info@worldairnews.co.za  | +27 11 465 7706

Connecting Skies • Bridging Continents

TRENDING NEWS

SORA-MATE TO LAUNCH IN UK MARKET 

LONDON, Royal Aeronautical Society RPAAS Conference, 23rd April 2025; Avtrain and ANRA Technologies UK Ltd have announced a strategic partnership to launch the SORA-Mate platform, an automated SORA risk assessment tool for the UK drone market. The announcement aligns with the UK SORA 2.5 implementation on April

Read More »

MOVE TO THE RHYTHM OF EXCELLENCE

Enabling Seamless Journeys That Flow

At Star Alliance, we believe the best journeys move like a symphony — guided by rhythm, shaped by harmony. As the world’s largest airline network, we orchestrate this rhythm on a global scale. By bringing together the strengths of 25 member airlines, we create a smooth, uninterrupted flow that connects over 1,150 destinations worldwide.

 

This seamless travel experience doesn’t happen by chance — it’s the result of deep collaboration, shared purpose, and a vision that aligns every touchpoint. Behind this harmony lies a shared commitment. Across 25 airlines, we move as one — guided by a common vision to make global travel smoother, more rewarding, and effortlessly connected. 

 

This campaign is a creative expression of our collective mission. 

This is the Rhythm of Excellence. A shared beat across the Star Alliance network, elevating every interline journey—from booking to check-in, lounge to rewards—to move in perfect harmony.

VIDEO COURTESY OF: STAR ALLIANCE

AVIATION HISTORY

April 25

1996 – First flight of the Yakovlev Yak-130

1992 – Second prototype Lockheed YF-22A, N22YX, suffers severe damage during start of a go-around when it belly-flops at Edwards AFB, California, following eight seconds of pilot-induced oscillation at an altitude of 40 feet when test pilot Tom Morgenfeld ignored a test-card requiring the 2-D convergent-divergent thrust nozzles to be locked in position during this stage of the PIO tests. Control surface actuators hit rate limiters causing commands to get out of synchronization with their execution, and the test fighter hit the ground, skidded several thousand feet, inducing fire that destroyed 25 percent of the airframe. Crash footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdfIiZnVhTI Aircraft never flew again, being rebuilt as a shell and subsequently used to test antennae at the Rome Air Development Center, Griffiss AFB, New York.

1990 – McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle s/n 81-0049 flown by the 32nd TFS based at Soesterberg AB, Netherlands suffered an engine fire while flying in a three ship formation during Exercise Elder Forest and subsequently lost all hydraulic power. Pilot major George D. Hulsey ejected safely and was picked up by an oil-rig supply vessel. Aircraft crashed into the North Sea, 9 miles off Spurn Point Humberside, United Kingdom.

1986 – First flight of the Air Tractor AT-501

1983 – NASA exploration spacecraft Pioneer 10 flies past the orbit of Pluto.

1972 – Hans-Werner Grosse sets a new sailplane distance record of 1,460 km (908 miles) in a Schleicher ASW 12

1968 – Apollo 6’s SIV-B staqe re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere and the Apollo 6 command module is recovered.

1962 – The United States Department of Defense announces its choice of the Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter for its Military Assistance Program.

1957 – Northrop SM-64 Navaho, 53-8272, falls back onto launchpad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, a few seconds after liftoff and explodes.

1956 – First flight of the Bensen B-8 Gyro-Boat with a basic free-turning rotor system, known as the Roto-sail

1955 – First flight of the FFA P-16

1952 – John Jay Hopkins founds General Dynamics Corporation.

1948 – A North American YP-86 becomes the first jet-powered aircraft to exceed Mach 1.

1940 – McGee Airways pioneers the transportation of fresh meat and milk to the Alaskan interior.

1939 – First flight of the Arsenal VG-33

1928 – Charles A. Lindbergh landed on the Plains of Abraham, Quebec City, in a Curtiss Falcon carrying pneumonia serum for Floyd Bennett.

1922 – Known as the Stout ST-1, the first all-metal airplane designed for the U. S. Navy makes its first flight piloted by Eddie Stinson.

1914 – The first combat flight by a U. S. Navy aircraft takes place. It is a flight to observe Mexican positions during the Veracruz Incident.

1868 – John Bevins Moisant, designer, builder and pilot of the first aluminum airplane, is born in Kanakee, Illinois.

