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Flying Tigers Reunite in Alabama Today

Three of the four surviving members of the Flying Tigers, the 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese air force during World War II, will participate in an event recognizing the Army Aviation Association of America Fixed Wing Unit of the Year at Redstone Army Air Field today near Huntsville, Ala. The Flying Tigers who […]

QF-16 First Flight Begs Pilot Question

The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is familiar to airplane enthusiasts as the nimble American jet fighter, in service since the 1970s, with a nose like a heron with a severe underbite. Last week saw the maiden flight of the QF-16, which is just an F-16 with one modification: no pilot inside. Drones are everywhere […]

Kentucky F-111 Set for New Home

The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark has been on display at Kentucky’s Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport for some time. Now final preps are underway for the bird to be moved to its new home. This Sunday around 10:30 p.m., the plane will begin it’s move toward Aviation Heritage Park on Three Springs and Smallhouse Road. The […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1865 – Birth of Mary Russell, Duchess of Bedford; she was an English aviatrix, raid pilot and ornithologist. 1918 – French World War I fighter ace René Fonck shoots down six German aircraft. 1944 – The Kommando Nowotny, the first World War II Luftwaffe jet fighter unit for testing and establishing tactics for the Messerschmitt […]

Indonesia Completes Su-30 Fighter Fleet

Indonesia has received the last delivery of Sukhoi fighter jets it ordered from a Russian producer, thus turning its Sukhoi Flanker air superiority fighter fleet into one full squadron. The delivery of the last two Sukhoi Su-30 MK2 jets took place on Wednesday in Indonesian air forces base of Hasanuddin, located in the capital city […]

WWII A-20 Pilot Comes Home

Roughly 150 distant relatives crowded into five buses at Salt Lake City International Airport to welcome home a man they had never met. They lined both sides of the airport runway and watched as a commercial airliner touched down and passed under a water cannon salute. The remains of U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Vernal J. […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1904 – Birth of Olive Ann Beech (nee Mellor), U.S. aviation pioneer and businesswoman; she later founded the Beech Aircraft Co. with husband Walter Herschel Beech. 1932 – Lewis Alonzo Yancey sets an autogiro altitude record of 21,500 feet in a Pitcairn PCA-2 (shown above). 1942 – First and only Royal Canadian Air Force air […]

Crazy, Gaudy, Clever: Airline Paint Jobs

Does the paint job of an airplane — otherwise known as its livery — make a difference to you? Does a pastel rendering of Hello Kitty or a cuddly panda impart a sense of fun and high spirits? Or does it make you think, “Just who the hell is flying this plane and how serious are they […]

Lancaster Marks 25 Years Since Return to Sky

“She’s my mistress, she’s my passion, my love. And she’s got an attitude like anything – she’s a high-maintenance girl.” That’s how flight engineer Craig Brookhouse sums up his relationship with the Hamilton (Ontario, Canada) Warplane Heritage Museum’s Lancaster, one of only two in the world still flying. It might seem an odd sentiment to hold […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1852 – French engineer Henri Giffard flies the first powered and manned airship. Motivated by a steam engine and propeller, the airship flies at about 5 mph and covers 17 miles from Paris to Trappes, France. The craft marks the beginning of the practical airship. 1920 – Birth of Richard Ira “Dick” Bong, highest-scoring U.S. […]