What a blast!!

Had the great pleasure of a ten minute zoom with 4 times British aerobatic champion Mark Jefferies in his fantastic Yak-11 two-seat Soviet air combat trainer of 1957 flying from his airfield at Little Gransden yesterday, while he was checking the aeroplane out following some minor adjustments. Brilliant noise from the 700hp ash 21 radial engine, cavorting around the clouds at up to 320kts with 3,000ft loops, rolls and dives. I ran a Yak-55M many years ago in UK and international aerobatic championships, but this one is the real ‘Daddy’ with lots more grunt and ‘pizzaz’! Thanks Mark, a few minutes to treasure in the memory bank – and good luck with the Children in Need show on 26th August, a truly great cause.

Nick Buckenham BAeA

Ps, Mark will be flying the YAK 11 in the show on the 26th August.

Mark Jefferies for a number of years has flown at the Volkel in de Wolken air show in Holland. This year he will bring the Extra 330SC, the latest state of the art production aerobatic aircraft produced by Company Extra in Germany. Based at the military airbase EHVK the show takes place annually very close to the town, the flying program is diverse with military and civil displays acts. Volkel Air Base is a military airbase used by the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) – Dutch: Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu), and is located near the town of Uden, Noord-Brabant, in the Netherlands. It is home to F-16 Fighting Falcon squadrons, 312 and 313.

The 2013 Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition will be held over six days, from Tuesday 26 February to Sunday 3 March.

Industry-only trade sessions will be held Tuesday to Thursday (all day) and Friday will be both a trade and public day. The exposition will open each day from 9am until 5pm

The public is not admitted during the industry-only trade sessions, which are restricted to accredited industry, defence and government professionals

The show will open to the public on Friday 1 March (from 2pm to 9.30pm), Saturday 2 March and Sunday 3 March (from 8am to 6pm)

Associated industry and technology conferences, seminars and symposia will be held at Avalon and in Melbourne and Geelong during show week

Photographer: Dave Jones

The most action packed motorsport weekend this Easter. Great fun and value for the whole family.

The Easter Thunderball opens the Drag Racing season and with the Drag Racing comes a whole host of exciting action including: Pro Fuel Shootout: 300mph Top Fuel Dragsters and Nitro Funny Cars will be going head to head over the full quarter mile on Saturday, Sunday & Monday… Some of the drivers competing in the shootout will be Risto Poutiainen, Jari Halinen, Duncun Micallef and John Spuffard. Plus the National Drag Racing Championships: A huge variety of race cars and bikes will be competing in the first round of National Drag Racing championships.

Alongside the racing, there will be a motorsport extravaganza with Monster Trucks, stunt displays, Jet Cars plus Fun Fair Rides, Sideshows, Traders, Inflatables and full catering & bar facilities to suit all the family.

Heidi Roberts from Corkills added, “Please join us on our Italian Drive Day. We have a fun filled day planned including a drive to the top of the Great Orme on Sunday 25th March The schedule goes as follows – 9.30am: All guests and drivers arrive at Corkills to be greeted with a complimentary breakfast roll and coffee. 10.30am: Leave Corkills and begin the journey to Llandudno. 11.30am: Begin ascent to the summmit of the Great Orme stopping half way for coffee at Rest & Be Thankful Cafe. 12.30pm: Continue to the summit to watch Abarth Aerobatics. 1.30pm: Abarth Aerobatics display. There will be a professional photographer to capture the highlights of the day. Photos can be retrieved from www.corkillsalfaromeo.co.uk after the event. To reserve your place complete the contact details form or email heidi.roberts@corkills.com”

Double Formula 1 World Champion, Sebastian Vettel, will appear at the Festival of Speed in July among a mouth-watering selection of cars and motorcycles from the current and yesteryear era. The media day at Goodwood has become an event almost in its own right! Legends of motorsport such as Jacky Ickx, Jochen Mass, Andy Priaulx and Richard Attwood were in attendance as Lord March announced the plans for Goodwood events in 2012. The Moving Motor Show will return for a third year on the opening Thursday of the Festival with Abarth displaying a range of cars and merchandise together with arranging test drives of their Abarth 500 and Punto Evo cars. Lord March described plans for a new aviation show as down at Westhampnett Aerodrome (around which the Goodwood race track runs) the two-seater Abarth Extra 300L was on display – a clear link between the Aviation and Automotive exhibits.

Event timetable:

THURSDAY 30 JUNE

6.30am Car parks open

7am Entrance gates open

9am Hillclimb and Moving Motor Show open for business

10.30am Skoda demonstration runs on the Goodwood Forest Rally Stage

11am Bonhams Auction viewing opens (catalogue only)

1pm Red Arrows Air Display

2.30pm Skoda demonstration runs on the Goodwood Forest Rally Stage

2.30pm Goodwood Action Sports display begins on the cricket pitch

4.45pm Goodwood Action Sports repeat performance takes place on the cricket pitch

7pm Moving Motor Show closes for the day.

