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Spain's Aircraft Carrier Begins Air-naval Certification Campaign Posted by Christina Mackenzie at 2/14/2011 9:28 AM CST The Juan Carlos I, Spain's amphibious aircraft carrier launched on September 30, 2010, is undergoing year-long sea trials and last week started the process of gaining its air-naval certification. The first helicopter landed aboard on February 8 at 10:51. Other helicopters from the 6th Squadron (Hughes 500) and the 3rd Squadron (AB-212) then followed. Commander Emilio Aceña Medina brings his helicopter in to land on the Juan Carlos I. Photo credit: Spanish Navy The next phase will involve landing and take-off of Harrier AV-8B...

11 February 2011 Last updated at 07:16 ET Share this pageFacebookTwitter ShareEmail Print eBay removes Harrier jump jet over weapons ban Mr Wilson has previously listed four similar jets on eBay Continue reading the main story Related Stories Harrier jet on sale in Queensbury Bid for Harrier fails to take off A decommissioned Harrier jump jet has been removed from online auction website eBay after officials said it contravened their weapons sales policy. The outer shell of the rare two-seater T2 Harrier, a former museum exhibit, was restored by Bradford company Jet Art Aviation. Company director Chris Wilson said the...

SYDNEY: A seven-year-old British boy nearly bought a real-life Harrier fighter jet for $113,515 via online shopping. The boy hit the "buy it now" button to purchase the fighter jet, which was put on sale at the online store eBay. But his father quickly apologised to the sellers, saying his son was not able to buy the aircraft out of his pocket money, news.com.au reported Friday. "His dad rang up and profusely apologised to us, so it's still for sale. We've put it on as an auction now so that won't happen again," said a spokeswoman for Britain-based Jet Art...

Last British exchange pilot bids farewell to Harrier Story by Lance Cpl. Jakob Schulz From across the pond he came. His goal, to fly the AV-8B Harrier. Now, however, as the time for his return draws near, Flight Lieutenant Douglas McKay, takes not only the British Harrier pilot exchange program, but a wealth of experience gained during his stay. In June 2009, McKay, 34, stepped off a plane with his wife and children after an exhausting 10 hours of flight, only to board another one heading into the desert of the American Southwest. Upon arrival, McKay, a native of Hamilton,...

For sale on eBay, a real flight of fancy: Decommissioned Harrier with an asking price of just £69,999 By Ian Drury Last updated at 1:42 AM on 3rd February 2011 It was the iconic fighter plane that helped Britain triumph in the Falklands War. Now aircraft enthusiasts are being offered the chance to snap up a Harrier jump jet to keep in their back garden. The last of the first generation of the revolutionary aircraft is being sold on the auction website eBay. Bargain: The world's last first generation two-seater Harrier jet is on sale on eBay at an asking...

BBC journalist Brian Hanrahan, is counted out at the age of 61 by Mark Jefferies, Daily Mirror 21/12/2010 HE counted them all out… and he counted them all back. And yesterday friends and colleagues were counting the loss of war reporter Brian Hanrahan – as a great bloke. The BBC stalwart, who made his name in the heat of battle in the Falklands, has died aged 61 after a short illness. He delivered his famous line about Harrier jump jets during the 1982 conflict to get round restrictions on revealing how many planes had taken part in any particular operation....

Royal Navy and RAF Harrier pilots face an uncertain future after the government revealed it is still reviewing the number it will retain following the decision to scrap the aircraft. The decision to scrap the aircraft was made as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review in October, with the Harrier being taken out of service and numbers of Tornado aircraft set to be reduced. There are 135 Harrier pilots in the Royal Air Force and 53 in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. Responding to a question from New Forest MP Julian Lewis, defence Minister Andrew Robathan said...

The pilots and maintanance crews did a great job getting the aircraft airbourne in nasty weather conditions, the specially painted Harriers looked great, and the children cheering the pilots and crew as they walked through the guard of honour, was a real special moment.

British Government to Scrap Aircraft Carrier 2010-12-16 06:59:44 Xinhua Web Editor: Luo The British government announced on Wednesday that it would scrap an aircraft carrier in 2014. The vessel, HMS Illustrious, will be scrapped as part of cuts in military spending that will total 7.8 percent of the overall budget of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) over the coming four years, Defense Secretary Liam Fox told members of parliament here. The budget cuts in military spending have already seen another aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal, which is Illustrious' sister ship, retired last week, several years earlier than originally planned. Wednesday...

PICTURES: UK Harriers to make final operational flights today By Craig Hoyle Operations with the UK’s BAE Systems Harrier GR9/9A ground-attack aircraft will come to an end today, with the nation’s Joint Force Harrier organisation to perform a final series of sorties from the Royal Air Force’s Cottesmore base in Rutland. The farewell is to involve a 16-aircraft formation which will perform flypasts at the RAF’s facilities at Wyton, Cranwell, Waddington, Scampton and Coningsby and also over Stamford, Lincoln and Oakham before returning to land at Cottesmore. The aircraft should take off from around 13:15 local time and land around...

