter trainers, six units of close air support aircraft, a long-range patrol aircraft and an air surveillance radar.

For the Navy, the program seeks to acquire two offshore patrol vessels, a strategic sealift vessel, a command and control communication system, two units of multi-purpose helicopters, a bases support system, a Coast Guard watch system and an anti-bunker and tank system.

The program also aims to fund, among others, security, mobility, information and weapons systems, communication networks, rehabilitation of military structures and dental and medical equipment.

Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, chairman of the House defense committee, said they would have to study the AFP medium-term capability program.

“The first thing that we will be doing is (to) identify what equipment should be acquired. Only then can we determine how much is needed to support the acquisition,” Biazon said.

“The next phase is to determine how to provide the funds and define the sources of funding,” he added.

Biazon, however, said the AFP should not include in its proposal the equipment used by civilian agencies to implement developmental projects.

“These items should not be mixed with the modernization (program) because whatever they will acquire should be determined by the requirement of providing national security and defense for the country, not agriculture,” he said.

The AFP is currently implementing Bayanihan, an internal security plan that focuses on development programs designed to attack the roots of rebellion.

(PhilStar)

ZK-BSP is c/n 31263 which appeared for Rural Aviation on 11-02-1957; was - to the best of my knowledge - never used as an ag plane; went to the Middle Districts Aero Club followed by Harry Sowerby and then the Sinclair family in 1963. Frank Wright got hold of it in January of 2000 and the current BSP Partnership picked it up on 12-01-2001.

Cessna 180A c/n 32960 is ZK-BUG worked with Rural Aviation from its C of A in October 1957. It carried the name "Bugs Buggy" at about this time.  In late 1965 it went to Dalcom Aviation Training at Wanganui and became the first "real" aeroplane that many of us flew. It is currently with Jim McEwan of Nelson.

ZK-BUJ is c/n 32950 was listed to Rural Aviation on 13-06-57 followed by Farmers ATD at Invercargill in October of 1963. After a year of spraying with Advance Aviation away up north in 1966 it became a four seater and is now with D R & R D Davison of Tapanui.

26 Januari 2011

Korea's T/A-50 light attack variant of the T-50 Golden Eagle (photo : KAI)

Korea Aerospace Industries has rolled out the first production T/A-50, the light-attack variant of the T-50 Golden Eagle advanced jet trainer.

The South Korean air force has ordered 22 T/A-50s for lead-in fighter and ground-attack training, says an industry source. These will be delivered by the end of 2012.

Virtually identical to the T-50, the T/A-50 (above) is equipped with a three-barrelled 20mm cannon with 200 rounds. It can also carry air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons and has an ITT EL-2032 mechanically scanned radar.

The T/A-50 has achieved weapons certification for the Raytheon AGM-65 Maverick (above) air-to-ground and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, although it is not certificated to use the latest AIM-9X variant.

In 2013, following the end of T/A-50 production, KAI hopes to transition to building its developmental F/A-50, which could begin testing in 2012. Seoul has committed to buying 60 F/A-50s and could eventually order up to 150 to replace its air force's Northrop F-5Es.

(Flight Global)