Air International

FEATURES

RAF QUICK REACTION ALERT - DEFENDING THE NATION
With the recent upsurge in Russian strategic bomber patrols, Jon Lake examines the role of the RAF's Quick Reaction Alert aircraft, which must also be ready to counter the possibility of terrorists seizing control of an airliner.

COLD WAR SURVIVORS - MiG-21 FISHBED
In the third of an occasional series on Cold War aircraft still in service, Michael J Gething* looks at a Russian 'classic' - the MiG-21.

ANTARCTIC FLYERS
Dino Carrara reports on the work of British Antarctic Survey aircraft in support of scientific research.

JAGUAR RETIREMENT - A CAPABILITY GAP?
Early retirement of the RAF's Jaguars has left the service less able to carry out operational tasking and specific capabilities have been lost, as Jon Lake explains.

ARCTIC TIGERS
Mark Attrill was at Ørland Main Air Station in Central Norway to record the action at the annual NATO Tiger Meet and its official air exercise, Arctic Tiger 2007.

AIRBUS A320 - A FAMILY AFFAIR
Airbus' first attempt at building a narrow-body airliner led to the A320. The type has proved a huge success and has since spawned a family of aircraft. Bruce Hales-Dutton details the reasons for their popularity.

INDIAN AIR FORCE AT 75
The Indian Air Force is now the fourth largest in the world. Andrew Brookes looks at how it has evolved and assesses its prospects up to its centenary.

Tupolev Tu-154
William F Mellberg gives an overview of Tupolev's tri-jet, arguably the best commercial aircraft the manufacturer built and still giving sterling service almost four decades after it first flew.

REGULARS

HEADLINES
This month's Headlines leads on the order by British Airways of Airbus A380s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners. There are also details of the delivery of the first A380 to Singapore Airlines, while on the military front the Kawasaki P-X maritime patrol aircraft recently undertook its first flight.

MILITARY NEWS
Reports from around the world.

CIVIL NEWS
A round-up of the latest commercial news.

NBAA 2007
Dave Allport presents the news from this year's National Business Aircraft Association's 60th Annual Meeting and Convention, held in Atlanta, Georgia, from September 25-27.

CIVIL & MILITARY ACCIDENTS
Details of incidents compiled by Dave Allport.

TALKBACK
A selection of readers' letters and photographs.