The Dambusters raid, which took place on this day in 1943, could never have happened without the mighty four-engined Avro Lancaster, undoubtedly the greatest heavy bomber of World War II. The daring mission of the Royal Air Force 617 Squadron required a plane that was capable of both precision low flying in the face of [...]
Students at the University of Maryland want to make aviation history by building the world’s first human-powered helicopter. In 1980, the American Helicopter Society announced an award for the first person to accomplish such a feat. The $250,000 Sikorsky Prize would go to a vehicle that could hover for 60 seconds, not stray beyond a [...]
A World War II-era plane that once searched for enemy submarines is flying again. Royal Navy 605, a Stinson AT-19 derivative of the company’s Reliant monoplane, is based at Moore County Airport near Southern Pines, N.C., and is flown by the Carolinas Wing of the Commemorative Air Force. The gullwing airplane originally was built in [...]
1896 – Birth of Carleton Main Clement, Canadian World War I fighter ace. 1928 – Rev. John Flynn founds the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia at Cloncurry, Queensland, using a de Havilland DH.50. The service takes medical services to remote parts of the Australian bush. 1938 – First flight of the first production Supermarine [...]
The final A-10 Thunderbolt II tactical sortie in Europe was launched by the U.S. Air Force from Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany on Tuesday. The airframe belongs to the 52nd Fighter Wing’s 81st Fighter Squadron, which inactivates in June. “I’m proud to be a part of the last sortie,” said Lt. Col. Jeff Hogan, the [...]
Two U.S. Air Force jets that once were at home in the skies may soon find a more permanent residence at sea. The two McDonnell F-101 Voodoo aircraft recently removed from the Panama City Marina and Gulf Coast State College are now being proposed for use as artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. Although [...]
The world’s only 100-percent solar aircraft will fly into Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport this week and will be on display for aviation enthusiasts at an event tentatively scheduled for noon Saturday. Swiss pilots Andre Borshberg and Bertand Piccard will be the first to pilot a solar aircraft across the country. D/FW Airport is the third stop in the cross-country journey from the [...]
A new Memphis, Tenn.-based airline has announced plans to offer direct flights between the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) and cities around the Southeast. Southern Airways Express will launch service to ECP, Destin and other destinations in the Southeast at the end of the month. Instead of large passenger jets, Southern Airways Express will [...]
