The Aviation Geek Club

Welcome to The Aviation Geek Club, your go-to destination for everything aviation. Founded in 2016 by Dario Leone, an Italian aviation enthusiast, this blog is the perfect spot for you to express your love for aviation and connect with fellow fans from around the globe.

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The story of how a US Navy A-4 attack aircraft shot down a North Vietnamese MiG-17 fighter by means of Zuni unguided rockets

1 week ago | theaviationgeekclub.com | Dario Leone

The A-4 was the backbone of the US Navy and Marine Corps’ light strike force for much of the 1960s, and especially during the first half of the ten-year struggle in Vietnam. A-4 pilots hurled themselves daily at heavily defended targets up and down the south-east Asian peninsula, often paying a heavy price in lives and aircraft.
William Tell 2025 to feature F-16 Fighting Falcon

1 week ago | theaviationgeekclub.com | Dario Leone

Surging from the success of 2023, the next iteration of the William Tell air superiority competition returns to the Air Dominance Center in Savannah, Georgia, Sep. 9-18, 2025. As told by 1st Lt. Michael Caggiano, Air Combat Command Public Affairs, in the article William Tell 2025: What Makes a Champion?, more than just a competition, William Tell is a crucible where the US Air Force’s commitment to air superiority is demonstrated both in the air and on the ground.
Operation Highmast, UK Carrier Strike Group Embarks on Collaborative Indo-Pacific Mission to demonstrate F-35B Lightning capabilities

1 week ago | theaviationgeekclub.com | Dario Leone

From onboard HMS Prince of Wales – the lead of The UK Carrier Strike Group (UK CSG), the RAF will conduct exercises with allies worldwide. According to a RAF News Release, Operation Highmast represents how UK defence is committed to embracing innovation and advanced technology, while reinforcing the importance of multinational collaboration. It is a unique opportunity to train and develop military interoperability and how allied forces can integrate their assets to advance global security.
Naval Aviator explains why fighter pilots don’t engage in dogfight like portrayed in movies and why real-world air engagements are boring (for Hollywood)

1 week ago | theaviationgeekclub.com | Dario Leone

Aerial combat is seen as one of the most exciting aspects of the military world involving specific aircraft maneuvers. These are high speed, dangerous, and skillfully executed moves which can determine life or death in the air. The art of dogfighting requires a killer instinct and an intimate understanding of aircraft handling. But how do fighter pilots engage in a dogfight? Is it similar to how it is portrayed in movies?
Dutch F-35 conducts first live classified data share with C2 environment outside US

1 week ago | theaviationgeekclub.com | Dario Leone

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) showcased the first-ever live classified data share outside the United States between an F-35 in flight and Keystone, a Dutch Command and Control (C2) environment at Ramstein Flag, Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) exercise.
Boyington Shot Down, the “Black Sheep” search for Pappy and the disbandment of the original VMF-214

1 week ago | theaviationgeekclub.com | Dario Leone

The sun was already rising on Jan. 3, 1944 when Maj. Greg “Pappy” Boyington led a large fighter sweep from Torokina to Rabaul. It was just the composite of planes Boyington preferred: mostly Marine Corsairs (including VMF-214 Black Sheep F4Us) and sixteen Navy Hellcats. Exhaustion forced him to put small pieces of tobacco in the corners of his eyes to keep him alert.
RNZAF sells retired C-130H aircraft to Coulson Aviation firefighting company

1 week ago | theaviationgeekclub.com | Dario Leone

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has finalised a sale of the four remaining C-130H Hercules aircraft to Coulson Aviation (US) firefighting company. The aircraft will be prepared for flight and flown to Coulson’s Maintenance Base in Thermal, California by a commercial crew over the next few months. Wayne Coulson, president and chief executive of Coulson Group, says they are looking forward to integrating these aircraft into their existing fleet of six C-130H Hercules.
Luftwaffe Bf 109G pilot recalls fighting against B-24s and P-51s at day and trying to intercept RAF Mosquitos at night

1 week ago | theaviationgeekclub.com | Dario Leone

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 began as an entry by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in a Luftwaffe (German Air Force) fighter competition in the early 1930s. Willy Messerschmitt’s creation incorporated one of the most advanced aerodynamic designs at the time, with retractable landing gear, an enclosed cockpit, automatic slats, cantilever wings and stressed skin construction. During the trials, the Bf 109 clearly outperformed the larger and heavier favorite, Heinkel’s He 112.
First Airbus A330 MRTT for the Spanish Air and Space Force enters into service

1 week ago | theaviationgeekclub.com | Dario Leone

The first Airbus A330 MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transport) for the Spanish Air and Space Force has entered into service with the 45th Wing. This is the first of three multi-mission tanker and transport aircraft acquired by the Spanish Ministry of Defence in November 2021. The aircraft, which will operate from Torrejón de Ardoz Air Base, Madrid (Spain), has been delivered from the Airbus facilities in Getafe (Madrid), where the A330 MRTT aircraft conversion center is based.
U-2 unusual fact: there two completely different generations of Dragon Lady but they look so similar most people don’t realize it

1 week ago | theaviationgeekclub.com | Dario Leone

The U-2 Dragon Lady provides high-altitude, all-weather surveillance and reconnaissance, day or night, in direct support of US and allied forces. It delivers critical imagery and signals intelligence to decision makers throughout all phases of conflict, including peacetime indications and warnings, low-intensity conflict, and large-scale hostilities. Built in complete secrecy by Kelly Johnson and the Lockheed Skunk Works, the original U-2A first flew in August 1955.