As a hopelessly patriotic sort of person, I have a fantasy of one day being on holiday in the south of France and looking up from, say, a biography of Nelson, to see an aircraft carrier appear on the horizon. Only instead of it being an American one, it will be British. No doubt the captain will come ashore in a smart launch and, if I were to be lucky, he might invite me aboard for a sundowner. All would be well in the world, and I would sleep soundly, dreaming of past glories at the Nile and Trafalgar. I...

This Is The End...Except It's Not Posted by Robert Wall at 12/13/2010 2:47 PM CST On Dec. 15, the U.K. will hold the ceremonial final flight of the Harrier. (Harrier GR.9s leaving HMS Ark Royal on last time. Credit: Crown Copyright) The end for Joint Force Harrier has come quickly after the Strategic Defense and Security Review, which called for the retirement of the fleet. A ceremonial flight of 16 Harriers will make a pass not just at the home base of RAF Cottesmore, but several other facilities, too. The Harrier GR.1 flew for the first time almost exactly 43...

Wednesday saw a Harrier jump jet depart for the final time from the British Ark Royal aircraft carrier. The aircraft was piloted by Flight Commander James Blackmore, who guided the last one of four Harrier jets safely from the flight deck of the HMS Ark Royal into the sky. The vessel was sailing in the North Sea on its way to Hamburg, Germany after departing from North Shields, North Tyneside. 35 year-old Flight Commander Blackmore said before taking off that it was a privilege and that he was immensely proud to be the final pilot to take off from the...

Tears as last Harrier jets leave Ark Royal A formation of Harrier jump jets have made their final journey from HMS Ark Royal - the last such flight from a UK aircraft carrier for about 10 years. The four GR9 jets marked the end of an era when they roared off the deck near North Shields, North Tyneside. Both the Ark Royal and the Harriers are being scrapped next year under cost-saving plans. The Harriers were heading 150 miles to RAF Cottesmore in Rutland and will be decommissioned next year. The Ark Royal was sailing across the North Sea to...

The highly-controversial cut to the Harrier force – condemned last week by several former heads of the service as "perverse" and risking "national humiliation" – was decided only three days before the final announcement of the defence review, sources said. Until then, the plan had been to scrap the RAF's Tornado fleet, the oldest strike aircraft currently in service. In a tense meeting, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, the First Sea Lord, told Mr Cameron that he "could not endorse as his military advice" the decision to axe the Harriers and considered it a "political, not military decision."

Head of Navy made last minute plea to save Harriers from scrap-heap The head of the Navy furiously protested to the Prime Minister, David Cameron, about his last-minute decision to scrap all Britain's carrier aircraft, it can be revealed. By Andrew Gilligan The highly-controversial cut to the Harrier force – condemned last week by several former heads of the service as "perverse" and risking "national humiliation" – was decided only three days before the final announcement of the defence review, sources said. Until then, the plan had been to scrap the RAF's Tornado fleet, the oldest strike aircraft currently in...

We knew it was only a matter of time until people started talking about the contested Falkland Islands in the wake of Britain’s decision last month to retire its Harrier jump jets, a move that will leave the United Kingdom with no carrier-borne strike fighters for roughly a decade. Now a group of former British admirals have written an open letter to U.K. defense officials, published in The Times newspaper, urging them to reverse their move to retire the Harriers. For the next 10 years at least, Argentina is practically invited to attempt to inflict on us a national humiliation...

Tornadoes vs. Harriers: row over which jets should be scrapped Former Navy commanders have claimed that plans to scrap Britain's Harrier fleet will leave the Falklands vulnerable and have called for the Tornado to be ditched instead. Here's how the two fighter jets shape up head to head. By Heidi Blake 10:24AM GMT 10 Nov 2010 Tornado GR4 Engines: two RB199 turbofans Thrust: 16,000lbs each engine Aircrew: two Maximum altitude: 50,000ft Maximum speed: 1.3 mach Armaments: Storm Shadow, Brimstone, ALARM, AIM-9 Sidewinder, Paveway II, Paveway III, Enhanced Paveway, General Purpose Bombs, Mauser 27mm. Attack capability: All GR4 aircraft are capable...

Indian air chief dismisses UK’s ‘iffy’ Harriers By James Lamont in Kalaikunda and Alex Barker in London Britain has hit an early obstacle in its bid to sell its fleet of Harrier jump jets after India, the most promising potential buyer, described the aircraft as “iffy” and obsolete. Air Chief Marshall PV Naik, the head of the Indian Air Force, said on Tuesday he would be looking to acquire modern aircraft of fourth-generation capabilities or better. “The Harrier doesn’t fit into that category,” the Air Chief Marshall said. His dismissive remarks over the “iffy” Harrier came soon after Air Chief...

UK seeks buyers for axed Harriers By Alex Barker, Political Correspondent Published: October 31 2010 22:31 Britain is to hang a “for sale” sign on its decommissioned fleet of Harrier jump-jets as ministers attempt to find buyers for aircraft they can no longer afford to fly. India and the US are the two most promising markets for more than 50 of the most up-to-date Harriers, which will otherwise be consigned to the scrap-yard or museum. Peter Luff, defence procurement minister, told the Financial Times that some of the kit axed in the defence review – including the Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft...