Military Archives - Page 35 of 180

On This Day in Aviation History

1909 – British Army Aeroplane No. 1 (1A replica shown), with builder Samuel Franklin Cody at the controls, makes a sustained flight of more than an hour around Laffan’s Plain (Farnborough), travelling about 46 miles in 1 hour, 3 minutes; it is the first recorded cross-country flight in the UK. 1912 – Birth of James […]

Stearman Fly-In Begins

As brightly colored airplanes navigated the skies over Galesburg’s Municipal Airport in Illinois during the 44th National Stearman Fly-in, visitors on the ground were treated to up-close views of the planes during tram tours along the flight line. Commander of Illinois AMVETS Post 8 Rich Vannatta volunteered his time to lead several of Monday’s tours, […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1904 – Birth of Florence Gunderson Klingensmith, American aviator of the golden age of air racing, founding member of the Ninety-Nines (a women’s pilot group) and one of the first women to participate in air races with men. 1922 – Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman (shown) makes her first appearance in an American airshow at Curtiss Field […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1937 – First flight of the Bell YFM-1 Airacuda, an American heavy fighter and the first such airplane built by Bell Aircraft Corp. 1961 – Birth of Christopher J. Ferguson, U.S. Navy fighter and test pilot as well as NASA astronaut. 1967 – The U. S. Navy’s first dedicated search-and-rescue squadron, Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 7 (HC-7), is commissioned at Atsugi, Japan; it operates […]

A-10 Set to Compete with F-35

Opponents of U.S. Air Force efforts to retire its Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II have said the 40-year-old close-air support plane can outperform the Pentagon’s most advanced aircraft. It turns out the lumbering old plane, nicknamed the Warthog, will get a chance to prove it. The Air Force’s top general and the Pentagon’s chief weapons tester […]

Saving a Burning Jet

On April 30, 2015, a Boeing RC-135V Rivet Joint belonging to the 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron, 55th Wing, suffered a major incident at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. As the aircraft, using radio call sign “Snoop 71,” began the takeoff roll to start its mission in support of a special-operations training exercise, fire erupted behind the galley. Described […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1883 – Birth of Otto Splitgerber, German World War I flying ace. 1939 – The Messerschmitt Me 209 sets a new world speed record of 469 mph. 1952 – The prototype English Electric Canberra B5 makes the first double transatlantic crossing by a jet, with a total time of just over 10 hours. 1975 – First flight of the McDonnell […]

USS Macon Crash Site Explored

Off the California coast lies the sunken wreckage of the U.S. Navy’s last flying aircraft carrier. The idea that the Navy had flying aircraft carriers is probably new to a lot of people. Imagine a nearly 800-foot “blimp” where five military airplanes can land and take off in midair. Last week, a team of oceanographers got […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1912 – Royal Navy aviator Wilfred Parke becomes the first pilot ever to recover from a spin when he regains control of his Avro Type G biplane 50 feet from the ground at Larkhill, England. 1916 – Birth of Saburo Sakai, Japanese naval aviator and World War II fighter ace. 1929 – First flight of […]

Flying Finale Nears for Vulcan XH558

As most readers will know, the fabulous “Tin Triangle,” Avro Vulcan XH558, will be making her air show curtain call in a few short weeks. It has been a marvelous run for the old girl, and a real testament to the fortitude of those who fought through a mountain of red tape and engineering challenges […]