Civilian Archives - Page 158 of 175

No Plane, No Gain at St. Maarten’s Maho Beach

Signs on Maho Beach warn of potential for “extreme bodily harm and/or death,” but the bikini-clad tourists don’t seem concerned. The danger, after all, isn’t related to shark attacks, sudden drop-offs or even reckless flirtation with melanoma — it has to do with jet-blasts at close range. The beach in St. Maarten, unlike any other […]

Great Escape’s Fripp Dies at 98

The oldest surviving and longest-serving British prisoner of war died Thursday at the age of 98. Alfie Fripp was held in 12 different prisoner-of-war camps during World War II after his plane was shot down by the Germans in only the second month of the war. He died in a Bournemouth, England, hospital with his family […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1905 — In efforts to interest the U. S. government in the use of airplanes for the military, Wilbur Wright of Wright brothers fame speaks to Congressman Robert M. Nevin, who asks him to prepare a letter for submission to the secretary of war that Nevin would deliver and endorse. The U.S. Army declines the […]

Two New Travel Options for 787 Fans

Airline buffs of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, or those simply wanting to travel aboard one of the latest and greatest passenger twin jets, have a few more choices beginning this week. South America’s LAN Airlines became the first carrier to fly the 787 on an international route from Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday, just ahead of United. […]

Military Drones Put to Good Use

A fledgling company in southern Alberta, Canada, is sending drone technology originally designed for the military into the sky to take pictures of sugar beets, potatoes and even cattle in an effort to help farmers better manage their crops and livestock. The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used by Lethbridge-based Isis Geomatics can fit in a […]

Collings Foundation to Start Warbird Tour in Florida

The Collings Foundation’s 24th annual Wings of Freedom national tour will begin at this month’s Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Fla., Jan. 17-20. The tour, which is set to visit more than 100 cities in less than a year, will include B-17 Flying Fortress veteran pilot Marvin Goldberg on the crew of its our inbound flight […]

Off Midway Atoll, a Famous Flying Dud

In the generally upbeat annals of American military aviation, the plump, snub-nosed little fighter called the Brewster Buffalo stands out as a turkey. The plane had its day of ignominy in the epic Battle of Midway in June 1942, when 19 Marine pilots valiantly engaged Japanese Zeroes in dogfights above Midway Atoll, a strategic speck […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1914 – Frank A. Kappeler, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, was born in San Francisco. He was the navigator aboard one of the North American B-25 Mitchells used by the Doolittle Raiders to bomb Tokyo, Japan in 1942. 1918 – The U.K. forms its air ministry, appointing Lord Rothermere as secretary of state for […]

Kenyan Airliner Returns to Sudan After Fire

A Kenya Airways plane with 56 passengers on board made an emergency landing in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, after an engine caught fire, witnesses said on Wednesday. Nobody was hurt, but the incident on Tuesday night left passengers stranded in a country difficult for travel because credit cards do not work in Sudan due to […]

Two Airliners Damaged at Fort Lauderdale Airport

Authorities say no one was injured when two airplanes got into a sort of fender-bender at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The Broward Sheriff’s Office says a taxiing Spirit Airlines Airbus A-320 clipped a US Airways Airbus A-320 that was parked Monday night in a remote area away from the gate. Authorities say the left wing of […]