Flight Journal - Page 211 of 286 - Aviation History | History of Flight | Aviation History Articles, Warbirds, Bombers, Trainers, Pilots

D-DAY INVASION: JUNE 2024

1930'S FIGHTER FLIES AGAIN: APRIL 2024

The Legend of Maj. Paul "Pappy" Gunn

Their Finest Hour

Butcher Bird Hellcat & Corsair: A test pilot recalls

Stinson’s Big-Guy L-Bird

Stalin’s Flying Hammer

LATEST

Wisconsin Town to Host Its First Air Show

Racing through the air in his Russian Yakolev Yak-55M single-seat airplane, pilot Bill Cowden enjoys the precision and speed of aerobatic flying. Cowden, 46, of Menomonie, Wis., will perform as part of the first Menomonie Airfest & Autorama at Menomonie Municipal Airport in Wisconsin on June 21 and 22. The rain date is June 23. “It’s […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1896 – Birth of Henry William Allingham, British World War I pilot and engineer; he would become the last surviving member of the Royal Naval Air Service and last surviving founding member of the Royal Air Force. 1910 – Robert Martinet wins the first cross-country air race, between Angers and Saumur, France in a Farman; he takes 31 mins., […]

Iowa Guard Pilots Begin Taking Last Flights on F-16s

As the Iowa Air National Guard bids farewell to its Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft in Des Moines, it’s also the end of an era for Lt. Col. Travis Acheson and his father, Keith Acheson. The Achesons have both served as fighter pilots with the 132nd Fighter Wing. Dad retired in the early 1990s, […]

From Concept to Combat: Test Pilots Share Evolution of Flying Wing

Sixty-five years ago yesterday, the flight test community suffered a tremendous loss June 5, 1948, when the Northrop YB-49 broke apart mid-air in the skies over the Mojave Desert. The jet-powered flying wing, crashed just five miles north of the base. All five crew members lost their lives that day, including Californian, Capt. Glen Edwards […]

Red Bull Helicopter Pilot Calls Flying ‘Magic Carpet Ride’

“Malibu” Chuck Aaron has the unique honor of being the only civilian pilot ever to be licensed to perform helicopter aerobatics in the U.S. — and one of only three in the entire world. A former television stunt pilot, the San Antonio, Texas, native has worked with everyone from the U.S. Department of Defense to […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1891 – Birth of Albert Dossenbach, German World War I fighter ace. 1917 – England is attacked by a force of 22 Gotha bombers of the Imperial German Air Service at Sheerness in Kent. 1944 – More than 1,000 British bombers drop 5,000 tons of bombs on German gun batteries on the Normandy coast in preparation for D-Day. 1948 – The second Northrop […]

Drones to Spy on Southern Nevada Wildlife, Not People

A few months from now, government agents with drones will descend on Southern Nevada to spy on the locals. Luckily, mule deer and bighorn sheep don’t carry ACLU cards. The U.S. Geological Survey started using unmanned aircraft for wildlife and land management work about two years ago. Its first Nevada mission, planned for August or September, […]

Inside Microsoft Mogul Paul Allen’s WWII Airplane Collection

Paul Allen is staring up at the barrel of an enormous gun – more like a cannon and more than twice his height. In the newly opened second hangar of his Flying Heritage Collection, the billionaire Microsoft cofounder points at an 88mm Flak 37, Nazi Germany’s most feared piece of artillery during World War II. Allen owns […]

90-Year-Old Pilot Completes 90 International Crossings

It’s not surprising that John G. Lawton fulfilled his dream of making 90 aerial crossings of the U.S.-Canadian border when he turned 90. He’s a high school dropout with a doctorate in aeronautical engineering from Cornell University. He emigrated from Austria in 1940 to avoid the horrors of the Nazis, was turned down when he tried […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1897 – Birth of Gilbert Jean Uteau, French World War I flying ace. 1935 – Brothers Fred and Algene Key fly twenty-seven days without landing, setting a world record for sustained flight in a Curtis Robin J-1 named “Ole Miss.” 1942 – The Battle of Midway, a face-off between four Japanese aircraft carriers and three U.S. carriers, begins with a predawn […]