AIRBASE GEORGIA TO HOST SCREENING OF NEW DOCUMENTARY PROFILING WASP CORNELIA FORT

PEACHTREE CITY, GA (April 15, 2025) – Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Airbase Georgia, the largest World War II flying museum in Georgia and one of the largest in the Southeast, will host a special screening of Crosswinds: The Courageous Life of Cornelia Fort, a new documentary celebrating the extraordinary life and legacy of pioneering aviator Cornelia Fort.

 

The event marks one of two regional screenings scheduled for 2025. The film will premiere at the National WASP WWII Museum Homecoming at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas, on April 26 during the museum’s 20th anniversary celebration. Following three years of in-depth research and production, Redwood Educational Technologies will unveil Cornelia’s thirst for knowledge, dedication to excellence in the air, and a zest for life that defined her short life.

 

Airbase Georgia will screen Crosswinds: The Courageous Life of Cornelia Fort on Saturday, June 28, 2025.

 

Cornelia Fort, born in 1919, was a trailblazer in every sense of the word. After earning her commercial pilot’s license in 1941, she trained pilots as part of the Civilian Pilot Training Program, first in Colorado and then in Hawaii. On Dec. 7, 1941, while in flight with a student over Honolulu, she narrowly escaped death as the Pearl Harbor attack began – becoming an unintentional participant in one of the most important events in 20th century history.

 

Determined to serve her country, Cornelia joined the newly formed Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) in September 1942, the second woman Nancy Love accepted into the program. She was tragically killed in a mid-air collision in 1943 while delivering a military aircraft to Dallas, Texas, becoming the first female pilot to die while on active duty with the U.S. Army.

 

“This film is a tribute to Cornelia’s extraordinary courage, both in the air and on the ground, as she respectfully challenged the norms of the day for young women,” said Judy S. Miller, writer, producer, and founder of Redwood Educational Technologies. “It’s a privilege to partner with Airbase Georgia for this screening, as we both share a deep commitment to preserving World War II aviation history.”

 

Airbase Georgia operates a restored Fairchild PT-19 Cornell, the same model aircraft Cornelia flew during her service. The aircraft will be on display during the screening.

 

Appearing in the documentary are two of Cornelia’s nieces – Chloe Fort and Leontine Fort Linton Lapointe – and Dudley Fort, Jr., Cornelia’s nephew. Cornelia’s great-great-niece is the voice of Cornelia. Also appearing in the film, and in person at the Airbase Georgia event to participate in a panel discussion following the screening, is Leslie Sargent, retired FAA inspector. Judy has consulted with her to solve unanswered questions about the Interstate Cadet Cornelia flew in Hawaii and her BT-13 accident.

 

“The mission of Airbase Georgia and the Commemorative Air Force is to educate, inspire and honor,” said Joel Perkins, Airbase Georgia leader. “Hosting the screening helps us preserve the story and legacy of Cornelia Fort and the Greatest Generation.”

 

Following the screening, the documentary will be available for streaming at www.stories250.com.

About the CAF Airbase Georgia

CAF Airbase Georgia, based in Peachtree City, Ga., was founded in 1987. The Airbase is one of the largest units of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF). The group maintains and flies seven vintage military aircraft including a P-51 Mustang, an FG-1D Corsair, an SBD Dauntless, an LT-6 Mosquito, a P-63A Kingcobra, a PT-19 Cornell and a T-34 Mentor. Under restoration are an N2S Stearman and P-47 Thunderbolt. The Airbase, composed of more than 300 volunteer members, is a founding partner of the Georgia WWII Heritage Trail launched in 2021. The Airbase is part of the CAF, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that relies on contributions of time and funds to conduct its mission. For more information, go to https://airbasegeorgia.org/.

 

About Redwood Educational Technologies

For more than 20 years, Judy Miller, founder and editor, has been developing original educational content, based on proven principles of learning and current events, to motivate students to learn. Following her 2009 visit to Normandy, France, to cover the 65th anniversary of D-Day, she forged a commitment to keep World War II history alive for people of all ages. As the nation plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, Redwood Educational Technologies is launching a new website for students and adults alike at www.stories250.com to stream documentaries, new original content and its extensive archive.

WAN APRIL 2025

WAN  MARCH 2025

WAN  FEBRUARY 2025

WAN JANUARY 2025

NEWS TOPICS

APRIL 2025