Civilian Archives - Page 134 of 175

Dark Clouds Hang Over Air Shows After Budget Cuts

Patty Wagstaff is a Hollywood stunt pilot, three-time U.S. aerobatic champion, inductee to the National Aviation Hall of Fame and favorite on the air show circuit. One of her tricked-out planes is on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. But this weekend, she’s grounded. Federal budget cuts that eliminated military flying acts […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1895 – Birth of Georg Wulf, German aviation pioneer, test pilot and aircraft designer. He was a co-founder of the Focke-Wulf aircraft company. 1924 – During its first aerial circumnavigation of the world, the westbound U.S. Army Air Service flight of Douglas World Cruisers arrive in northern Japan, completing the first crossing of the Pacific Ocean by airplane. 1943 – Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress “Memphis Belle” (shown above) of the […]

Historic Key West Flight to Cuba Recognized

The fuel was running perilously low, and the lubricating oil was nearly exhausted, but pioneering pilot Domingo Rosillo del Toro could see land ahead. While three guns were fired from the Havana, Cuba, fortress to announce his arrival, Rosillo coaxed his one-seat, bright yellow plane with an overheating engine past a flotilla of boats, over […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1893 – Birth of Acheson Gosford Goulding, Canadian World War I flying ace and World War II instructor. 1919 – Three U.S. Navy Curtiss NCs, commanded by Albert Cushing Read, leaves Trepassey, Newfoundland, Canada, for Portugal via the Azores on the first transatlantic flight, the longest leg of their journey. Only NC-4 (shown above) eventually […]

Students Aim for History with Human-Powered Helicopter

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 […]

Warbird Group to Offer Glimpse of World War II-era Trainer

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 […]

On This Day in Aviation History

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 […]

Retired Jets May Have New Mission at Sea

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 […]

Solar Impulse Coming to Texas

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 […]

New Airline Flying into Florida

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 […]