Civilian Archives - Page 149 of 175

On This Day in Aviation History

1921 – Pierre Clostermann, French World War II pilot, was born. Colstermann was a French flying ace, author, engineer and politician. 1937 – First flight of the Mitsubishi Ki-30 (Allied reporting name “Ann”). It is the first Japanese aircraft to be powered by a modern two-row radial engine. 1947 – U. S. Army Air Forces Captain Robert E. Thacker (pilot) and Lieutenant […]

Reminder: WWII Aircraft Foundation Charity Auction

Greatest Generation Aircraft, a Fort Worth, Texas-based foundation that operates a pair of World War II aircraft, will host a charity auction this Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, at the Vintage Flying Museum hangar at 505 NW 38th Street. Among the many unique items set to roll across the auction block is a Cyclone radial […]

Doolittle Raider, Who Shunned Title of ‘Hero,’ Dies

Now, he’s flying with the angels. Tom Griffin, one of just five surviving Doolittle Raiders, died Tuesday night in his sleep at the Fort Thomas VA hospital in Kentucky. He navigated one of 16 North American B-25 Mitchell bombers from an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Pacific during the early dark days of […]

787 Return to Flight Still Long Way Off

Federal Aviation Administration chief Michael Huerta said Wednesday that Boeing won’t get its 787 Dreamliners back in passenger service without extensive testing and recertification of its proposed fix for the jet’s lithium ion battery problem. In testimony before a Congressional subcommittee, Huerta said he expects a report back from his technical staff next week that […]

Book Review: Roy Grinnell, Artist of the Aces

There were some high clouds in the sky over Bernieres-sur-Mer, a tiny town in the Normandy region of France, on June 29, 1944. It was typical weather along the English Channel, yet probably more pleasant than the previous week or so, when a storm lasting four days battered the area. Still, an accurate forecast for […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1896 – Birth of Saint Cyprian Churchill Tayler, British World War I flying ace. 1937 – First flight of the Fiat G.50 Arrow, a World War II Italian fighter and Italy’s first single-seat, all-metal monoplane with an enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear to go into production. 1941 – Philippine Airlines is founded, making it Asia’s first and oldest […]

Warbird Weekend Offers Flights and a Show

The 4th Annual Warbird Weekend, presented by Florida Warbird Squadron 24 of the Experimental Aircraft Association, will offer two days of static warbird displays, fly-bys and rides at Punta Gorda (Fla.) Airport beginning this Saturday. Tickets are $10 person and $20 per family. For more information, click here or call 941-639-6188.

AirFiesta 2013 Celebrates 50 Years of South Texas Air Shows

Air Fiesta 2013, scheduled for the weekend of March 9-10 at the Brownsville (Texas) South Padre Island International Airport, falls on an important milestone in the history of air shows in the Rio Grande Valley. March 10 will mark 50 years to the day that the Confederate Air Force, in those days a rag-tag band of […]

Special Package Available for TiCo Warbird AirShow

Valiant Air Command and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex have partnered to offer a special ticket package in celebration of the 36th Annual TiCo Warbird AirShow March 22-24 at the Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, Fla. The Ultimate Aviation Combo package includes a one-day admission to the TiCo Warbird AirShow and the Kennedy Space […]

Medals of British WWII Ace to be Sold

The family of a legendary World War II pilot is having to sell his treasured medal collection for £120,000 ($181,944) to pay for the hero’s care home fees. Wing Commander Bransome “Branse” Burbridge was the Royal Air Force’s most prolific night-fighter pilot of the war, claiming 21 enemy kills. He downed four German planes in a […]