Austin Hancock

Commercial Pilot, CFI, and Museum Entrepreneur, with a subject focus on WWII Aviation. I am dedicated to building flight experience so I can fly WWII Fighters, such as the P-51 Mustang, for museums and airshows, and in the USAF Heritage Flight. I lead and run the Pennington Flight Memorial, to honor local MIA Tuskegee Airman F/O Leland “Sticky” Pennington.
11 Articles

Today in Aviation History: First Recorded Aerial Victory

Today in aviation history: On October 5, 1914, the first recorded aerial victory occurred when…

Austin Hancock

Today in Aviation History: Sputnik 1 Launches Into Orbit

Today in aviation history: On October 4, 1957, Sputnik 1 became the world’s first artificial…

Austin Hancock

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of the Vought XF6U Pirate

Today in aviation history: The Vought XF6U Pirate first flew on October 2, 1946. Restored…

Austin Hancock

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of the Bell XP-59 Airacomet

Today in aviation history: The Bell XP-59 Airacomet, America’s first jet fighter, flew for the…

Austin Hancock

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of the AH-64 Apache

Celebrate the first flight of the AH-64 Apache, the U.S. Army’s premier attack helicopter, known…

Austin Hancock

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of the Vought XF7U-1 Cutlass

On September 29, 1948, the Vought XF7U-1 Cutlass made its first flight. This tailless, swept-wing…

Austin Hancock

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of the Dassault Mystère IV

Celebrate the first flight of the Dassault Mystère IV, France’s first transonic fighter-bomber, which served…

Austin Hancock

Today in Aviation History: Katherine Stinson, First U.S. Airmail Flight by a Woman Pilot

Celebrate Katherine Stinson, the first U.S. woman to fly airmail in 1913, and a pioneering…

Austin Hancock

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of the LTV A-7 Corsair II

Celebrate the first flight of the LTV A-7 Corsair II, a Vietnam War-era carrier-based attack…

Austin Hancock

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of the de Havilland DH.104 Dove

Celebrate the 80th anniversary of the de Havilland DH.104 Dove—a postwar British commuter aircraft that…

Austin Hancock