You can buy flight only 11 months from your return date so if you return end of Oct 2012 you can book from end Nov 2011.
Fly drives will be available before that but can't help you when, I only book flight only, usually cheapest way.
Even when they release them they are not always at there cheapest, for August this year I didn't book until 29th Jan(6 months from flying) Too expensive before that and went up again just after booking, very difficult getting the timing right.