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SpaceShipTwo Goes Supersonic in First Rocket Flight

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane lit up its engine for the first time in flight on Monday, taking a giant supersonic leap toward outer space. The crucial 16-second blast took place at about 7:50 a.m. PT (10:50 a.m. ET), high above California’s Mojave Air and Space Port. Virgin Group’s billionaire founder, Richard Branson, was on hand to […]

For WWII Bomber Pilot, Survival was ‘Witchcraft’

George Laszlo, 91, of Ellwood City, Pa., is one of the World War II veterans who served our country in combat and never talked about it. About 12 years ago, Laszlo was attending an air show in Pittsburgh with Sam Pawlowski of Ellport. Pawlowski told a television reporter that Laszlo had flown the famous aircraft […]

X-15 Rocket Plane, Crew Had the Right Stuff

Editor’s note: Michelle Evans is the president of Mach 25 Media and author of “The X-15 Rocket Plane: Flying the First Wings into Space.” Ms. Evans contributed this article to SPACE.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. From the Wright brothers to the last flight of the X-15 was a steady progression, moving the barriers back on the unknown. […]

Solar Impulse to Begin U.S. Journey

On May 1, two solar aviation pioneers at Solar Impulse are going to attempt what has never been done before — a coast-to-coast flight across America, from California’s Moffett Federal Airfield near San Francisco to Washington (and then on to New York), powered only by sunlight. They will not expend an ounce of fuel during the entire journey, […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1917 – German World War I fighter ace Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen scored four victories on that single day with his Albatros D.III. 1917 – Birth of Eric James Brindley Nicolson (shown above), British World War II fighter pilot. He is the only Battle of Britain pilot and the only pilot of RAF Fighter Command to be awarded […]

NASA Tests Flower-Based Biofuel for Jets

In Hampton Roads, Va., a jet engine may be the sound of freedom, but the contrail it leaves behind is nothing to salute. The cloud-like contrail is composed of ice crystals, soot, sulfur and other harmful elements that riddle the emissions of jet engines and are potentially harmful to people and the environment. But NASA Langley Research Center in […]

The Sequester vs. Air Shows

The budget sequester cuts that are a great deal of concern in the Pensacola, Fla., area are having far-reaching effects as dozens of other communities look ahead to the loss of Blue Angels and Thunderbirds air shows. Many air shows that draw tens of thousands of people and generate millions of dollars for local economies […]

787 Returns to Flight: A Boeing Perspective

Editor’s note: The following story is an April 27th entry on Randy’s Journal, a blog written by Boeing executive Randy Tinseth, and offers a unique perspective on the first flight of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner after its problematic battery issues — which kept the worldwide 787 fleet grounded for some time — had been resolved. […]

On This Day in Aviation History

1896 – Ernst Udet, German World War I pilot, film actor and Luftwaffe officer, was born. He was the second-highest scoring German flying ace of WWI, one of the youngest aces and was the highest scoring German ace to survive the war. Udet’s 62 victories were second only to Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in […]

Air Show Returns to Eastern Alabama

The Auburn University Regional Airport is bringing the first true air show to eastern Alabama since 1984 when the Auburn-Opelika Airshow kicks off on May 11. Attendees will be able to watch aerobatic displays, see vintage warbirds, participate in the Touch A Truck event and see the newly constructed terminal at the Auburn University Regional Airport. […]