Civilian Archives - Page 34 of 175

On This Day in Aviation History

1901 – Birth of Antonie Strassmann, German aviatrix and actress. 1941 – The 402 “City of Winnipeg” Squadron carried out the Royal Canadian Air Force’s first offensive patrol over enemy territory in World War II. 1951 – First flight of the Fletcher FD-25 Defender (shown), an American light ground-attack aircraft. 1966 – Pan Am places the first order […]

Body of Missing Yak-52 Pilot Found

Search dogs have detected the body of a missing Indiana pilot in the wreckage of his small airplane, which was found Sunday morning — more than a week after the plane dropped off of radar, according to authorities. The Yakovlev Yak-52 airplane belonging to Glenn Foy, 59, was found in Boone County at 8:40 a.m. […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1893 – Birth of Clive Beverley Glynn, British World War I flying ace. 1911 – The Avro Type D, a British biplane, becomes the first seaplane to take off from British sea water. 1942 – The Japanese Imperial Navy launches an air raid on Trincomalee in Ceylon (Sri Lanka); Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Hermes […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1898 – Birth of Arthur William Wood, British World War I flying ace. 1931 – Amelia Earhart climbs to a record altitude of 18,415 feet in a Pitcairn PCA2 autogyro at Willow Grove, near Philadelphia, Pa. 1943 – First flight of the Douglas BTD Destroyer (XSB2D-1 shown), an American dive bomber developed for the U.S. Navy during World War II. 1950 – Soviet Lavochkin […]

CAFSoCal Plans $10 Million Expansion

The Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (CAFSoCal) based at the Camarillo Airport (CMA), is planning a major expansion expected to cost around $10 million. To kick off the construction of a new hangar facility, the organization has received a $1 million donation from local antenna and sensors manufacturers Si and Betty Robin, […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1908 – The members of the Aerial Experiment Association enter a competition sponsored by the Scientific American; the winner is to receive $25,000 for a flight of over 0.62 miles. The Wright brothers refuse to enter because the rules state the airplane must take off without help. 1911 – Birth of Bozidar “Bosko” Petrovich, Yugoslavian […]

Iowa Museum Showcases Hawkeye Aviation

Twenty-five years ago, Roger Pointer had an idea. He envisioned a place that would house memorabilia honoring both the state’s military aviation and general aviation history. Pointer is a member of the Commemorative Air Force, based in Texas. It was founded to “acquire, restore and preserve in flying condition a complete collection of combat aircraft […]

Minnesota Steps Up Firefighting Fleet

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ fleet of wildfire-combating airplanes has doubled this year, and not a moment too soon. Dozens of wildfires have local and regional firefighters in full alert across the state. Ron Stoffel, the DNR’s wildfire suppression supervisor, estimated his department responded to “about 50 or 60” different wildfires across the state […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1918 – Birth of Erbo Graf von Kageneck (shown), German fighter pilot and World War II flying ace. 1937 – Swedish airplane manufacturer Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (SAAB) is established in Trollhättan, Sweden. 1947 – First flight of the Convair XB-46, an American medium jet bomber prototype. 1954 – Death of Hoyt Sanford Vandenberg, American pilot, […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1918 – The Royal Air Force is born; it is formed from the army’s Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. 1939 – First flight of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero (A6M3 Model 22 shown), a long-range fighter operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. 1973 – Birth of Sergei Aleksandrovich Volkov, Russian […]