Military Archives - Page 85 of 180

RAF Retires Pair of Tornado Squadrons

A phased reduction of the Royal Air Force’s fleet of Panavia Tornado GR4 strike aircraft has taken its latest step, with two frontline units having been stood down on Friday. The service’s 12 and 617 squadrons ceased operations with a disbandment ceremony conducted at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, which from mid-2014 will instead become home to its Eurofighter Typhoon-equipped 1 […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1910 – Henri Fabre’s Hydroavion, the first powered seaplane in the world, makes it maiden flight off Martigues, France. The hydroplane flies for about 1,600 feet and reaches an altitude of seven feet. 1912 – Birth of Marina Mikhailovna Raskova, famous Russian navigator and often referred to as the “Russian Amelia Earhart.” 1948 – Boeing […]

CAF Bearcat to Fly at Palm Springs

The Grumman F8F Bearcat operated by the Commemorative Air Force SoCal Wing will make a rare flight exhibition at the Palm Springs Air Museum on Saturday. The flight exhibition will take place following the commemorative program “Flying with the Blue Angels” by Larry Packer. The Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy’s flight demonstration squadron, was formed in 1946, making it […]

Indian Air Force C-130J Crashes, Five Killed

A Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules operated by the Indian air force has crashed 72 miles west of the Indian city of Gwailor. The aircraft had departed Agra at 10 a.m. local time for a training mission, says India’s ministry of defence in a brief statement. A court of enquiry into the crash has been ordered. According to Indian media […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1905 – Birth of Elizabeth Muriel Gregory “Elsie” MacGill, a Canadian known as the “Queen of the Hurricanes,” who became the world’s first female aircraft designer. 1927 – Royal Air Force’s first all-metal fighter, the Armstrong Whitworth Siskin IIIA, enters service with No. 41 Squadron. 1945 – Operation Starvation, the aerial mining of Japan’s ports […]

Florida Woman Set to Be USAF Reserve First

Courtney McCallan always knew flying would be part of her life. “I grew up with aviation,” said McCallan, the daughter of a former Air Force F-15 pilot. “I always grew up going to air shows. I wanted to be in fighters.” But wanting to fly fighter jets was before she discovered combat rescue helicopters and the […]

Rivals Line Up for T-38 Replacement Battle

Four defense contractors and their partners are lining up bids to build the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation fighter trainer, via the service’s long-awaited T-X programme. The competitors include partnerships of Alenia Aermacchi/General Dynamics, BAE Systems/NorthropGrumman and Korea Aerospace Industries/Lockheed Martin – which plan to pitch versions of existing aircraft – and Boeing, which will propose a clean-sheet design in […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1915 – Birth of Juraj Puškár, Slovak World War II flying ace who served on the Eastern front with the Axis forces. 1936 – Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, and his wife are killed in the crash of a Mexican Ford 5-AT-B Tri-Motor after striking the Popocatépetl volcano in Zumpango, Mexico; all aboard perish. 1956 […]

Lockheed TriStars End Military Mission

Story and photo by the Royal Air Force The Lockheed TriStar has flown its last operational mission with the Royal Air Force bringing to an end 30 years of service which saw the aircraft at the heart of operations around the world. On Monday, two TriStars of 216 Squadron based at RAF Brize Norton flew an air-to-air […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1893 – Birth of Romolo Ticconi, Italian World War I flying ace. 1917 – Canada-born Lt. Col. William Avery ‘Billy’ Bishop, scores his first combat victory over an Albatros D II single-seat fighter while flying a Nieuport XVII; he later becomes the top Canadian ace of the war with 72 victories. 1944 – A British twin-engined […]