On This Day in Aviation History

On This Day in Aviation History

1915 – The first British tactical bombing raids in support of ground troops made in Menin and Courtai, Belgium.

1932 – First flight of the Junkers Ju 52/3m, a tri-motor transport that flew into the 1980s.

1956 – Dan Perkins, engineer at Britain’s Royal Aircraft Establishment, makes his first flight in an inflatable airplane in Bedfordshire, England. It takes 25 minutes to inflate it, using a large domestic vacuum cleaner.

1961 – The second North America X-15, later designated the X-15A-2, became the first manned aircraft to exceed Mach 4 when U.S. Air Force pilot Capt. Robert M. White reached a speed of 2,905 mph which, at the altitude of 77,450 feet, he achieved Mach 4.43.

1964 – First flight of the Hawker Siddeley P.1127 Kestrel (shown above), predecessor of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first vertical and/or short take-off and landing, or V/STOL, jet fighter-bomber.

2007 – Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 crashes on landing at Adisucipto International Airport in Indonesia, killing 22 of the 138 on board. The 737-497 (PK-GZC) touches down almost double the proper landing speed after the crew forgot to lower the flaps. The captain ignored both aircraft warnings and First Officer request to go-around. He was later charged with six counts of manslaughter, and found guilty of negligence.

Updated: March 7, 2013 — 5:39 PM
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