British Civil Aviation in 1985

14 January
Independent British airline Laker Airways receives an out of court settlement offer of $50 million from the twelve airlines it is suing for conspiring to put it out of business.

11 March
ARV Aviation's Super 2 light aeroplane makes its first flight at Sandown on the Isle of Wight. The aircraft will be marketed in kit form for home assembly.

21 March
Shorts are buoyed by the announcement that the ENBRAER EMB312 Tucano has been selected as the new basic trainer for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Shorts will build the aircraft under licence as the S312.

2 August
Great Britain, Italy and West Germany sign an agreement for the development and production of the European Fighter Aircraft, which will later become known as the Eurofighter.

21 August
Sir Freddie Laker accepts a British Airways compensation offer worth £8 million, on the final day of the acceptance deadline. Sir Freddie drops his court case against British Airways, for conspiring to put it out of business, but Laker Airways employees vow to bring a legal action of their own.

26 September
The British aerospace industry is boosted by a huge military aviation order from the Saudi Arabian government. The order covers 72 Panavia Tornados, 30 British Aerospace (BAe) Hawk trainers, 30 Pilatus PC9s (supplied by BAe) and 2 BAe Jetstream 31s and is worth approximately £3 - £4 billion.

28 October
A Hazeltine Microwave landing system, the first of its kind in Europe, is installed at Westland Helicopter's Yeovilton aerodrome.