China’s first privately owned airline takes off while Canadian airline JetsGo stops going, Japan gets their first 767 AWACS, a B-47 jettisons a nuke, and more…
The world’s first airline launches passenger service, US starts inspecting baggage, a B-47 loses a nuke, TWA starts transatlantic flights, two transcontinental flying speed records are set and more…
An Air France Concorde crashes in Paris, French aviator Louis Blériot crosses the English Channel, and more…
Pan Am ceases operations, Kuwaiti Airways Flight 221 is hijacked, the US Navy bombs Libya, and more…
National Airlines flies the first domestic jet service in the U.S., two Canadian Snowbirds accidents on the same date six years apart, two men complete the first England-Australia flight, and more…
First flight of the F-16, JAL begins its first international route, PEOPLExpress folds, a Cebu Pacific flight crashes in the Philippines and more…
On this day in 1964, the Vietnam War’s first U.S. air operations take place. Terrorists attack Athens Airport in 1973. In 1981, Ronald Reagan fires 11,500 air traffic controllers.
First flight of the Douglas DC-9, a Turkish Airlines 737 crashes in Amsterdam, all flights in North America become smoke-free, TWA begins domestic 747 service, Chuck Yeager flies his last USAF sortie, and more…
An Arrow Air DC-8 carrying U.S. soldiers crashes in Canada, Chuck Yeager hits Mach 2.5, and more…
Pan Am Flight 103 is bombed over Scotland, New York Airways begins helicopter flights from Manhattan’s Pan Am Building and more…
Happy birthday to Orville Wright! Also, first flight of the B-25 Mitchell, Russian space dogs Belka and Strelka orbit the earth, and more…
The deaths of two aviation greats; Andrei Tupolev in 1972 and Anthony Fokker in 1939. The B-1 Lancer makes its first flight in 1974, the first dogfight with a UAV in 2002 and the crashes of Azerbaijan Flight 217 in 2005 and Alitalia Flight 4128 in 1978.
Freddie Laker founds Laker Airways, the FAA retires Amelia Earhart’s aircraft registration, the first Boeing 247 takes flight, the crashes of Independent Air 1851 in 1989 and Eastern Air Lines 663 in 1965 and more…
American Airlines begins DC-4 cross country flights, the Hindenburg makes its first flight, Herbert Hoover becomes the first civilian to break the sound barrier, and more…
Happy birthday to Air France and KLM! Also, the first photos ever captured of the dark side of the moon are captured by the Soviets’ Luna 3 probe.
A hijacking attempt over Boston ends safely for passengers but not the first officer, Air Inter launches service in France, Linda Finch recreates Amelia Earhart’s flight around the world, a JAL 747 makes the first nonstop Tokyo-New York flight, and more…
Happy birthday to Lufthansa! United Grounds Ted, the US Marines take delivery of their first AV-8 Harrier and more…
The first Pan Am 747 makes its inaugural proving flight to London, two Space Shuttle launches, launch of the Deep Impact probe and more…
NASA’s Phoenix spacecraft is launched, MASH begins helicopter ops, a Bangkok Airways plane hits a control tower, and more…
The world’s first airport opens near Paris, the last moon mission returns to earth, a Chalk’s Ocean Airways crash is captured on video, and more…
