Civilian Archives - Page 139 of 175

On This Day in Aviation History

1896 – Ernst Udet, German World War I pilot, film actor and Luftwaffe officer, was born. He was the second-highest scoring German flying ace of WWI, one of the youngest aces and was the highest scoring German ace to survive the war. Udet’s 62 victories were second only to Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in […]

Air Show Returns to Eastern Alabama

The Auburn University Regional Airport is bringing the first true air show to eastern Alabama since 1984 when the Auburn-Opelika Airshow kicks off on May 11. Attendees will be able to watch aerobatic displays, see vintage warbirds, participate in the Touch A Truck event and see the newly constructed terminal at the Auburn University Regional Airport. […]

Take to the Skies Airfest Kicks Off Oklahoma Air Show Season

The world of aviation will descend on Durant, Okla., this weekend during the Take to the Skies Airfest at the Durant Regional Airport Eaker Field. The event, sponsored by Choctaw Casino & Resort, will commemorate those who have served and are serving in the armed forces. Saturday’s opening ceremonies will include Choctaw dancers, singers, honor guards, […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1868 – Birth of John Bevins Moisant, American aviator. He designed, built and flew the first metal aircraft, an experimental aluminium plane, in 1909. 1940 – Hermann Förster is the first German night fighter pilot to shoot down a British bomber during World War II. Flying a Messerschmitt Bf 109D-1, he downs a Handley Page […]

CAF AirPower History Tour Announces Summer Stops

The Commemorative Air Force’s (CAF) famous Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber FIFI – the only remaining flying example of the aircraft in the world – will be the feature World War II airplane in their summer tour that includes more than 20 stops starting May 15 in Birmingham, Ala. The CAF AirPower History Tour continues through October and […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1894 – Birth of Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp, German World War I fighter ace. 1909 – Wilbur Wright makes five flights in Centocelle, Italy, with King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy present. During one flight, a Universal News Agency cameraman accompanies him and takes the first motion pictures from an airplane in flight. 1944 – The first Boeing B-29 Superfortress […]

Solar Impulse Makes Final Test Flight Above San Francisco

A solar-powered plane with a unique look that took off Tuesday morning from Moffett Airfield in Mountain View passed over the Golden Gate Bridge just after 2 p.m. The lightweight plane known as the Solar Impulse, which has a wingspan of 208 feet, was about 3,000 feet in the air as flew above San Francisco and […]

Ethiopian Airlines First to Resume 787 Flights

Ethiopian Airlines is set to become the world’s first carrier to resume flying Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner passenger jets, with a commercial flight on Saturday to neighbouring Kenya, two airline sources said. The Dreamliners have been grounded since regulators ordered all 50 planes out of the skies in mid-January after batteries on two of them overheated. U.S. regulators approved a […]

Newly Rebuilt Me 262 Loses Canopy at Texas Airport

An antique jet fighter lost its canopy Tuesday morning as it attempted to take off from Midland International Airport in West Texas, but the pilot and passenger escaped injury, according to a news release from the city of Midland. Midland police and firefighters responded to a report of the plane crash at 11:11 a.m. The cause […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1908 – Birth of Charles “Chuck” L. Sharp, Jr., who led China National Aviation Corp. through turbulent times in China, Burma and India. He flew the first flight over the Hump (the name given by Allied pilots in World War II to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains) for resupplying the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and the units of the U.S. […]