Connecting Skies • Bridging Continents
Life Flight Network has ordered three additional Bell 407GXi helicopters to expand its air medical fleet and strengthen emergency response capability across the western United
Rotron Aerospace has successfully demonstrated its SkyLance long-range autonomous strike platform following its acquisition by Ondas Inc., supporting expanded UK defence and export capability. Rotron
Dhruva Space has secured INR 105 crores in RDIF funding from the Government of India to develop Project Garud, a scalable 500 kg-class communications satellite platform for constellation-scale missions. Indian private space company advances indigenous 500 kg-class communications satellite capability for constellation-scale deployment Dhruva Space has
BAE Systems has integrated an upgraded Link 16 test capability for U.S. Air Force F-16 aircraft, improving maintenance efficiency and operational readiness through faster on-site avionics diagnostics. Rapid avionics testing solution designed to reduce maintenance downtime and improve fleet availability BAE Systems has completed the development
United Aircraft Corporation has reported progress on Russia’s MS-21, Tu-214, Il-114-300 and Superjet programmes while highlighting growing international demand for the Su-57 fighter aircraft. United Aircraft Corporation highlights certification progress and international defence demand United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has outlined progress across several major Russian civil
Airbus is advancing A350F certification testing in Bremen using full-scale cargo system demonstrators to validate the aircraft’s electric cargo door and cargo loading systems ahead of first flight. Airbus is progressing certification and operational readiness testing for its new Airbus A350F, with large-scale demonstrators in Bremen
inter airport Europe will relocate to Milan and relaunch as inter airport Global in 2027, introducing new operational and ground support equipment demonstration platforms. inter
Trimble has introduced a new smart antenna enclosure for its PX-1 RTX solution, aimed at accelerating integration for commercial drone delivery and UAV applications. Trimble
Phelan Green outlines its strategy to supply electro-sustainable aviation fuel from South Africa into European markets, aligned with upcoming EU and UK blending mandates. By
2008 – Aloha Air Cargo commenced operations as an independent airline after Aloha Airlines ceased operations.
2000 – Helios Airways commences airline operations.
1997 – Launch: Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-125 at 4:07:48.62 am EST. Mission highlights: Shuttle-Mir docking.
1987 – The Soviet Union launches the Polyus spacecraft prototype orbital weapons platform. It fails to reach orbit.
1984 – First flight of the AMX International AMX
1981 – Prototype of an improved variant PZL-106 Kruk (Polish agricultural aircraft) was flown with redesigned wings using shorter struts.
1975 – Birth of Dorothy Marie “Dottie” Metcalf-Lindenburger, Nasa Astronaut.
1970 – The Dymshits – Kuznetsov aircraft hijacking affair (Leningrad Process) was an attempt to hijack a civilian aircraft by a group of Soviet refuseniks in order to escape to the West.
1963 – Launch of Mercury-Atlas 9, final manned space mission of the U. S. Mercury program, The spacecraft, named Faith 7, completed 22 Earth orbits before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, piloted by astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper (alias ‘Gordo’). It was Cooper’s first Space Flight.
1960 – Launch of Korabl-Sputnik 1 (also known as Sputnik 4 in the West) was the first test flight of the Soviet Vostok programme, and the first Vostok (spacecraft).
1958 – The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 3. It carried a large array of instruments for geophysical research. Its tape recorder failed, making it unable to measure the Van Allen radiation belts.
1957 – First flight of The Miles Student M.100, lightweight trainer.
1956 – Fifth Lockheed U-2A, Article 345, 56-6678, delivered to the CIA on 16 December 1955, crashes at Groom Lake, Nevada, killing Agency pilot Wilburn S. “Billy” Rose. Aircraft had just departed Groom with a full fuel load, but an underwing pogo hung up. Pilot attempted to return to try to shake it loose, but let angle of bank increase too much and fully fuelled starboard wing kept dropping.
1953 – An errant United States Air Force Republic F-84E-30-RE Thunderjet, 51-628, of the
22d Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 36th Fighter-Bomber Group, collides with two USAF C-119 Flying Boxcars of the 10th Troop Carrier Squadron, 60th Troop Carrier Group, flying in formation near Weinheim, Germany, sending all three planes down in flames. Fairchild C-119C Flying Boxcar, 51-8235, was struck by the fighter, which then hit struck C-119C, 51-8241, three Flying Boxcar crew killed, three injured. F-84 pilot James W. Chilton parachutes to safety.
1941 – Frank Whittle’s jet engined plane, the Gloster E.28/39, the first British jet, flew for the first time. Whittle had built his first engine in 1935 and completed a successful test in 1937.
1936 – British aviation pioneer Amy Johnson returns to England after a record-breaking flight to South Africa in a Percival Gull (G-ADZO).
1930 – Ellen Church becomes the world’s first flight attendant, working for Boeing Air Transport.
1930 – Cleveland Municipal Airport was the first airport with radio air traffic control.
1928 – Rev John Flynn founds the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia at Cloncurry, Queensland, using a de Havilland DH.50. The service takes medical services to remote parts of the Australian bush.
1928 – In a preview shown at a Los Angeles movie theater, Mickey Mouse makes his debut in a cartoon called Plane Crazy, an animated homage to Charles Lindbergh. Walt Disney fails to find a distributor for his first Mickey cartoon until March 1929, five months after Steamboat Willie‘s release. Despite Plane Crazy being produced earlier, Disney considers Steamboat Willie to be Mickey Mouse’s debut.
1925 – Entered into service: Junkers G.23 with Swedish Air Lines.
1923 – First course of Provisional Pilot Officers began training at Camp Borden.
1922 – Instone Air Line commences flights between London and Brussels.
1921 – Laura Bromwell loops in New York State 199 times in 1 h, 20 min, setting a new women’s record for consecutive loops.
1919 – An intercity air route between Chicago and Cleveland is inaugurated by the United States Post Office.
1919 – The U.S. Post Office Department begins its first air mail service operations between Chicago and Cleveland, later extended to New York and San Francisco. An Airco DH.4 carried the mail.
