Military Archives - Page 134 of 180

On This Day in Aviation History

1905 – First flight of the Wright Flyer III, the first fully controllable and practical version of the original Flyer. 1921 – Birth of Lionel Peter Twiss, a British pilot who held the world air speed record as the first man to fly faster than 1,000 mph. 1954 – A Cathay Pacific Douglas DC-4, enroute from Bangkok to Hong Kong, is […]

‘Sally B’ to Star in English Air Show

Northern England’s Humberside Airport is providing valuable support for this weekend’s Cleethorpes air show by welcoming a historic war-time visitor to the airport. The “Sally B,” a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, will overnight at the airport in between her air displays on July 27. As part of its support for the air show, Humberside Airport […]

No Military Planes at Marine Corps Air Show

The air show at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Calif., is still set for Oct. 4-5, even without military planes overhead, the U.S. Marines Corps announced Monday. The show will continue with civilian planes and pilots and with “static displays” on the ground of Marine aircraft, Col. John Farnam, commander of the Miramar base, announced. […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1895 – Birth of Pavel Osipovich Sukhoi, Belarusian Soviet aircraft constructor and designer. 1918 – Indra Lal “Laddie” Roy, the first World War I Indian flying ace, dies in a dogfight with Fokker D.VIIs of Jasta 29 over France. 1933 – Wiley Post lands back at New York City’s Floyd Bennett Field in his Lockheed Vega “Winnie Mae,” completing the first […]

Ex-Pilot Reunited with Vietnam-Era Helmet

James Randall was shot down almost 48 years ago during a bombing run over North Vietnam. In the decades that followed, the retired U.S. Air Force pilot often replayed the crash in his mind: Parachuting into enemy territory, tearing off his chute and helmet, then running to the cover of the jungle where he hid […]

Treaty Overflights Begin Today in Russia

Military inspectors from Turkey and the U.S. will fly over Russia’s territory starting from Monday as part of the international Open Skies Treaty, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. “In the period between July 22 and July 26, experts from Turkey and the United States will make a surveillance flight above the territory of Russia on board […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1867 – Englishmen James William Butler and Edmund Edwards make the first delta-wing airplane designs. They take out patents for both monoplanes and biplanes to be propelled by jets of steam, compressed air or gas. 1895 – Birth of Robert Alexander “Bob” Little, Australian WWI fighter ace. 1918 – The first attack by aircraft flying from a carrier flight deck is […]

The Sequester vs. Hurricane Hunters

The National Hurricane Center is facing a potentially dangerous shortcoming when it comes to observing hurricanes. The sequester, and its resulting federal furloughs, is putting a crunch on the ability to conduct critical aircraft or “Hurricane Hunter” reconnaissance missions, just as we head into the peak months of an active Atlantic hurricane season. At NOAA’s […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1823 – Birth of Félix du Temple de la Croix, a French naval officer and an inventor, who developed some of the first flying machines. Better known as Félix du Temple, he is credited with the first successful flight of a powered aircraft of any sort, a powered model plane, and is sometimes credited with the first manned […]

WWII Bomber Crew Laid to Rest in Italy

The crew of an Royal Air Force bomber shot down days before the end of the Second World War will finally be given a proper military burial today, 68 years after their aircraft crashed. The four young airmen, including an aspiring poet whose work has been published posthumously, will receive full military honours in a […]