On This Day in Aviation History

On This Day in Aviation History

1931 – Birth of John A. Manke, NASA test pilot who flew 42 lifting body rocketplane missions.

1940 – The Handley Page Halifax, a British four-engined heavy bomber, enters service with the Royal Air Force’s No. 35 Squadron.

1947 – First flight of the Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52 (shown), a British all-metal turbojet-powered flying wing.

1985 – Death of Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin, Soviet World War II fighter ace, marshal of the Soviet Air Force and a multiple Hero of the Soviet Union.

1993 – China Northern Airlines Flight 6901, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashes on approach to Ürümqi Airport after the crew fails to disconnect the autopilot.

2011 – The Dubai-based airline Emirates orders 50 Boeing 777 airliners worth about $18 billion – the largest order in terms of commercial value in Boeing‍ ’​s history – with an option to purchase 20 more 777s for another $8 billion.

Updated: November 13, 2015 — 12:20 AM
Air Age Media ©
WordPress Image Lightbox Plugin