Military Archives - Page 101 of 180

USAF C-17 Reaches Flying Milestone

Story and photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Tom Brading, Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs The first C-17 Globemaster III to join the Air Force fleet, “The Spirit of Charleston,” reached new heights recently by logging more than 20,000 flight hours. This achievement marks the first C-17 to reach this milestone, and to honor the […]

Evergreen Museum May Sell Vintage Planes

The world-class air museum developed by Evergreen International Aviation founder Del Smith may be in for some painful losses in the wake of the apparent collapse of Smith’s network of for-profit operations on the other side of Highway 18 in McMinnville, Ore. Though the museum’s land and buildings are owned and operated through the nonprofit Michael […]

Iranian Air Force Begins Exercises

The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) started massive air drills over the county’s Southern waters on Friday. The two-day exercises are the main and second phase of large-scale drills codenamed Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Vellayat IV, Deputy IRIAF Commander Brigadier General Alireza Barkhor told reporters on Thursday. Units from all IRIAF bases are taking part in […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1910 – Yoshitoshi Tokugawa flew Japan’s first successful powered aircraft flight (a Farman Biplane) at Yoyogi Parade Ground where Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park is now located. 1930 – Amelia Earhart becomes the first autogiro pilot to carry a passenger, flying a PCA-2 Pitcairn Autogyro and making several trips with various passengers until dark. 1942 – Birth […]

Brazil Picks Gripen Fighter

Brazil has selected the Saab Gripen E/F for the 36 aircraft F-X2 requirement to replace its air force’s older combat types. With an acquisition cost in the region of $4.5 billion, the Gripens will replace the Dassault Mirage 2000C fighters operated by the 1st Air Defence Group and a number of the modernised Northrop F-5EMs in four […]

Indian Fighter to Begin Final Testing

The world’s lightest and India-developed supersonic fighter Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. Light Combat Aircraft Tejas is battle-ready for testing by Indian Air Force pilots three decades after it was conceived, designed and developed with cost overruns and inordinate delays. “The home-grown aircraft is ready for flight tests by IAF pilots to assess its air prowess and […]

Pacific Aviation Museum a Must-See

An airplane recovered from the depths of Lake Michigan, another flown by a future president (George H.W. Bush) and one rescued from the scrap heap of time from the Hawaiian island of Niihau are all part of the displays at the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor. The planes are shown in two World War II-era hangars […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1898 – Birth of Maurice Lea Cooper, Irish World War I flying ace. 1933 – First flight of the Northrop XFT (shown), an American prototype monoplane equipped with a single engine. 1941 – U.S. Army Air Corps Lt. Buzz Wagner becomes the first U.S. ace of the war. 1970 – Airbus Industrie is formally established to develop the […]

RAF Squadron to Keep Reapers

The British government today confirmed that RAF Waddington’s elite 13 Squadron will remain the spearhead of armed Reaper drones for the foreseeable future. The Lincolnshire base began controlling armed drones over Afghanistan from an operational theatre at RAF Waddington earlier this year. But activists insist the shift from a US base was a major switch in […]

USAF Celebrates 20 Years of C-17

By The Associated Press The U.S. Air Force is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, its workhorse transport aircraft. A ceremony scheduled for Wednesday is being held at Joint Base Charleston’s Air Base in South Carolina. Air Force spokesman Staff Sgt. William O’Brien says Col. Darren Hartford, the commander of the 437th […]