FRIDAY 1 JULY

6.30am Car parks Open

7am Entrance gates open

9am Batch 6 (Supercars + First Glance + FOS tech)

9.30am Forest Rally Stage opens

9.40am Batch 1 (Pioneers, Pre-war, 50S and 60S F1)

10.15am Batch 2 (Bikes, Saloons, WRC)

10.30am Goodwood Action Sports – Cricket pitch display

11.05am Batch 3 (Indy 500)

11.40am Batch 4 (70S, 80S, 90S F1, Contemporary F1)

12.20pm Batch 5 (Jaguar, Sports Prototypes, Endurance)

1pm Red Arrow Air Display

1pm FOS – Tech- Green cars to start line

1pm Batch 6 (Supercars + First Glance + FOS – Tech)

1.35pm Batch 6 – Green cars turn into park via the startline

1.40pm Batch 3 (Indy 500, Incorporatin Indy Moment)

1.40pm Indy 500 track moment

2.30pm Goodwood Action Sports – Cricket pitch display

2.30pm Batch 2 (Bikes, saloons, WRC)

3.20pm Batch 4 (70S, 80S, 90S, F1, Contemporary F1)

4pm Batch 5 (Jaguar, Sports Prototypes, Endurance)

4.40pm Batch 1 (Pioneers, Pre-war, 50S and 60S F1)

4.45pm Goodwood Action Sports – Best Trick

7pm Gates close

SATURDAY 2 JULY

6.30am Car parks open

7am Entrance gates open

9am Batch 6 (Supercars + First Glance + FOS – Tech)

9.30am Forest Rally Stage opens

9.40am Batch 1 (Pioneers, Pre-war, 50S and 60S F1)

10.15am Batch 2 (Bikes, Saloons, WRC)

10.30am Goodwood Action Sports – Cricket pitch display

11.05am Batch 3 (Indy)

11.30am Red Arrows Air Display

11.40am Batch 4 (70S, 80S, 90S F1, Contemporary F1)

12.20pm Batch 5 (Jaguar, Sports Prototypes, Endurance)

1pm Batch 6 (Supercars + First Glance + FOS – Tech)

1.40pm Batch 3 (Indy 500, Incorporating Indy Moment)

1.40pm Indy 500 Track Moment

2.30pm Batch 2 (Bikes, Saloons, WRC)

2.30pm Goodwood Action Sports – Cricket pitch display

3.20pm Batch 4 (70S, 80S, 90S F1, Contemporary F1)

4pm Batch 1 (Pioneers, Pre-war, 50S and 60S F1)

4.35pm Batch 5 (Jaguar, Sports Prototypes, Endurance)

4.45pm Goodwood Action Sports – Best Trick

7pm Gates close

SUNDAY 3 JULY

6.30am Car parks open

7am Entrance gates open

9am Batch 6 (Supercars + First Glance + FOS – Tech)

9.30am Forest Rally Stage opens

9.40am Batch 1 (Pioneers, Pre-war, 50S and 60S F1)

10.15am Batch 2 (Bikes, Saloons, WRC)

10.30am Goodwood Action Sports – Cricket pitch display

11.05am Batch 3 (Indy)

11.40am Batch 4 (70S, 80S, 90S F1, Contemporary F1)

12.20pm Batch 5 (Jaguar, Sports Prototypes, Endurance)

1pm Vulcan Air Display

1pm Batch 6 (Supercars + First Glance + FOS – Tech)

1.40pm Batch 3 (Indy, Incorporation Indy Moment)

1.40pm Indy 500 Track Moment

2.30pm Goodwood Action Sports – Cricket pitch display

2.30pm Batch 2 (Bikes, Saloons, WRC)

3.15pm Batch 4 (70S, 80S, 90S F1, Contemporary F1)

4.35pm Batch 5 (Jaguar, Sports Prototypes, Endurance)

4.45pm Goodwood Action Sports – Best Trick

5.10pm Batch 1 (Pioneers, Pre-war, 50S and 60S F1)

6.15pm Prize Giving

7pm Gates close

Once again Mark Jefferies thrilled the spectators and VIPs at the recent Bahrain International Air Show with a series of breath-taking aerobatic air displays. Mark and his team took the Extra 330sc out to Bahrain in advance of the air show and following airframe construction, checks and flight tests made his appearances during this ever popular event. Mark carries in-flight video recording equipment supplied by DogCamSport and captured some of the most incredible footage yet seen, with nose and wing mounted cameras filming stunning sequences as seen here… the scenery makes a superb backdrop for this stunning aerobatic video.