1883 – Birth of Heinrich Kostrba, Austro-Hungarian World War I flying ace; he later becomes the first Austro-Hungarian pilot to score three victories in a single day. He also later founds and leads the Czechoslovakian Flying Corps after the war.
1909 – The first time an airplane is seen to fly in reverse takes place in Blackpool, England, when Hubert Latham flew in winds ranging between 23 mph and 40 mph.
1922 – Amelia Mary Earhart, in her yellow Kinner Airster biplane nicknamed “The Canary” (shown), reaches an altitude of 14,000 feet, setting a world record for female pilots.
1955 – First flight of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief, an American supersonic fighter-bomber.
1985 – Death of Arthur Marie Marcel Coadou, French World War I flying ace, who also served in World War II.
2011 – The Twin Balloons Airship, made by JP Aerospace, flies to 95,085 feet to set the an airship world altitude record; the unmanned tandem airship ascends nearly four miles higher than any airship before and is provided with two electric motors.
