Civilian Archives - Page 48 of 175

WWI Airplanes Not Forgotten by Ohio Men

In both his military and civilian careers, Glen Fike of Beavercreek, Ohio, has spent much time working with aircraft. “I retired as a colonel at Wright-Patterson AFB, having worked on the F-16 and F-22 programs,” he said. After retiring, Fike stayed in the Dayton area. “I work for BAE Systems now. We do F-16 cockpit upgrades. I […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1910 – Jorge Chávez Dartnell, also known as Géo Chávez, a Franco-Peruvian aviator, takes off from Switzerland and flies through Simplon Pass, making him the first pilot to fly over the Alps. He crashed during landing at Domodossola, Italy, and dies four days later from his injuries. 1916 – Death of Kiffin Yates Rockwell, American […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1914 – The first British air attack on Germany takes place when four Sopwith Tabloid three-seaters of No.1 Squadron RNAS strike the Zeppelin sheds at Dusseldorf and Cologne. 1939 – Birth of Antonio Gallus, Italian Air force pilot and member of aerobatic team Frecce Tricolori. 1950 – First crossing of the Atlantic in a jet […]

Australian Museum Acquires Super Connie

The Manila International Airport Authority in Manila, Philippines, recently announced an auction to forcibly sell off a dozen dormant airliners which had lain more or less abandoned at the airfield’s general aviation facility for some years now. These included five DC-9′s, an Antonov 24, Yak-40, four DC-3s and most importantly a Lockheed Super Constellation. The civilianized, former […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1902 – The first flight over London is made by Stanley Spencer in his airship “Mellin,” a 75-foot-long dirigible powered by a 3-hp water-cooled engine; he makes a trip of 30 miles. 1924 – First flight of the Junkers G 24 (shown), a German three-engine, all-metal, low-wing passenger plane. 1925 – Birth of Masajiro “Mike” […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1898 – Birth of Hubert Cecil Hunt, British World War I flying ace. 1928 – Juan de la Cierva makes the first rotorcraft crossing of the English Channel with his autogyro Cierva C.8L, from Croydon, England, to Le Bourget, France. 1948 – First flight of the Convair XF-92, the first American delta-wing prototype jet aircraft […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1901 – Birth of Sir Francis Charles Chichester, British aviator and sailor. 1916 – Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron, scores his first victory, with an Albatros D.II over a Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b over Cambrai, France. 1941 – First operational sortie by a de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is made by a […]

Airbus Beluga Turns 20

Airbus’ distinctive “Beluga” aircraft made its first flight 20 years ago this past weekend. The Airbus A300-600ST, a transport aircraft often referred to as “the Beluga” for its uncanny resemblance to the whale of the same name, made its first-ever flight on Sept. 13, 1994. The aircraft, dubbed by at least one media outlet as “the world’s strangest-looking airplane,” […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1910 – In her homemade flyer at Hempstead Plains, N.Y., Bessica Medlar Raiche makes the first solo airplane flight by a woman in the U.S. to be accredited by the Aeronautical Society of America. 1932 – Cyril Frank Uwins set a world altitude record when he reaches a height of 43,976 feet in a modified […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1911 – Death of Édouard de Nié Port, French aircraft designer and pilot, co-founder with brother Charles of the eponymous Nieuport aircraft manufacturing company, Société Anonyme Des Établissements Nieuport, in a crash at Charmy, France. 1913 – Birth of Johannes “Macki” Steinhoff, German World War II fighter ace; he later became a senior West German […]