Flight Journal - Page 265 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

Too Tired to Fly?

Did Ambien kill four U.S. Air Force special operators returning from a classified five-hour spy-plane mission in February? The four – two special-ops pilots and two sensor operators – were aboard a perfectly-functioning Air Force aircraft, a military version of the venerable Pilatus PC-12, as it prepared for a night-time landing at Ambouli International Airport […]

Sandy a Nightmare as Airlines Ground 14,000 Flights

The number of flight cancellations resulting from Hurricane Sandy is now pushing 14,000, according to the FlightAware flight-tracking service. And that number —13,785 as of 4:30 p.m. ET — still seems likely to grow over the next day as Sandy moves onshore and heads inland. For the complete story by USA Today’s Ben Mutzabaugh, click here.

Legendary WWII Pilot Defeated German, Japanese Foes

Dean “Diz” Laird is a legend, the only known U.S. Navy ace to shoot down both German and Japanese planes during World War II. Despite close calls — once, his shot-up plane skidded across an aircraft carrier’s flight deck — Diz possessed a fighter pilot’s essential attribute: Supreme self-confidence. “It never entered my mind that […]

New Zealand Aviation Museum Rebooted

Classic Flyers NZ and Legacy Trust will celebrate the launch of its Legacy Jet Centre in Tauranga, New Zealand, today and the arrival of the museum’s Royal NZ Air Force Aermacchi MB-339 military trainer with a special launch event. Classic Flyers CEO Andrew Gormlie says the launch offers a chance to get up close to the […]

‘60 Minutes’ Spotlights Items Stolen from National Archives

The Wright brothers’ airplane patent, along with photos taken by astronauts on the moon, are among the items that have been stolen from the National Archives. Tonight, “60 Minutes” takes a look at some of the thefts, along with a recovery team formed by the Archives that is working to find the stolen items. A con […]

Helicopter Opens Fire During Chase; 2 Dead

A Texas Department of Public Safety sharpshooter opened fire on an evading vehicle loaded with suspected illegal immigrants Thursday, leaving at least two people dead, sources familiar with the investigation said. DPS spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger confirmed a DPS officer opened fire during the pursuit north of La Joya, but had no information as to whether […]

Youngest B-52 Achieves 50 Years of Service

Today marks 50 years since Boeing delivered its last B-52 Stratofortress to the U.S. Air Force. The H-model bomber, 61-040, was assigned to Minot Air Force Base, N.D., where it remains in active service. Boeing built 744 B-52s, in eight different models, from 1952 to 1962. The Air Force fleet today comprises 76 H-models — […]

Why The World’s Longest Flights Keep Getting Canceled (For Good)

Singapore Airlines announced a $7.5 billion order for five new Airbus A380s and 20 A350s Wednesday for additional capacity growth and fleet renewal. As a footnote, however, it said this would result in the cessation of nonstop routes from Singapore to Los Angeles and Newark, putting an end to the world’s longest flights. Ultralong flights on the […]

American Airlines Plans to Hire 2,500 Pilots

The CEO of American Airlines said the company expects to hire 2,500 pilots over the next five years as it ramps up international flights. “The new American will be doing even more international flying, providing greater opportunities for career advancement and increased income for our people,” AMR Corp. CEO Thomas Horton said Wednesday in a […]

Museum of Flight Gets Historic ScanEagle Drone

In April 2009, a ScanEagle unmanned aircraft made by Boeing subsidiary Insitu helped in the rescue of sailors taken prisoner by Somali Pirates. Last Friday, Insitu donated the drone to Seattle’s Museum of Flight. “ScanEagle fills a special place in the museum’s collection of reconnaissance aircraft,” museum Chief Curator Dan Hagedorn said in a news release. “The fact that this […]