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Sikorsky Unveils CH-53K for Marine Corps

The latest version of Sikorsky’s venerable CH-53 heavy lift helicopter, the next generation K model, was unveiled Monday in a West Palm Beach, Fla., ceremony. The aircraft, which the U.S. Marine Corps expects to begin operational service in 2019, is being dubbed the King Stallion. “The rollout of the CH-53K helicopter introduces a new era in […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1904 – Birth of Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Robert Kronfeld, AFC, Austrian-born gliding champion and sailplane designer; he became a British subject and an RAF test pilot. 1918 – Death of Giovanni Nicelli, Italian World War I flying ace, killed in action. 1926 – First flight of the Wright XF3W (shown), an American racing biplane for the U.S. Navy. 1968 – A Grumman Gulfstream […]

USMC Flying Last N Model Hueys

For Marine Corps aviators at Robins, the past week has been a bit nostalgic. That’s because the Corps’ fleet of UH-1N Huey helicopters is being replaced with the newer UH-1Y model. The first of the new upgraded, four-bladed variants is scheduled to be delivered to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 this summer. But before that […]

Lockheed U-2 Blamed for ATC Outage

A traffic control center in California Wednesday that led to delays and cancellations of hundreds of flights across the country, sources familiar with the incident told NBC News. On Wednesday at about 2 p.m., according to sources, a Lockheed U-2 spy plane, the same type of aircraft that flew high-altitude spy missions over Russia 50 […]

Air Show Vet Killed in Crash

A 77-year-old civilian pilot who had flown planes since he was a teenager was killed when he crashed his biplane Sunday while performing a low-to-the-ground stunt maneuver during an air show at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Calif., authorities said. Officials said Eddie Andreini of Half Moon Bay was piloting the Stearman biplane when it crashed in an open […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1897 – Birth of Thomas Charles Richmond Baker, Australian Word War I flying ace. 1916 – Eight German Zeppelins raid the east coast of England, causing 39 casualties. 1925 – First flight of the Douglas C-1 (shown), American transport biplane. 1926 – Richard E. Byrd and Floyd Bennett make the first flight over the North Pole. 1970 – Death of Arturo […]

Ukraine Helicopters Shot Down, Two Killed

Pro-Russia forces shot down two Ukrainian helicopters Friday as Ukraine launched its first major offensive against an insurgency that has seized government buildings in the east. The Kremlin said Kiev’s move against the insurgents “destroyed” hopes for peace in the region. Fighting broke out around dawn near Slovyansk, a city 160 kilometers (100 miles) from […]

Effort Begun to Save Lightning Fighter

A campaign is underway to save English Electric Lightning XR713, which is currently awaiting disposal at RAF Leuchars in Scotland. The aircraft, a rare F.3 model Lightning, first flew in 1964 and helped defend British skies against the Soviet bomber threat. She’s been an exhibit at RAF Leuchars for some years now, but with the […]

Boeing Production AH-6i Makes First Flight

Boeing said that it recently flew its AH-6i light attack-reconnaissance helicopter for the first time in production configuration. Flight status moves the program “another step closer to full-scale production,” the manufacturer said on May 1. Company pilots flew the helicopter “for less than 20 minutes at low speeds in forward, rearward and sideward flight at low elevations” […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1892 – Birth of Ehrenfried Günther Freiherr von Hünefeld, German aviation pioneer; he became was part of the first trans-Atlantic flight from east to west. 1942 – Squadron No. 588 of the Soviet Air Force, an all-woman night-bombing unit equipped with Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes, is formed in the USSR. 1975 – Death of Francis Stanley Symondson, British World War I […]