Civilian Archives - Page 129 of 175

On This Day in Aviation History

1896 – Birth of Henry William Allingham, British World War I pilot and engineer; he would become the last surviving member of the Royal Naval Air Service and last surviving founding member of the Royal Air Force. 1910 – Robert Martinet wins the first cross-country air race, between Angers and Saumur, France in a Farman; he takes 31 mins., […]

Red Bull Helicopter Pilot Calls Flying ‘Magic Carpet Ride’

“Malibu” Chuck Aaron has the unique honor of being the only civilian pilot ever to be licensed to perform helicopter aerobatics in the U.S. — and one of only three in the entire world. A former television stunt pilot, the San Antonio, Texas, native has worked with everyone from the U.S. Department of Defense to […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1891 – Birth of Albert Dossenbach, German World War I fighter ace. 1917 – England is attacked by a force of 22 Gotha bombers of the Imperial German Air Service at Sheerness in Kent. 1944 – More than 1,000 British bombers drop 5,000 tons of bombs on German gun batteries on the Normandy coast in preparation for D-Day. 1948 – The second Northrop […]

Drones to Spy on Southern Nevada Wildlife, Not People

A few months from now, government agents with drones will descend on Southern Nevada to spy on the locals. Luckily, mule deer and bighorn sheep don’t carry ACLU cards. The U.S. Geological Survey started using unmanned aircraft for wildlife and land management work about two years ago. Its first Nevada mission, planned for August or September, […]

Inside Microsoft Mogul Paul Allen’s WWII Airplane Collection

Paul Allen is staring up at the barrel of an enormous gun – more like a cannon and more than twice his height. In the newly opened second hangar of his Flying Heritage Collection, the billionaire Microsoft cofounder points at an 88mm Flak 37, Nazi Germany’s most feared piece of artillery during World War II. Allen owns […]

90-Year-Old Pilot Completes 90 International Crossings

It’s not surprising that John G. Lawton fulfilled his dream of making 90 aerial crossings of the U.S.-Canadian border when he turned 90. He’s a high school dropout with a doctorate in aeronautical engineering from Cornell University. He emigrated from Austria in 1940 to avoid the horrors of the Nazis, was turned down when he tried […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1897 – Birth of Gilbert Jean Uteau, French World War I flying ace. 1935 – Brothers Fred and Algene Key fly twenty-seven days without landing, setting a world record for sustained flight in a Curtis Robin J-1 named “Ole Miss.” 1942 – The Battle of Midway, a face-off between four Japanese aircraft carriers and three U.S. carriers, begins with a predawn […]

Alaska Airlines Debuts 737 in Student-Designed Livery

A specially painted Alaska Airlines jet adorned with a Honolulu high school student’s winning design honoring the culture of the Aloha State touched down Monday in Honolulu before a crowd of students, educators and travelers. The unique paint theme, dubbed the “Spirit of the Islands,” was created by 17-year-old Aaron Nee. Nee’s design was selected from among more than 2,700 […]

Avro Vulcan to Headline Scottish Air Show

The 2013 Leuchars Airshow in northeast Scotland will offer the general public the chance to see the mighty Avro Vulcan V bomber in Scottish skies one more time when it joins the flying display on Sept. 7. Tickets for the show, which are already available online, went on sale at selected VisitScotland outlets at the weekend. […]

Solar Impulse Completes Third Leg to St. Louis

A solar-powered airplane made a smooth trip on Monday from Texas to a stormy part of America – St. Louis, where the Solar Impulse team put a portable, inflatable hangar to its first real-world test. The third leg of Solar Impulse’s “Across America” odyssey may not have been a record-setting trip like last week’s flight from […]