aviation history Archives - Page 4 of 6

March 5, 1962 — On this Day in Aviation History – World Record B-58 Hustler Flight

Aircraft 59-2458 (Cowtown Hustler), now on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, OH, on March 5, 1962, participating in Operation-Heat-Rise, flew from Los Angeles to New York City and back again, (with air-refueling) and set three separate speed records, while also earning the crew the […]

Treasures from the Deep — The USS Lexington gives up its Secrets

On March 4, 2018, billionaire Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder and Seattle Seahawks owner, made another huge nautical find: the USS Lexington, which was lost at the Battle of Coral Sea 76 years ago. The fleet aircraft carrier, the first to be sunk by opposing carrier aircraft in World War II, was found near Australia […]

On this Day, 15 February 1946—First flight of Douglas XC-112A

In 1944, the U.S. Army Air Corps had requested a faster, higher-flying variant of the Douglas C-54E Skymaster, with a pressurized cabin. Douglas Aircraft Company developed the XC-112A in response. It was completed 11 February 1946 and made its first flight 4 days later. With the end of World War II, military requirements were scaled […]

Christen Eagle — The Rainbow Bird With the Dacron Plumage

With fabric feathers and 200 horsepower in its beak, the Eagle II was Californian Frank Christensen’s idea of what a two-place, good time flying machine should look and fly like. A slicked-up city cousin of a Pitts Special, the Eagle has its own following that is every bit as rabid about their airplane as the […]

SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch Big Success! — Launches Starman in a Tesla

On February 6, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, the world’s most powerful rocket, thundered to life and cleared the launch gantry powered by 27 engines and nearly 5 million pounds of thrust. Kicking off a spectacular maiden flight for the Falcon Heavy, it sent founder Elon Musk’s cherry red Tesla Roadster on a journey that will reach […]

On this Day in 1971–Apollo 14 Lands on the Moon

February 5, 1971: Apollo 14 touched down on the Moon in the “Fra Mauro” highlands, which was the intended landing site for Apollo 13. Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the United States Apollo program, and the third to land on the Moon. It was the last of the “H missions,” targeted landings […]

February 3, On this Day in Aviation History

1995 The space shuttle Discovery (STS-63) blasted off with a woman, Air Force Lt. Col. Eileen Collins, in the pilot’s seat for the first time in NASA history. Discovery rendezvoused with the Mir Space Station and Collins would later visit Mir on STS-84 as well. On July 26, 2005, Collins commanded STS-114, the emotional “Return […]

15 Years Ago Today — The Loss of Columbia

On Feb. 1, 2003, (15 years ago), the Space shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas. This is the Miami Herald’s original coverage from that day. Space shuttle Columbia, carrying a cross-section of America’s human treasure and the first Israeli astronaut, disintegrated in flames Saturday over Texas. All seven astronauts died.They never had a chance. Astronauts have […]

Historic A-7E Corsair II — A Reminder of Desert Storm

For many Americans, the first news of Operation Desert Storm 27 years ago came through the excited voices of CNN reporters broadcasting over the sights and sounds of tracer fire and bombs exploding as they struck targets in Baghdad. It was an event that was months in the making, beginning in August 1990, when Iraqi […]

January 26 — On this Day in Aviation History

Here are some more interesting archive listings from the aviation historical calendar. 1990 – The first Boeing 747 (military designation: VC-25) to be used as Air Force One is delivered to the United States Air Force. 1988 – French Defense Ministry approves full-scale development of the Dassault Rafale. 1962 – NASA launches the […]