Based in London, Tony covers European defense programs. Prior to joining Aviation Week in November 2012, Tony was at Shephard Media Group where he was deputy editor for Rotorhub and Defence Helicopter magazines. Tony has covered avionics, unmanned vehicles, the supply chain and cyberwarfare.
LONDON – The first A400M airlifter for the U.K. Royal Air Force has moved under its own power as preparations begin for its first flight. Taxi trials of the first of 22 RAF aircraft, MSN15, took place on Aug. 10, manufacturer Airbus Defense and Space said in an Aug. 10 press release. The tests will pave the way for a first flight in the coming weeks in readiness for delivery in September.
LONDON – Bristow says plans for the company to take on the U.K.’s search-and-rescue helicopter capability are “on schedule and on budget.” In revealing the helicopter operator’s first-quarter results Aug. 4 in Houston, Jonathan Baliff, Bristow’s new president and CEO, told analysts that construction work on two new bases at Inverness and Humberside airports was already well underway and that both would be operational in the first quarter of 2015, with other bases at eight other locations around the U.K. following later.
