Vintage Aviation News

Lockheed YF 104A 55 2955. AFFTC History Office

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of The Lockheed YF-104A Starfighter

February 17, 2023 Moreno Aguiari 0

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On February 17, 1956, test pilot Herman Richard (“Fish”) Salmon made the first flight of the Lockheed YF-104A service test prototype, Air Force serial number 55-2955 […]

The prototype Boeing 747 RA001 City of Everett takes off at Paine Field 9 February 1969. The Museum of Flight

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of The Boeing 747

February 9, 2023 Moreno Aguiari 0

On February 9, 1969, at 11:34 a.m., Boeing Chief Test Pilot Jack Wadell, with Engineering Test Pilots Brien Singleton Wygle, co-pilot, and Jesse Arthur Wallick, flight engineer, took off from Paine Field, Everett, Washington, aboard […]

Boeing B 29A 30 BN Superfortress 42 94106 on a long range mission in late 1945

Today in Aviation History: USAF Begins to Retire the B-29 Superfortress

November 1, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 0

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On November 1, 1954, the United States Air Force begins to retire the Boeing B-29 Superfortress from service. In the above photograph, B-29A-20-BN 42-94012 is at […]

This Day in Aviation History: Final Commercial Flight of The British Airways Concorde

October 24, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 0

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On October 24, 2003, at 4:05 p.m. BST, the final commercial flight of the British Airways Concorde came to an end with the landing of G-BOAG […]

This Day in Aviation History: First Flight of The YF-102 Delta Dagger

October 24, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 0

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On October 24, 1953, at Edwards Air Force Base, California, Richard Lowe Johnson, Chief Test Pilot for the Convair Division of the General Dynamics Corporation, took […]

Northrop YB 49 42 102367 takes off from Northrop Field Hawthorne California. U.S. Air Force

This Day in Aviation History: First Flight of The YB-49

October 21, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 0

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On October 21, 1947, at Northrop Field, Hawthorne, California, Northrop Corporation Chief Test Pilot Max R. Stanley took off in the first YB-49, 42-102367, and flew […]

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of The Learjet

October 7, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 0

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On October 7, 1963, the first of two Learjet 23 prototypes, made its first flight at Wichita, Kansas, with test pilots Henry Grady (“Hank”) Beaird, Jr., […]

North American Aviation XP 86 Sabre 45 59597 with George Welch color

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of The North American Aviation XP-86

October 1, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 0

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On October 1, 1947, after three years of development in which 801,386 engineering hours and 340,594 drafting hours had been expended, the first prototype North American […]

McDonnell F 101A 1 MC Voodoo 53 2418 parked on Rogers Dry Lake Edwards Air Force Base California. U.S. Air Force 1

Today in Aviation History: First Flight of The F-101 Voodoo

September 29, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 0

by Bryan R. Swopes of This Day in Aviation On September 29, 1954, at Edwards Air Force Base in the high desert of southern California, McDonnell Aircraft Corporation test pilot Robert C. Little made the […]

05 V29N3 2014 Hawkins YC130 Takeoff BW 001 1267828237 8315

Today In Aviation History: First Flight of The Lockheed YC-130 Hercules

August 23, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 0

Today marks the 68th anniversary of the Lockheed YC-130’s maiden flight. While some may not consider the mighty Hercules a ‘warbird’ yet (the type is still in production and operating in large numbers with air […]

Today in Aviation History