ROYAL NAVY helicopters and crews have begun a hectic programme of extreme cold weather and mountain warfare training in Norway. In exercise "Clockwork" crews will face arctic survival training and will fly battlefield-type helicopter missions in temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius. W: www.royal-navy.mod.uk  Credit: LA(PHOT) Paul A'Barrow RNAS YEOVILTON Photographic Section ... more

SOCATA has upgraded its TBM 850 turboprop with a Garmin GMX 200 Multi-Function Display (MFD) as standard. The GMX200 integrates a moving map, radar, traffic and terrain into a single display. In addition the GMX 200 will offer the options of XM weather in the USA and the impressive ChartView on-route and approach charts from Jeppesen. W: www.socata.com ... more

LONDON Executive Aviation, the UK's largest private jet charter operator, has added a second Embraer Legacy to its fleet. The Legacy is configured for up to 13 passengers and has a range of 3200 miles. GeorgLONDON Executive Aviation, the UK's largest private jet charter operator, has added a second Embraer Legacy to its fleet. The Legacy is configured for up to 13 passengers and has a range of 3200 miles. George Galanopoulos, LEA md, said, ... more

BIGGER ECLIPSE Eclipse Aviation, manufacturer of the EA 500 Very Light Jet, is building new premises at its base at Double Eagle II Airport, Albuquerque. The new facility will manage training, flight support and administration and employ around 100 people on top of Eclipse's existing 100-strong workforce. W: www.eclipseaviation.com ... more

THIS amazing photo shows Polarfirst helicopter pilot, Jennifer Murray, landing on an iceberg near Vernadsky in Antarctica. Jennifer exclusively told LOOP, "An iceberg is definitely not an ideal place to land and we did so with huge caution! Landing on a pinnacle like this meant we had to cope with both updrafts and downdrafts. "Given the instability of ice and the fact that the iceberg could break up at any minute, we just touched ... more

A 40-year-old sales engineer from Liverpool is planning to beat the British microlight altitude record.Dave Beech aims to fly high over Merseyside and Morecambe Bay in his locally built Quantum flexwing microlight to beat the current UK record of 25,206 feet.Dave said, "We are also planning to have a pop at the world record. When I get to 25,000 feet I will assess the situation and hopefully be in a position to continue upwards to brea ... more

REDHILL Aerodrome Has avoided the possibility of being redeveloped as a 2000 home new village.The airfield owners, Redhill Aerodrome Ventures Ltd (RAVL), originally had plans to either keep the land as an aerodrome or build a large housing settlement. But housing and planning minister Yvette Cooper MP has written to Reigate MP Crispin Blunt confirming there is no change to planning policy status of the airfield. The final decision on whethe ... more

IT'S official! Eurocopter is the world's No. 1 helicopter manufacturer. Over the past year the company has delivered a total of 381 new helicopters for military and civil use, and turnover has increased by 18 percent to 3.8 billion Euros compared to 2005. What's more, Eurocopter has done this while re-jigging its global company structure.Helicopter orders are booming, but delivery times are well into next year. At the end of 2006, the value ... more

DASSAULT BOOMS DASSAULT had a record year in 2006, thanks to booming sales of its business jets.A total of 158 firm orders were received worldwide in 2006. This includes a $1.1 billion US order from NetJets Europe for 24 Falcon 7X tri-jets, the largest order ever for business jets in Europe. "Driven by growth outside of North America, the worldwide market for business jets remained impressive in 2006," said Dassault boss Charles E ... more

A BIGGER cabin and higher gross weight are among the design improvements planned for the Farnborough Aircraft Kestrel turboprop.The changes were announced at the Middle East Business Aviation show held in Dubai at the end of January. It was the first time MEBA had held a show and with 90 exhibitors and 30 aircraft, it was deemed a success. The value of orders placed at the show were estimated at $900 million.Farnborough Aircraft is now part ... more

AMBITIOUS or what? This is the incredible vision for Dubai World Central (DWC), a 140 square kilometre urban aviation community centred around the world's largest international airport. It's not a pipedream - construction has just started 40km from the existing Dubai International Airport. When finished, DWC will be almost twice the size of Hong Kong Island. The developers, led by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, and backed b ... more

HONDA has confirmed that Piedmont-Triad Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina will be its world headquarters for the HondaJet very light jet. It's no surprise since Greensboro is where the HondaJet prototype has been developed and based. A brand new HQ building, hangar and manufacturing plant will be built at Greensboro, with first deliveries of the aircraft beginning in 2010. The initial investment is around $60 million but that doesn't in ... more

WHO says bizjets have to land on mile-long hard runways? This Gulfstream III recently flew to Antarctica from  South Africa, landing on an ice runway and performing without flaw on its icy mission. According to Randy Gaston, vice president of flight operations for Gulfstream, "Flying into Antarctica's frigid climate is no problem, although taking off and landing is a bit trickier than usual. Taking off, for example, requires a lon ... more

OLD Buckenham Airfield, near Attleborough in Norfolk, has been sold through agents Savills. The new owners are Guernsey based investors who intend to continue to invest in the facilities. The existing operations will be unaffected with the club, flying school and maintenance continuing to be run by the current management. W: www.oldbuck.com ... more

THE Blades aerobatic display team started a two-month tour of the Middle East at the end of February.It’s the team’s first tour outside Europe which meant dismantling their Extra300LPs and packing them in crates so they could be flown out to Bahrain on a 747 airliner. It’s also the team’s first public display with new pilot Dave Slow.W: www.2excelaviation.com ... more

FUTURE TB20 and TB21 Socata aircraft may be built in Romania. EADS Socata wants to move production of its piston-engine aircraft from its current HQ at Tarbes, France.The plan is part of an offset agreement between EADS and Romania. A new production line will be built at Aerostar in Bacau.Following the transfer, Socata it will begin an aggressive marketing campaign for the £269,000 all-metal TB-series. The stylish are being built only to o ... more

A GERMAN aircraft company has high hopes for this float-wing aircraft prototype.  Called the Equator, the 290hp prototype has flown 300 hours and is currently undergoing static load tests.Unlike classical seaplanes, it doesn't use floats. Instead, it features a corrosion resistant, seamless, watertight, fibre-composite fuselage that sits in the water. The design is said to avoid capsize problems high-wing seaplanes face in strong cross ... more

THIELERT Aircraft Engines is releasing an updated version of its Centurion 1.7 turbodiesel, the Centurion 2.0.As well as the 0.3 litre increase in displacement, improvements include a lighter cast gearbox housing, interfaces for glass cockpits, plus a new service tool that allows FADEC to be programmed in the field. CEO Frank Thielert said, "As already seen in the Centurion 1.7 and the Centurion 4.0, we have utilised tried-and-tested t ... more

From piston aircraft to jets, sales are up worldwideDELIVERIES of General Aviation aircraft are booming, according to figures released last month by the US General Aviation and Manufacturers Association (GAMA). Worldwide shipments reached 4042 GA aircraft, up 12.9% over the previous year's total. The value of these aircraft was an all-time high at $18.8 billion (£9.6 billion), a 24.1% increase.All of the major manufacturers are doing well ... more

FRANCE is gearing up to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first helicopter flight - the first vertical flight is credited to inventor and engineer Paul Cornu in November 1907. Earlier this month, France issued a new 3 euro stamp commemorating the anniversary, and manufacturer Eurocopter is organising several major events.W: http://timbres.laposte.fr ... more

PROBLEMS with repairing the engine of a UK-based Yak-11 have led to a new company being started to cater for the Russian vintage radials.Shvestov Engineering may sound as though it belongs deep behind the former Iron Curtain but it's actually based near Stratford-on-Avon. It will repair and overhaul the famous Russian Shvetsov series of engines, including the ASh-82 (Lavochin La-5 fighter), ASh-62 (Antonov AN-2 biplane) and ASh-21 (Yak-11 a ... more

YES, this really is an aircraft landing on the roof of an RV! It's part of the act of US display pilot Kent Pietsch, seen here at the annual Al Ain Aerobatic Show, held in Abu Dhabi at the end of January.Kent's aircraft is 1942 Interstate Cadet, and his comedy act includes several extreme manoeuvres, such as the aileron falling off in mid air! He also performs a deadstick aerobatic routine from an altitude of 6000 feet, landing in front of ... more

New South African aerobatic aircraft will compete in Red Bull seriesTHIS is the latest Slick 360 aerobatic aircraft being built and developed in South Africa by 2004 World Advanced Aerobatic Champion Glen Dell - who is also one of the new influx of pilots competing in this year's Red Bull World Air Race Series.There are currently three Slick 360s flying and another three close to completion by manufacturer, AeroCam, based at Centurion near ... more

Come along to Turweston and test fly this 250k high-performance plane on 12/13 and 19/20 May.If you have ever wondered what it's like to fly a Cirrus or wanted to know more about ownership benefits and costs, Cirrus and LOOP have set up an event just for you.It's called 'Discover Cirrus' and if you are interested in finding out more about flying Cirrus aircraft book yourself in now. 'Discover Cirrus' takes place over two weekends in Ma ... more