THE latest craze for thrill-seekers is heli-biking - where a helicopter transports riders and off-road bikes to the top of a mountain, drops them off and the riders pelt hell-for-leather downhill. And they're prepared to pay upwards of £110 per flight!The idea is already big business in Canada, US and New Zealand, with France and Romania taking it up in Europe. The extreme sport takes place in summer, using unused skiing facilities. The dr ... more

THIS is the moment fans of the Avro Vulcan bomber have been waiting for - the Vulcan being restored at by the 'Vulcan To The Sky' Trust lifts off from the runway at Bruntingthorpe Airfield on 18 October. The British-built Vulcan's four Olympus engines blasted the aircraft, XH558, into the air for perfect take-off and a 20-minute flight.It was flown by Squadron Leader Al McDicken, who said, "She was an absolute delight, every bit as goo ... more

A NEW American-Slovakian venture is working on a range of light sport aircraft called 'The SmartPlane Concept'. AveoEngineering, based in Sloavkia, has two aircraft under construction, the Phantom and the Shadow, and is also producing advanced glass cockpit displays - which are being launched in the UK later this month at the Sports & Leisure Aviation Show.Aveo claims its designs are five years ahead of other light sport aircraft, with ... more

Falcon 2000DX receives FAA and EASA approval FRENCH aircraft manufacturer Dassault has received approval from both the FAA and EASA for its new Falcon 2000DX. The EASA approval was awarded 19 September and FAA approval on 3 October. Introduced during the NBAA Convention in 2005, the 3250nm Falcon 2000DX will replace Dassault's original Falcon 2000 introduced in 1989. The first Falcon 2000DX is already at Dassault's Little Rock Completion Ce ... more

Six helicopters for new RAF squadron DEFENCE Minister Lord Drayson last month unveiled the first of six new AgustaWestland EH101 Merlin helicopters. The Minister also announced the establishment of a new RAF Merlin Squadron - 78 Squadron - to be based at Benson.The MoD announced in March 2007 that it was buying six additional Merlin helicopters from Denmark at a cost of £175 million for a rapid increase in helicopters for operations. The s ... more

A BRAND new Learjet is being developed by Bombardier Aerospace. It has a working title of 'Learjet NXT'. It will be a mid-size business jet, fitting into the range above the $13.3 million Learjet 60XR."We are on target for a public unveiling of the next Learjet business jet in October 2008, in time to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the first flight of a Learjet aircraft," said Pierre Beaudoin, boss of Bombardier Aerospace.Bom ... more

New piston single aimed at top-end Cirrus pilotsPIPER launched its first new aircraft for years at the annual AOPA Expo, held in Connecticut, USA in early October. The aircraft is the Piper Matrix, based on the six-seat Malibu Mirage and powered by a 350hp piston engine. While the Matrix is clearly aimed at the Cirrus SR22, the current best-selling single-engine piston aircraft, it also has a 'proper' cabin with luxurious seating, door and ... more

HISTORY was made on 2 October when an L-29 ex-military aircraft completed the world's first jet flight powered solely by 100% biodiesel fuel. The flight was made from Reno-Stead Airport in the Nevada desert by Green Flight International.The experimental test flights started with a blend of jet fuel and biodiesel. Engine performance was evaluated and found acceptable for continued use, eventually resulting in the landmark flight. According t ... more