Articles - Written Work

The Swift Aerobatic Display Team Few acts on the airshow circuit have the ability to literally stop the public in their tracks. The roar of Typhoon, the howl of Vulcan, or the precision formation flying of the Red Arrows are notable exceptions; but another team who regularly do so are a very different three-piece outfit who go by the name of the Swift Aerobatic Display Team. Karl Drage caught up with them to talk about their motivation and how they envisage the display developing.

The Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit Since its formation in 1980 the Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit (ASU) has been providing invaluable helicopter support to the Force's police officers on the ground. Karl Drage and Geoff Hibbert visited and flew with them from their Lippitts Hill base as they sought to find out more about the vital role they play. Words - Karl Drage, images as credited.

The Midland Air Museum Located outside the perimeter fence on the northside of Coventry Airport - itself on the site of the former RAF Baginton - is the Midland Air Museum's eclectic collection of aviation exhibits. As a pre-cursor to Air Atlantique Classic Flight's second Nightshoot Karl Drage stopped by to see what had changed.

RAF Northolt Nightshoot V With the shortest day rapidly approaching, Karl Drage joined 69 other photographers on a bitterly cold RAF Northolt ramp to see what Nightshoot V had to offer.

Richard "Smokey" G. Young - A Surprise Encounter While reporting for GAR at the World Aerobatic Championships an unexpected but most welcome opportunity arose. Karl Drage describes his aerial encounter with “Smokey” Young.

RAF Puma Upgrades Back in 2007, Eurocopter was awarded a UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) Assessment Phase (AP) contract for the Life Extension Programme for the RAF's fleet of Puma HC.1 helicopters. Now, some 27 months later, the MoD have announced that they've signed a deal worth £300m to carry out the required work to bring the aircraft up to HC.2 standard. Karl Drage reports.

Helitech 2009 With Helitech, the largest dedicated European-based helicopter exhibition once again making its biennial visit to Duxford, Karl Drage made the short journey to Cambridgeshire to see what was on display.

RAF Northolt Nightshoot IV With 'summer' almost over and the nights starting to drop in, Phil Dawe and the team at RAF Northolt decided it was about time that they held their next fundraising drive in aid of the restoration of Building 27, the Battle of Britain Ops Room, and so Nightshoot IV was staged. Karl Drage was there for GAR.

Little Gransden 2009 Now in its 17th year, Little Gransden on the Cambridgeshire/Bedfordshire border once again played host to a charity air and car show in aid of Children In Need. Karl Drage was in attendance to report for GAR.

'Tis the Season to be Jolly Karl was present at DCAE Cosford for the spectacular delivery of an ex-USAF MH-53M, donated to the RAF Museum and flown in in a 99 Sqn C-17A - the largest aircraft ever to operate from the airfield.

Full TLT The Tactical Leadership Training Exercise is perhaps best compared to USAF's Red Flag series of exercises, designed to better prepare crews for real-world conflicts by simulating the situations they're likely to find themselves in.

"Cirrus Check" At the culmination of the formation training given by "Ultimate High" a diamond nine formation of SR20 and SR22 aircraft was assembled, with Karl being given the opportunity to fly in "Cirrus 4", at the right point of the formation.

A Day in the Life Karl spent a day with Flt Lt Russ Norman, Chinook Display Team captain for the second half of the 2008 season at RAF Woodvale, from where they operated for the Southport Airshow.

Sywell Spectacular Karl reports from his local airfield, Sywell, as they host the 2008 edition of their biennial airshow, in aid of the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.

Dawlish Delight Everybody has seen the pictures from previous shows and 2008's one simply couldn't be passed up. Karl and his family visit the pretty Devon seaside town of Dawlish for their Carnival Airshow.

"We Jammin'" Exercise ELITE (Electronic LIve Training Exercise) is designed to provide a training scenario where the main emphasis is placed upon electronic warfare for both air and ground based weapons systems.

"A Kemble Classic" Fathers' Day in the Cotswolds is rapidly becoming synonymous with the Kemble Air Day, and June the 15th 2008 saw the event celebrate not only the RAF's 90th anniversary in fine style, but also the 70th birthday of the airfield itself. For the first time in the event's 12-year history the organisers had elected to adopt a charity, with the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund (RAFBF) being the chosen beneficiary.

"From London to Berlin" With Ryanair operating a service direct from Stansted to Berlin-Schonefeld, home of the biennial ILA trade show, and with a jam-packed flying programme, it seemed rude not to take advantage of the situation and have a continental away day.

Artic Role Red Flag Alaska is a Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) sponsored exercise. After the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991, Exercise Cope Thunder, held at Clark AFB in the aforementioned country was forced to relocate to Eielson AFB, near Fairbanks, Alaska the following year.

"Sywell and Good" Take a wonderful grass airfield in Northamptonshire, steeped in aviation history, a fantastically committed and enthusiastic organising committee, and an exceptionally worthwhile charitable cause and you have the basis for a quite superb airshow.

"Wet 'N' Wild" Located on the Black Sea coast, in the Krosnodar region of southern Russia is the picturesque 'riviera' town of Gelendzhik. Every other year the town, and more specifically the bay in which it sits, plays host to a number of amphibious aircraft and seaplanes.